Mount Arafat - Makkah

Location

Mount Arafat is a hill located approximately 20 kilometers to the southeast of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It is also known as Jabal Arafat or Jabalar-Rahmah in the Arabic language which means the ‘mountain of mercy’.

History and Customs

Historically, Mount Arafat is important to Muslims because this hill is where the Prophet (PBUH) stood when he gave Khutba e HajjadtulWIda, his Last Sermon and also the site where Adam and Hawa met up on Earth again after leaving heaven.

Mount Arafat is also important to Islam during the yearly Hajj, the holy ritual of pilgrimage. On the 9th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, pilgrims leave Mina and travel to Mountain Arafat. Because of this, the day in question is branded as the Day of Arafat and the day is also the most important day of Hajj.

The ground surrounding the hill is called the Plain of Arafat. This is where the afternoon is spent on the day of Arafat. The ritual is an integral part of Hajj as Hajj is considered invalid without this part.

Structure

The mountain of Arafat is about 230 feet in height. The rock on the hill is granodiorite, which is an igneous rock similar to granite and composed mainly of feldspar, quartz, muscovite, and other minerals.

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