JEDDAH, 3 February 2003 — The standing in prayer of pilgrims on Mount Arafat, the cornerstone of the five-day annual pilgrimage, will be held on Feb. 10 (Monday), the Supreme Judiciary Council announced yesterday.
The Haj will start on Feb. 9 with the assembly of more than two million pilgrims in Mina, a valley near Makkah, on their way to Arafat, where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave his last sermon.
The standing in prayer at Arafat is an essential part of the pilgrimage. In case of delay before sunset on Dul Hijja 9 under pressure of circumstances, pilgrims are permitted to perform the rite after sunset.
More than 1.2 million pilgrims have already arrived from abroad to take part in this year’s pilgrimage, the largest gathering of Muslims in the world. They will be joined by about 800,000 domestic and resident expatriate pilgrims.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd will host 1,400 pilgrims from 28 countries this year. Many of the king’s guests have already arrived from Ghana, Bosnia and the United States.
Saudi embassies and consulates around the world have issued more than one million Haj visas this year, informed sources said. A number of Arab and Islamic leaders, including Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Tunisian President Zain Al-Abidine Ben Ali, are expected for the Haj.
The Saudi government has mobilized its human and material resources to ensure the success of the pilgrimage. Interior Minister Prince Naif, who is chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, will inspect Haj arrangements on Wednesday.
Prince Naif will also inspect the readiness of security forces to ensure a trouble-free Haj this year. “During his comprehensive tour, Prince Naif will see the measures taken to receive the pilgrims and help them perform their Haj duties with ease and comfort,” Lt. Gen. Asaad Abdul Kareem Al-Fareeh, director of public security said.
Prince Naif will be accompanied by a number of ministers.
