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  "path": "/partner/pilgrims-pray-arafat-hajj-2026",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-26T15:58:55.000Z",
  "site": "https://nukta.com",
  "tags": [
    "Tehran"
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  "textContent": "\n\n\n\nMore than 1.5 million Muslims gathered on Mount Arafat on Tuesday at the climax of the annual Hajj pilgrimage, braving desert temperatures nearing 44 degrees Celsius.\n\nThousands of white-robed worshipers recited Quranic verses on the rocky 70-meter hill near Makkah, where the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) delivered his final sermon. The gathering came against the backdrop of the Middle East war sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran.\n\n### What happens at Mount Arafat during Hajj?\n\nThe standing at Mount Arafat, known as Wuquf, is the spiritual centerpiece of the Hajj pilgrimage.\n\nPilgrims gather on the rocky hill near Makkah from daybreak to pray and recite scripture, following the path the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) took about 1,400 years ago.\n\nWithout this ritual, the pilgrimage is considered incomplete.\n\n### How many pilgrims attended Hajj 2026?\n\nSaudi officials said more pilgrims had traveled from abroad this year than in 2025, with the total exceeding 1.5 million. Among them, more than 30,000 Iranians made the journey, roughly a third of the 86,000 originally expected.\n\nIran's IRNA state news agency attributed the drop to the ongoing \"wartime situation.\"\n\nThe conflict has left its mark on the pilgrimage season. Tehran retaliated against US-Israeli strikes with drone and ballistic missile attacks on Gulf infrastructure, including installations in Saudi Arabia.\n\nDespite the fighting, the kingdom pressed ahead with hosting one of the world's largest annual gatherings.\n\nVolunteers distributed water bottles, parasols and food packages to pilgrims making their way toward Mount Arafat. Helicopters flew overhead periodically, and more than 50,000 healthcare workers and 3,000 ambulances were deployed across the pilgrimage sites.\n\n### How are Saudi authorities managing the Hajj heat in 2026?\n\nAuthorities have urged pilgrims to stay hydrated and shield themselves from the sun throughout the outdoor rituals, which can last five days or more.\n\nSince men are prohibited from wearing hats during Hajj, many carry umbrellas against the heat. Saudi officials also expanded shaded areas and boosted medical staffing following the 2024 Hajj, when temperatures exceeded 50 degrees Celsius and more than 1,300 pilgrims died.\n\nScientists say human-driven climate change is intensifying summer heatwaves across the globe, worsening conditions for outdoor mass gatherings like Hajj. \"It is an indescribable feeling,\" said Ahmed Abu al-Ezz, a 35-year-old Egyptian engineer, as he approached Mount Arafat for the first time.\n\n### What comes after Mount Arafat in the Hajj pilgrimage?\n\nAfter leaving Mount Arafat, pilgrims will spend the night in Muzdalifah, where they collect pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil ritual at Mina, beginning Wednesday.\n\nThe Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and must be performed at least once by every Muslim with the means to do so.",
  "title": "Pilgrims pray on Mount Arafat as Hajj reaches its peak"
}