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Hajj pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat under scorching desert sun

Temperatures near 44C test worshippers’ endurance as the annual pilgrimage unfolds under the shadow of war.

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Hajj pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat under scorching desert sun
Muslim pilgrims pray on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the pinnacle of the Hajj pilgrimage [Zain Jaafar/AFP]
By AFP
Published On 26 May 2026

Huge numbers of Muslims prayed on Mount Arafat at the most important ritual of the Hajj pilgrimage, as a punishing desert sun sent temperatures soaring towards 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

From daybreak on Tuesday, thousands of white-robed worshippers recited Quranic verses on the 70-metre (230-foot) rocky hill near Mecca, where the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have delivered his final sermon.

Volunteers lined the route, handing out bottles of water, parasols and food packages to the tens of thousands of pilgrims making their way towards the mount.

“It is an indescribable feeling,” said Ahmoud Abou Elezz, a 35-year-old Egyptian engineer, as he approached Mount Arafat for the first time.

More than 1.5 million people have joined the Hajj this year, even as a war pitting the United States and Israel against Iran casts a long shadow across the Middle East.

During the fighting, Tehran retaliated with waves of drone and ballistic missile strikes, hitting major infrastructure and energy installations across the Gulf, including in Saudi Arabia.

More than 30,000 Iranians have made the journey, about a third of the 86,000 originally expected. Iran’s IRNA state news agency said the “wartime situation” explained the drop.

Despite the conflict, Saudi officials said over the weekend that more pilgrims have travelled from abroad this year than in 2024.

The Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam, is obligatory at least once in a lifetime for all Muslims who are physically and financially able to perform it.

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With temperatures reaching 44C (111F) in Mecca in recent days, Saudi authorities have urged pilgrims to drink plenty of water and protect themselves from the sun during the mostly outdoor rituals, which can stretch over five days or more.

Because men are prohibited from wearing hats, many carry umbrellas to shield themselves from the blistering heat.

After the day on Mount Arafat, pilgrims will spend the night in Muzdalifah, where they collect pebbles for the symbolic “stoning of the devil” ritual in Mina, set to begin on Wednesday.

The Hajj is said to trace the route of the Prophet Muhammad’s final pilgrimage about 1,400 years ago, and has long been a crucial source of legitimacy for the Al Saud dynasty, whose monarch bears the title “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques” in Mecca and Medina.

Hajj pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat under scorching desert sun
Nearly two million Muslims gather on the vast plain of Arafat, standing in prayer under the blazing sun during the high point of the Hajj. [Zain Jaafar/AFP]
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Hajj pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat under scorching desert sun
Shoulder to shoulder, worshippers from more than 150 countries raise their hands in supplication, seeking God’s mercy on the most important day of Hajj. [Zain Jaafar/AFP]
Hajj pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat under scorching desert sun
A Muslim pilgrim reads a copy of Islam's holy book Quran atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat. [Altaf Qadri/AP Photo]
Hajj pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat under scorching desert sun
Pilgrims in simple white garments pack the slopes of the 70-metre (230-foot) hill at Arafat, retracing the steps of the Prophet Muhammad more than 1,400 years on. [Zain Jaafar/AFP]
Hajj pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat under scorching desert sun
A Muslim pilgrim sits while covering the head with a book and praying on Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat. [Zain Jaafar/AFP]
Hajj pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat under scorching desert sun
Men wrapped in two unstitched pieces of cloth and women in loose-fitting dresses stand in silence at Arafat, symbolising unity beyond race, wealth or nationality. [Zain Jaafar/AFP]
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Hajj pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat under scorching desert sun
Arafat, often described as a preview of the Day of Judgment, becomes a sea of white as pilgrims chant, weep and repent beneath the desert sky. [Zain Jaafar/AFP]
Hajj pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat under scorching desert sun
After a night of reflection in the tent city of Mina, pilgrims arrive early at Arafat to spend the afternoon in wuquf — standing in prayer from midday until sunset. [Zain Jaafar/AFP]
Hajj pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat under scorching desert sun
At sunset, the vast congregation begins its slow departure from Arafat, heading back towards Mina to continue the Hajj with the stoning of the devil ritual. [Zain Jaafar/AFP]