belief systems

Pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat as Hajj reaches peak amid regional tensions

• The Saudi government reported that more than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in the country for the Hajj.
• Pilgrims gathered on the rocky Mount Arafat under sweltering heat, many using umbrellas for shade.
• Egyptian pilgrim Mohammad Asal said the Arafat day is the most important ritual of the Hajj and prayed for forgiveness, mercy and good health.
• American pilgrim Ahmed Sufyan described the unity and peace he felt on Mount Arafat as something he had never experienced before.
• Sudanese pilgrim Mohammad Obaid said he was praying for Sudan and Muslims everywhere.
• The backdrop to the pilgrimage included U.S. self‑defense strikes on missile sites in southern Iran and Iran’s denunciation of those attacks as “bad faith,” heightening regional security concerns.