Pilgrims to the Sacred House of God moved with the sunset on Tuesday, the ninth of Dhu al-Hijjah, from the plains of Arafat to the Al-Muzdalifah area, after performing the greatest pillar of Hajj in a magnificent spiritual scene, characterized by tranquility and organization, amidst an integrated security and service system that the Kingdom has harnessed to serve the guests of God.
The pilgrims' departure came after their standing on the plains of Arafat, where they spent their day in remembrance, supplication, and supplication, after God had blessed them with the performance of the Day of Tarwiyah in Mina, following the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. With the arrival of the evening, their masses headed to the Al-Muzdalifah area to spend the night there until the dawn of Eid al-Adha, in preparation for proceeding to Mina to stone the Jamrat al-Aqaba, slaughter the sacrificial animals, then shave or shorten their hair, and complete the rest of the rituals. The movement of the pilgrims witnessed a wide spread of security and service teams, which organized the movement and secured the routes, ensuring the smooth flow of movement and the safety of the pilgrims, whether via the Al-Masha'er train, buses, or pedestrian paths, within a tight security plan that took into account human densities and movement timings. In a scene that embodied the unity of Muslims, about 1.7 million pilgrims flowed to Arafat with the early morning hours, according to the Statistics Authority, wearing white ihram clothes, their tongues chanting Talbiyah, praise, and supplication, on a day that God boasts of to His angels, and in which hearts unite on one goal, which is seeking the pleasure and forgiveness of God, despite the different colors, languages, and nationalities. The guests of God performed the Dhuhr and Asr prayers combined and shortened in the Namira Mosque, and listened to the sermon of the Day of Arafah, delivered by Sheikh Dr. Ali Al-Hudhaifi, the Imam and preacher of the Grand Mosque, following the guidance of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. Prince Saud bin Mishaal bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Makkah Province and Vice President of the Permanent Committee for Hajj and Umrah, confirmed that the leadership of the Kingdom gives the service of the guests of God top priority, harnessing all human and technical capabilities to ensure that they perform their rituals safely and easily from their arrival until their safe departure. He pointed out that the Kingdom is honored to serve the Sacred House and its visitors, and has made this service a firm message that is inherited by generations. Prince Saud bin Mishaal welcomed the pilgrims on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and his Crown Prince, Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, highlighting that the Day of Arafah embodies the highest meanings of unity and equality, in an atmosphere of security and tranquility. In the same context, the Saudi Ministry of Interior continues to monitor the movement of the guests of God through an advanced digital system that relies on smart technologies and artificial intelligence to monitor human densities, pedestrian movement, and means of transportation, and to analyze operational indicators in real time, which enhances the speed of decision-making and the efficiency of crowd management. The operations and control centers associated with this system contribute to achieving integration between the security, service, and health authorities, ensuring the continuity of services, and predicting human densities, which improves the level of safety and the quality of performance during the Hajj season. The transition from Arafat to Muzdalifah is the third stage of the pilgrims' movement in the holy sites, and this year it was characterized by flexibility and smoothness, in a picture that reflects the continuous efforts to develop the Hajj system and upgrade the services provided to the guests of God.
