Pilgrims leave Arafat for Muzdalifah to continue sacred journey
Fulfillment of the greatest pillar of Hajj
The departure followed a deeply spiritual moment, as pilgrims were blessed with the opportunity to stand on the plain of Arafat—fulfilling the most important pillar of the Hajj.
Night in Muzdalifah according to Prophetic tradition
Upon arriving in Muzdalifah, pilgrims perform both Maghrib and Isha prayers in congregation, in keeping with the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They spend the night there in preparation for the next stage of their journey.
Heading to Mina for rituals
After the Fajr prayer, pilgrims will proceed to Mina to perform the ritual of throwing pebbles at Jamarat Al-Aqaba and to offer their sacrificial animals, continuing the essential rites of Hajj.
Smooth movement and unified efforts
The movement from Arafat to Muzdalifah has been notably smooth and efficient, reflecting the tremendous coordination and efforts by various Hajj authorities. Their unified goal remains to ensure a tranquil and secure pilgrimage experience for all.
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Near the holy city of Makkah, men in white robes stand quietly in a long queue, waiting for the next important act of their Hajj pilgrimage: a haircut. Shaving or cutting the hair comes near the end of the Hajj, and marks the moment when pilgrims can change out of the Ihram clothing that signifies purity and devotion. The barbershop, strategically positioned by the Jamarat complex in Mina, where the "stoning of the devil" ritual took place on Friday, opens exclusively for the annual Hajj and does a roaring trade. On the pilgrimage's last day, which coincides with the major festival of Eid Al Adha, its barbers typically handle 6,000 customers, said manager Imad Fawzi, an official employed by the Hajj organisation. Inside, men in plastic aprons wield electric clippers and cut-throat razors, shearing scalps on an industrial scale for 60 riyals ($13) a time. Despite the rush — there are so many customers that an usher is required — Ahmed, a 28-year-old barber from Egypt, is happy in his work. "This is a very simple thing to do, but it brings us so much joy," he says. Fawzi, who grew up in Makkah, called himself a "child of the Hajj". "I've been working in Hajj since I was seven," he says. 'This outfit is exhausting' The once-a-year hairdresser's is not the only place for a cut: parts of Makkah and the plain of Mina, on its outskirts, turn into an open-air barbershop at this stage of the Hajj. Leaving the Jamarat, a Southeast Asian man took out a razor and started scraping the back of his head as he walked. Further down the street, a group of African men were shaving each other with clippers. In Mecca, entire streets are lined with barbershops doing brisk business. While men shave their hair, women trim theirs by a fingertip-length. About 1.6 million pilgrims have gathered in and around Mecca, Islam's holiest city, for this year's Hajj, which all Muslims with the means must complete at least once. Outside the Jamarat hairdresser's, Hani Abdel Samih is looking forward to changing out of the wrap-around skirt and shawl he has been wearing for the past three days. "The stoning of the devil at Jamarat requires great effort and we've been wearing these clothes all day," he said. "We wanted to wear our everyday clothes and be comfortable, so we went to the nearest barbershop we could find after the Jamarat," said the Egyptian. Yet his face is beaming with joy. He said he does not mind the wait for a haircut that bears a special place in his spiritual journey. "I'm excited, of course! Because this is Sunnah from the Prophet, peace be upon him," he said, referring to the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. "We like (this ritual) and we cannot break it," he said. The Hajj retraces the Prophet's last pilgrimage, with rites at Makkah's Grand Mosque and Mount Arafat before "stoning the devil" — throwing pebbles at three giant walls at Jamarat.
