Faithful pray for peace and unity of the Ummah

Makkah: Millions of faithful, wearing white robes, converged on the plains of Arafat on Sunday, marking the climax of this year's Haj. The pilgrims spent the day in prayer and meditation following the tradition of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

They prayed for their salvation as well as for world peace, harmony and prosperity and unity of the Muslim Ummah. Before beginning their ritual of standing at Arafat, the pilgrims performed Dhohar and Asr prayers in shortened form.

They listened to the annual Haj sermon, delivered by Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Shaikh Abdul Aziz Alu Al Shaikh. In his sermon, Shaikh Alu Al Shaikh called upon the pilgrims to hold fast to their faith and stand united in confronting challenges facing the Ummah.

In his sermon, the grand mufti spoke about major issues facing the Islamic world, especially the latest developments in Palestine, Somalia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. He urged the decision makers in the Islamic world to give top priority for protecting public interests of the Ummah.

"They should aware of their responsibilities as the representatives of Allah on the earth in executing His orders, in line with the Sharia principles and without transgressing the borders set by Him," he said.

The Grand Mufti warned world leaders that injustice is the cause for the fall of civilisations and destruction of peoples in the past. He also urged Palestinians not to trade with their issue and stand united in achieving their goal of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Al Shaikh warned against the dangers surrounding the Ummah and the efforts of its enemies to exploit the wealth of Muslim nations and create divisions among them.

After sunset, the pilgrims moved to Muzdalifa and performed shortened Maghreb and Isha prayers. Led by King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz, Saudi leaders are overseeing the movement of pilgrims after their arrival in Mina on Saturday. The king will receive foreign dignitaries as well as heads of foreign Haj missions.

"The passage of pilgrims from Mina to Arafat was completed smoothly without any untoward incidents," said Makkah Governor Prince Khalid Al Faisal, who is also the chairman of the Central Haj Committee. Prince Khalid congratulated all departments and agencies for successfully implementing the Haj plan and had a special word of praise for citizens who cooperated in making the 'No permit, no Haj' project work.

The pilgrims will start performing the stoning ritual at Jamrat Al Aqba, then slaughter sacrificial animals and shave their heads. Then they will perform another most significant ritual of Haj Tawaful Ifada and Sa'i.

Meanwhile, the cover (Kiswa) of the Ka'aba was replaced yesterday with a new one in conformity with the annual tradition.

The ceremony was attended by the staff of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.