Eid Al Adha 2020: First time scenes from Haj show pilgrims with masks and social distancing at Mount Arafat

Muslim pilgrims maintain social distancing as they enter Nimrah Mosque in Arafat to mark Haj's most important day, Day of Arafat, during their Haj pilgrimage amid the COVID-19 pandemic, outside the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Taking place roughly 70 days after the end of Ramadan, Arafat Day marks the second day of Haj, or pilgrimage.

Pilgrims performing the Haj this year arrived at Mount Arafat before noon by bus Thursday. They are traveling in small groups of 20, following strict guidelines around social distancing, have undergone tests for the COVID-19 disease and were in quarantine before the hajj.

Muslim pilgrims enter Namira Mosque in Arafat as they keep social distance to protect themselves against coronavirus during the annual hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The occasion also marks the day when a verse of the Quran revealed that Islam was perfected, and when Allah’s blessings were completed.

Pilgrims wearing protective masks arrive at Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat during the annual Haj pilgrimage.

Pilgrims queue upon their arrival to Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat.

A pilgrim receiving a bottle of water upon her arrival to Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma (Mount of Mercy), southeast of the Saudi holy city of Mecca, on Arafat Day, the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca.

A group of pilgrims arrive at Mount Arafat, also known as Jabal al-Rahma (Mount of Mercy), southeast of the Saudi holy city of Mecca. The hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam and a must for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime, is usually one of the world's largest religious gatherings.

Muslim pilgrims attending prayers at the Nimrah mosque, on Arafat Day, the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca.

A pilgrim wears a protective mask as she prays inside Nimrah Mosque in Arafat to mark Haj's most important day, Day of Arafat, during her Haj pilgrimage. Mount Arafat is the site where Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) gave his farewell sermon.

Muslim pilgrim wearing a protective mask reads the Quran inside Nimrah Mosque in Arafat.

A pilgrim uses his mobile phone to read the versus of the Quran as he prays inside Nimrah Mosque in Arafat. All pilgrims were subject to temperature checks and attended a sermon - which state media said was translated into 10 languages - before they set off on the climb to the summit for hours of Quran recitals and prayers to atone for their sins.

Pilgrims attending prayers at the Nimrah mosque, on Arafat Day, Pilgrims, donning masks and observing social distancing, were brought in buses from neighbouring Mina to Mount Arafat.

After sunset prayers, pilgrims will make their way down Mount Arafat to Muzdalifah, another holy site where they will sleep under the stars to prepare for the final stage of hajj, the symbolic "stoning of the devil". Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed no coronavirus cases were found among pilgrims, medical workers or support staff at the holy sites, as Hajj enters its second day.

Health officials spray disinfectant inside the Nimrah Mosque in Arafat during the annual hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. This year's hajj was dramatically scaled down from 2.5 million pilgrims to as few as 1,000 due to the coronavirus pandemic.