Mount Arafat is a mountain located 12 miles east of Mecca, Saudi Arabia and is an important part of the Hajj pilgrimage—the fifth pillar of Islam. On the ninth day of the annual pilgrimage, Muslims travel to Mount Arafat to stand in prayer from noon until sunset. This is known as the Day of Arafah and it marks one of the most important rituals during Hajj.
On that day, Muslims stand on top of Mount Arafat and seek repentance for their sins. They make supplications which are answered in the Valley of Muzdalifa and recite “Talbiyah” (a prayer for hajj). Additionally, this is where Muhammad delivered his Farewell Sermon to more than 100,000 Muslim pilgrims before returning to Medina. This is why some refer to Mount Arafat as “The Mountain of Mercy” or “The Mountain of Forgiveness”.
At sunset, pilgrims leave Mt. Arafat and perform a ritual known as Wukuf or Standing at 'Arafah'. This ritual symbolizes a farewell to sins by standing in front of God on the plain below Mount Arafat in prayer. After performing Wukuf, pilgrims go to a nearby plain called Muzdalifah where they spend the night until sunrise praying and gathering pebbles for the next day's rituals.
