News desk :Tears flowed and prayers filled the air as the annual hajj by about 2 million Muslim believers from around the world reached its zenith on a vast plain in western Saudi Arabia.Elderly pilgrims sat in wheelchairs, little ones in prams, and others leaned on sticks as they pushed their way towards Mount Mercy, the hill where Prophet Mohammed (sm) made his final sermon 14 centuries ago.From early morning, pilgrims crowded onto the slippery, rocky hill, which their uniform attire turned white in colour. Some prayed and wept, some slept, while others spread their mats and sat reciting the Quran. Many set up their own tents along the roads. Others even made rough shelters from large yellow garbage bags.All male pilgrims dress in ihram to symbolise a state of purity, which also emphasises their unity regardless of social status or nationality.’I pray for divine mercy, prosperity, long life and.. I pray for my country,’ most of the pilgrims said. ‘I’m very blessed to be part of this occasion. I don’t think I will go back to the sinful way,’ they pledged.The hajj, which officially ends on Tuesday, is one of the five pillars of Islam that every capable Muslim must perform it at least once.Saudi Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef said the hajj had attracted almost 1.4 million foreign pilgrims from 163 nations.Local media report that several hundred thousand Saudis are also participating, pushing the total Tears, prayers towards two million. Security forces were deployed en masse across Arafat plain and Mount Mercy to organise the wave of humanity.”This way, hajji. Don’t stop here. You’re blocking the way,” Security men shouted through loudspeakers, trying to control the crowds.”Sometimes we have difficulties understanding each others’ languages, and mostly the elderly can’t understand what we are saying,” said Ali al-Shemmari, a soldier stationed at the hill.”The pilgrims believe that they should climb up, although this is not necessary… But things are going well,” he said.The number of faithful seemed fewer than past years following a crackdown by authorities on illegal pilgrims, more than 145,000 of whom have been turned away, the official Saudi Press Agency said.Permits are a way of ensuring that such a large gathering with massive logistical challenges proceeds smoothly.Pilgrims will stay at Mount Arafat until sunset when they set off for nearby Muzdalifah, where they gather pebbles for the symbolic “stoning of the devil” at Mina on Saturday.
