Mount Arafat

This article is about the mountain. For the Islamic day of fasting prior to Eid-al-Adha, seeDay of Arafah.

Not to be confused withMount AraratorMount Arayat.

Mount Arafat
Pilgrims atop the mountain during theHajj
Highest point
Listing	Mountains of Saudi Arabia
Coordinates	21°21′17″N39°59′02″E
Naming
Native name	جَبَل عَرَفَات جَبَل ٱلرَّحْمَة(Arabic)
Geography
Mount Arafat Location of Mount Arafat within Saudi Arabia Mount Arafat Mount Arafat (Middle East) Mount Arafat Mount Arafat (Asia)
Location	NearMeccaCity,Makkah Province,theHejaz,Saudi Arabia
Parent range	Hijaz Mountains
Geology
Age of rock	9.13 ± 1.05Mya
Mountain type	Grandioritehill

Mount Arafat(Arabic:جَبَل عَرَفَات,romanized:Jabal ʿArafāt,orجَبَل ٱلرَّحْمَة,Jabal ar-Raḥmah,'Mountain of Mercy')is agranodioritehillabout 20 km (12 mi) southeast ofMecca,in theprovince of the same nameinSaudi Arabia.It is approximately 70 m (230 ft) in height, with its highest point sitting at an elevation of 454 metres (1,490 ft).

According to Islamic traditions, the hill is the place where theIslamicprophetMuhammadstood and delivered theFarewell Sermon(Khuṭbat al-Wadāʿ)tohis companions(Ṣaḥābah) who had accompanied him for theHajjtowards the end of his life. Some Muslims also believe that Mount Arafat is the place whereAdamandEvereunited onEarthafter falling fromHeaven,believing the mountain to be the place where they were forgiven, hence giving it the nameJabal ar-Raḥmah,meaning 'Mountain of Mercy'. A pillar is erected on top of the mountain to show where this event is believed to have taken place.

The mountain is especially important during the Hajj, with the 9th day of theIslamic monthofDhu al-Hijjah,also known as theDay of 'Arafahafter the mountain itself, being the day when Hajj pilgrims leaveMinafor Arafat; this day is considered to be the most important day of the Hajj. Thekhuṭbah(sermon) is delivered andẓuhrandʿaṣrprayers are prayed together in the valley. The pilgrims spend the whole day on the mountain invokingAllahto forgive their sins.

Geology and radiology

A 2012 study classified Mount Arafat as agranodioriterock which mainly consists offeldspar,quartzandmuscovite,among other minerals, using petrographic, fission track dating and γ-spectrometric (HPGe) techniques in order to study the geology, thermal history and the radiological hazards due to the presence ofprimordial radionuclides.

The study yielded fission track age of 9.13 ± 1.05 Ma of the Mount Arafat granodiorite. In addition, the study reported that rifting, magmatism, volcanism and seafloor spreading that resulted in the formation ofRed Seaseems to have altered the original age of the Arafat granodiorite under study to 9.13 ± 1.05 Ma. Measured radioactivity concentrations due to²²⁶Ra,²³²Thand⁴⁰Kwere found to not pose any radiological health hazard to the general public.

Hajj

Arafat rituals end at sunset and pilgrims then move toMuzdalifahforMaghrib prayerand a shortenedIsha prayerand for a short rest.

The level area surrounding the hill is called the Plain of Arafat. The term Mount Arafat is sometimes applied to this entire area. It is an important place in Islam because, during the Hajj, pilgrims spend the afternoon there on the ninth day ofDhu al-Hijjah.Failure to be present in the plain of Arafat on the required day invalidates the pilgrimage.

Since late 2010, this place is served byMecca Metro.On a normal Hajj, it would be around 21 km (13 mi) to walk.

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  Pilgrimssupplicating
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  Masjid al-Namirah
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  Pilgrims supplicating during Hajj
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  Entrance of Jabal ar-Rahmah (Mount of the Mercy)
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  Pilgrims
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In literature

The hill is referenced inJames Joyce's novelFinnegans Wake.

See also

• Du'a Arafah
• Sarat Mountains

External links

• Media related toMount Arafatat Wikimedia Commons
• Muslim pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat for Hajj's key moment(YouTube)
• Muslim pilgrims scale Mount Arafat for peak of hajj
• Millions Of Muslim Pilgrims Gather At Mount Arafat To Mark Pinnacle Of Hajj | TIME
• اكثر من 2 مليون حاج يصعدون إلى جبل عرفات 1433 هـ(in Arabic)