Plain Of Arafat

including putting on ihram, Sa’i, Tawaf, sacrifice, and stoning the pillars—the most important act is the stay in the plain of Arafat. The road from Makkah going westward to Ta’if leads to a large, rocky plain about fifteen kilometers (12 miles) away. This is the plain of Arafat. It is around 200 yards above sea level and spreads over many miles. All year long, this field remains completely empty. If someone goes there alone, the vast emptiness feels quite overwhelming. But on one day, the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, hundreds of thousands of people gather here at the same time. The whole plain is filled with people and their rides. This seems like a symbolic picture of the Day of Judgement. Today, the field of Judgement is lying empty, but when the Day of Judgement arrives, all human beings will suddenly be gathered there, and the entire human race will stand in a vast plain before their Lord, waiting for His decision. According to the set method, the pilgrim enters Masjid al-Haram on the morning of the 8th of Dhul Hijjah. After performing the Tawaf al-Qudum, he leaves for Mina early in the morning and stays there during the day and night. On the morning of the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, the pilgrim leaves for Arafat via Muzdalifah, and after traveling around ten kilometers, reaches the area of Arafat by midday. From afternoon until sunset, he stays in this plain. In the language of the Shari‘ah, this stay is called Wuquf Arafat. During this time, the pilgrim spends all his moments in