في يوم عرفة.. توحدت القلوب

The necks of the pilgrims stretched, and their hearts united in a magnificent scene, responding to Allah Almighty on the Mountain of Mercy at the sacred site of Arafat. Their hands were raised in supplication, seeking forgiveness and mercy before their shortened and combined noon and afternoon prayers, with two calls to prayer and two establishments. They prayed as they could, following the Sunnah of the best of mankind, Muhammad, peace be upon him.

And the caravans of the pilgrims to the Sacred House of Allah arrived early in the morning at the pure plain of Arafat, filled with a spiritual atmosphere of humility and tranquility, surrounded by divine care, responding and supplicating to Allah, the Almighty, to grant them forgiveness, mercy, and salvation from the Fire.

A large crowd of pilgrims to the Sacred House of Allah gathered early at the Namira Mosque in the sacred site of Arafat to perform the noon and afternoon prayers and listen to the sermon of Arafah, delivered by the Imam and preacher of the Grand Mosque, Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Hamid. He called for adherence to the regulations, instructions, and guidelines governing the pilgrimage, indicating that compliance is part of achieving the objectives of Sharia, and is a religious, ethical duty and a civilized behavior that reflects the spirit of cooperation and discipline, leading to the ease of performing the rituals without hardship or difficulty.

Sheikh bin Hamid added that the care and attention given by the leadership to the development of the Two Holy Mosques and the sacred sites, and what it provides for the pilgrims and visitors to the Sacred House, has enabled them to perform the rituals of Hajj in safety, tranquility, and ease.

He called on the pilgrims and all Muslims to be conscious of Allah, the Almighty, to achieve a good outcome and success in this world and the Hereafter. He also urged the pilgrims to seize the great virtue during their standing at the sacred site of Arafat, to increase their praise of Allah, remember Him, and thank Him, and to strive in supplication, for the Day of Arafah is one of the times when supplications are answered.

He encouraged Muslims to cooperate in righteousness and to be conscious of Allah by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions, for Allah loves the righteous and has made the outcome for the righteous.

He pointed out that maintaining family ties, honoring parents, speaking the truth, using kind words, fulfilling contracts and promises, and good morals are all part of faith. Likewise, patience in adversity, gratitude in times of blessings, seeking forgiveness, and repentance to Allah are also part of faith.

He continued that faith in Allah includes believing in Him as the Lord, Creator, and Sustainer, as well as believing in the angels. As for Islam, it is the testimony that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, giving zakat, fasting Ramadan, and performing Hajj to the House for those who are able to do so.

The mosque, which covers an area of 110,000 square meters, and the surrounding courtyards, which cover an area of 8,000 square meters, were filled with the guests of the Most Merciful.

The mosque witnessed the implementation of significant developmental projects, the most prominent of which is the project to reduce thermal stress in the rear courtyard by installing (19) canopies that lower the temperature by an average of (10) degrees Celsius, in addition to painting the floors with a reflective material for sunlight. A project was also executed to prepare and cool the surrounding courtyards by installing and operating (117) mist fans connected to high-pressure water pumps and distribution networks, which lower temperatures by an average of (9) degrees Celsius.

A ventilation and air conditioning project was implemented by updating the control system, which allows monitoring of carbon dioxide levels, operating air conditioning units, and air purification units that renew the air inside the mosque twice an hour at a rate of (100%), in addition to controlling water pumps, contributing to increased operational efficiency and providing clean air that offers the pilgrims a healthy environment to perform their rituals with ease and tranquility.

As part of the healthcare services, (70) water cooling units were installed, each with a capacity of one thousand liters per hour, serving about (2000) pilgrims per hour, bringing the total capacity of the coolers to (140) thousand pilgrims per hour. The work also included a comprehensive restoration project for the Namira Mosque, which involved treating (5,800) linear meters of expansion joints, replacing thermal and water insulation, updating floors and paints, installing (LED) lighting units, and updating electrical panels and rainwater drainage systems, in addition to enhancing operational efficiency and maintenance.

The development works were completed with the installation of an advanced sound system and security surveillance cameras, as part of an integrated system to enhance security and safety within the mosque, along with organizing gates and entrances to ensure smooth movement. The total number of doors is (72), and these tasks were carried out by supervisory and service teams dedicated to providing the highest level of services to the guests of the Most Merciful.

The caravans of the guests of the Most Merciful to the pure site of Arafat were accompanied by direct security monitoring from individuals from various security sectors who surrounded the vehicle routes and pedestrian paths to organize them according to plans for the ascent and flow of the pilgrims, in addition to guiding them and ensuring the necessary safety to secure smooth and flexible movement.

With full readiness from various government sectors working to serve the pilgrims, medical, emergency, and supply services were available throughout the sacred site, providing what the guests of the Most Merciful need.

Security forces began organizing traffic and assisting the guests of the Most Merciful, while security aircraft patrolled the skies of the sacred site to monitor the movement of the pilgrims.