Pilgrims head to Mina in 1st day of Hajj

MINA, Aug 30 (KUNA) -- Pilgrims headed to Mina on Wednesday to perform the rituals of the first day of Hajj called "Yawm Al-Tarwiyah", meaning the day of quenching thirst before heading to Mount Arafat on Thursday.
Pilgrims would stay in Mina until Thursday's sunrise, where they start heading to Mount Arafah, about 20 kilometers east of Makkah. Arafat day is the main ritual of Hajj, where worshippers stand in contemplative vigil to repent from their past sins and seek mercy from God.
Later on after sunset, pilgrims will proceed to Muzdalifah where they will spend the night praying and sleeping on the floor in the open, before heading back to Mina to perform the ritual of "Ramy Al-Jamarat", which means stoning the devil.
Mina is a headquarter to many governmental bodies providing services to facilitate pilgrimage for worshippers, while it also has large areas where tents are set for pilgrims.
The pilgrims' air-conditioned tents project is the largest of its kind executed by the Saudi government. The project stretches over 2.5 million square meters, housing up to 2.6 million people.
Mina has an ancient religious history, it is considered the place where the Prophet Ibrahim stoned the devil, thus it contains three pillars where Muslims throw stones in the "Ramy Al-jamarat" ritual.
It also contains the famous Al-Khayf Mosque, where the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and other prophets had performed their prayers. (end) nh.ag