Mount Arafat

Arafah and Arafat are one name for most scholars, and Arafat is a singular word cast in the form of a plural rather than a plural of Arafah; it is a flat plain surrounded by an arc of mountains, closed by Wadi Uranah, and it lies east of Makkah on the road between Makkah and Taif.[1]

On the eastern side of the Arafat plain stands Jabal Ar-Rahmah, which became known as Mount Arafat and is among the most prominent landmarks of the sanctuary, a destination for pilgrims on the day of standing at Arafat.[2]

The Arafat sanctuary lies on the road between Makkah and Taif, about 22 kilometres east of Makkah, 10 kilometres from the Mina sanctuary and 6 kilometres from Muzdalifah, and it covers about 10.4 square kilometres.[1]

Arafat has no residents or buildings except during the days of Hajj, apart from some government facilities, and the sanctuary is surrounded by an arc of mountains closed by Wadi Uranah.[1] The sanctuary is linked to the road that passes through Taif on its way to Makkah.[1]

Pilgrims stand on the plain of Arafat on the ninth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the best day on which the sun has risen, and it is related of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that the day of Arafat is the best day before God and that no day has seen more people freed from the Fire than it.[1] All of Arafat is a place of standing except Wadi Uranah, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "I stood here at Arafat, and all of Arafat is a place of standing."[1]

At Arafat the verse "This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion" was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him), which made the plain a place of standing and supplication for pilgrims coming to the Grand Mosque.[1][2]

Jabal Ar-Rahmah stands on the eastern side of the Arafat plain and rises about 65 metres above the ground around it; it is distinguished by its dark colour and its natural rocky formation, while a white pillar several metres high rises at its summit.[2] The mount is formed of a small, flat-topped and wide mound of large, hard black stones, lies east of Mount Arafat over a length of 300 metres, and has a circumference of 640 metres, with a pillar at its summit that reaches 7 metres.[4]

Jabal Ar-Rahmah measures 170 metres wide to the east and 100 metres to the west, 200 metres long to the north and 170 metres to the south, and it rises 372 metres above sea level and 65 metres above the ground that surrounds it.[5]

The mount is known by several names, among them Jabal Ilal, Jabal At-Tawbah, Jabal Ad-Du'a, An-Nabit and Jabal Al-Qarin.[4] In Islamic consciousness it is associated with the standing of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) at the Farewell Pilgrimage, when he addressed the Muslims and laid down great principles that formed an enduring approach to justice, equality and the protection of rights.[2]

Despite its wide renown, climbing Jabal Ar-Rahmah is neither an obligation of Hajj nor one of its pillars, and all of Arafat is a place of standing and supplication.[2]

In the early Abbasid caliphate, in the middle of the second Hijri century, a mosque was built on the site of the Prophet's sermon (peace be upon him) at the Farewell Pilgrimage; it is known today as Namirah Mosque.[6]

Wadi Uranah is one of the large valleys of Makkah, and its importance stems from its location between the Muzdalifah sanctuary and the Arafat sanctuary; the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade standing there, and the valley was thus the one exception to standing at Arafat.[7][1]

Qualitative projects have been carried out in the Jabal Ar-Rahmah area to reduce the impact of heat stress, covering about 196,000 square metres and including the installation of canopies over 1,200 square metres fitted with 129 mist fans, in pursuit of a comfortable and safe environment that enables pilgrims to perform their rituals in suitable climatic conditions.[3]

The timings of the standing at Arafat are set each year by the Umm al-Qura calendar; it was announced that the standing at Arafat for the year 1447 AH falls on Tuesday, 9 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 AH, corresponding to 26 May 2026, and that the standing for the year 1446 AH fell on Thursday, 9 Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 AH, corresponding to 5 June 2025.[8][9]

Q: What is Mount Arafat? A: It is a site within the Arafat sanctuary east of Makkah on the road between Makkah and Taif, and on the eastern side of its plain stands Jabal Ar-Rahmah.[1][2]

Q: When do pilgrims stand at Arafat? A: On the ninth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the best day on which the sun has risen.[1]

Q: What are the names of Jabal Ar-Rahmah? A: It is called Jabal Ilal, Jabal At-Tawbah, Jabal Ad-Du'a, An-Nabit and Jabal Al-Qarin.[4]

Q: Is climbing Jabal Ar-Rahmah one of the obligations or pillars of Hajj? A: No; climbing the mount is neither an obligation of Hajj nor one of its pillars, and all of Arafat is a place of standing and supplication.[2]

Q: What is the area of the Arafat sanctuary? A: About 10.4 square kilometres, and it has no residents or buildings except during the days of Hajj, apart from some government facilities.[1]

Mount Arafat combines its location within the Arafat sanctuary east of Makkah on the road between Makkah and Taif, its area of about 10.4 square kilometres, and Jabal Ar-Rahmah with its height of about 65 metres and its white pillar.[1][2] The projects that raise the sanctuary's readiness to serve the Guests of the Most Merciful continue through shading and the mitigation of heat stress.[3] Related topics on the platform include Makkah and the Cave of Hira and the Prophet's Mosque and Darb Zubaydah.