Hajj 2017: 2 million Muslim pilgrims pray at plains of Arafat

About two million Muslim pilgrims from around the world converged on the plains of Arafat on Thursday to mark the climax of 2017 Hajj rite.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 81, 000 Nigerian pilgrims are part of the gathering.

Pilgrims are engaged in supplications; praying for divine guidance, mercies, protection, upliftment and forgiveness.

Staying at Arafat from sunrise until sunset is one of the major rites of the pilgrimage.

The movement from Mina, where the pilgrims spent a night, started at about 10 p.m on Wednesday and was completed at about 8 a.m on Thursday morning.

Pilgrims are camped in tents according to their states, while the Medical Team was on ground attending to pilgrims with health needs.

The day’s temperature stood at about 35°c and is expected to rise to about 43°c at about 4 p.m.

The desert coolers are not functioning maximally in many areas while the new tents are rubber covered.

Briefing journalists, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammad, the Executive Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), said seven Nigerian pilgrims lost their lost lives since the beginning of this year’s Hajj operation.

Muhammad commended the conduct of all Nigerian pilgrims, adding that they respect laws and regulations which had earned the country accolades from the Saudi authorities.

According to him, there is no incident of road traffic accident involving Nigerian pilgrims.

He therefore admonished the pilgrims to continue to be law abiding as they go into the last phase of the Hajj rite.

Dr Ibrahim Kana, Head of Medical Team, said Nigeria had become the second after Pakistan to computerise health matters of all its pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

Kana said that the Saudi Ministry of Health had earlier presented an award of certificate of merit and commendation to the Nigerian Hajj Commission.

The medical practitioner said that the Saudi Health Ministry had invited him to a meeting scheduled for next week to see how Nigeria’s experience would assist in the realisation of the Kingdom’s plan of computerising pilgrims’ health and medical record.

Meanwhile, Nigerian pilgrims are offering special prayers for sustained peace, unity and progress of Nigeria as well as guidance of its leaders.

Prayers were also conducted for enhanced good health of President Muhammadu Buhari and success of his administration.