| Mount Arafat | |
|---|---|
 Pilgrims atop the mountain during theHajj | |
| Highest point | |
| Listing | Mountains of Saudi Arabia |
| Coordinates | 21°21′17″N39°59′02″E / 21.35472°N 39.98389°E /21.35472; 39.98389 |
| Naming | |
| Native name |
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| Geography | |
  Mount Arafat Location of Mount Arafat within Saudi Arabia Show map of Saudi Arabia Mount Arafat Mount Arafat (Middle East) Show map of Middle East Mount Arafat Mount Arafat (Asia) Show map of Asia | |
| Location | NearMecca City,Makkah Province, theHejaz,Saudi Arabia |
| Parent range | Hijaz Mountains |
| Geology | |
| Rock age | 9.13 ± 1.05Mya |
| Mountain type | Grandioritehill[1] |
Mount Arafat (Arabic:جَبَل عَرَفَات,romanized: Jabal ʿArafāt, orجَبَل ٱلرَّحْمَة,Jabal ar-Raḥmah,'Mountain of Mercy')[2] is agranodioritehill[1] about 20 km (12 mi) southeast ofMecca, in theprovince of the same name inSaudi Arabia.[3] It is approximately 70 m (230 ft) in height, with its highest point sitting at an elevation of 454 metres (1,490 ft).
The ProphetMuhammad, before becoming a Prophet, would break the tradition of his tribe, theQuraysh, by standing at Arafat with the other Arabs, much to the shock of his fellow QurayshiteJubair bin Mut`im who highlighted that he was a part of the Hums and questioning what business he had there.[4][5]
According to Islamic traditions, the hill is the place where theIslamic prophetMuhammad stood and delivered theFarewell Sermon (Khuṭbat al-Wadāʿ)[6] tohis companions (Ṣaḥābah) who had accompanied him for theHajj towards the end of his life. Some Muslims also believe that Mount Arafat is the place whereAdam andEve reunited onEarth after falling fromHeaven, believing the mountain to be the place where they were forgiven, hence giving it the nameJabal ar-Raḥmah, meaning 'Mountain of Mercy'. A pillar is erected on top of the mountain to show where this event is believed to have taken place.
The mountain is especially important during the Hajj, with the 9th day of theIslamic month ofDhu al-Hijjah, also known as theDay of 'Arafah after the mountain itself, being the day when Hajj pilgrims leaveMina for Arafat; this day is considered to be the most important day of the Hajj. Thekhuṭbah (sermon) is delivered andẓuhr andʿaṣr prayers are prayed together in the valley. The pilgrims spend the whole day on the mountain invokingAllah to forgive their sins.[7]
A 2012 study classified Mount Arafat as agranodiorite rock which mainly consists offeldspar,quartz andmuscovite, among other minerals, using petrographic, fission track dating and γ-spectrometric (HPGe) techniques in order to study the geology, thermal history and the radiological hazards due to the presence ofprimordial radionuclides.[1]
The study yielded fission track age of 9.13 ± 1.05 Ma of the Mount Arafat granodiorite. In addition, the study reported that rifting, magmatism, volcanism and seafloor spreading that resulted in the formation ofRed Sea seems to have altered the original age of the Arafat granodiorite under study to 9.13 ± 1.05 Ma. Measured radioactivity concentrations due to226Ra,232Th and40K were found to not pose any radiological health hazard to the general public.[1]
Arafat rituals end at sunset and pilgrims then move toMuzdalifah forMaghrib prayer and a shortenedIsha prayer and for a short rest.[8]
The level area surrounding the hill is called the Plain of Arafat. The term Mount Arafat is sometimes applied to this entire area. It is an important place in Islam because, during the Hajj, pilgrims spend the afternoon there on the ninth day ofDhu al-Hijjah. Failure to be present in the plain of Arafat on the required day invalidates the pilgrimage.[9]
Since late 2010, this place is served byMecca Metro. On a normal Hajj, it would be around 21 km (13 mi) to walk.[citation needed]
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The hill is referenced inJames Joyce's novelFinnegans Wake[10] andElias Canetti'sCrowds and Power.
Media related toMount Arafat at Wikimedia CommonsEvery year, from the eighth to the twelfth day ofDhu al-Hijjah. | ||
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Hills andmountains on the Arabian Peninsula | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Note: Mountains are sorted in alphabetical order, unless where it concerns ranges. The highest confirmed mountains in each country are indicated with 'HP', and those with the highest peak are indicated with 'HP', bearing in mind that in the UAE, the highest mountain and the mountain with the highest peak are different.Outcrops are indicated with 'OC', andoutliers with 'OL', andanticlines with 'AC'.Volcanoes are indicated with 'V',volcanic craters with 'VC',lava fields with 'LF', andvolcanic fields with 'VF'. Other notes:
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