Muslim pilgrims scale Mount Arafat for peak of hajj

Arms raised, pilgrims repeated "There is no God but Allah" and "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest).

"The feeling is indescribable," said Umm Ahmad, 61, who made the trip from Egypt.

Some of the pilgrims -- men in white seamless garments and women in loose dresses -- pushed elderly relatives in wheelchairs on the second day of the hajj, one of the world's largest annual gatherings.

Muslims believe Prophet Mohammed delivered his final sermon on Mount Arafat, where Muslim pilgrims gather every year from across the globe to atone for their sins.

"It feels great," said 37-year-old Pakistani Jai Saleem.

"I have always seen this area, since my childhood, in photographs and on television," he said, adding that he cried when he and his wife arrived on Mount Arafat.

'Closer to Allah'

Workers were hurriedly picking up empty water bottles near a yellow sign that read "Arafat starts here" in both English and Arabic.

"We know that it's a difficult task," said Amna Khan, a 35-year-old American Muslim pilgrim.

"That's why we are all here. We're doing this to get closer to Allah, to be absolved."

A hot wind blew across the hill, also known as Jabal al-Rahma (Mount of Mercy), and the surrounding plain after a downpour late Sunday. Many faithful could be seen sipping from bottles of water.

"I knew it would be a little hard to climb Mount Arafat," said Nigerian pilgrim Saidou Boureima.

"So I prepared for this challenge by working out. And God willing, we can see it through."

After sunset, the pilgrims will leave for nearby Muzdalifah where they will gather pebbles to perform the symbolic "stoning of the devil".

Iranian contingent

The hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam which every Muslim is required to complete at least once in their lifetime if they are healthy enough and have the means to do so.

The hajj has at times been a point of controversy, following an incident in 1987 in which Saudi police crushed an Iranian protest during the pilgrimage against the United States and Israel.

The clashes killed 402 people, including 175 Iranians, according to Saudi authorities.

Iran boycotted the hajj in 2016, following a deadly stampede the year before which left some 2,300 dead, hundreds of them Iranian.

Tehran sent its pilgrims to Mecca in 2017, and the hajj this year includes 86,000 Iranians, according to Mecca governor Prince Khaled al-Faisal.

Prince Khaled has also said this year's hajj includes 300 pilgrims from Qatar, a neighbouring emirate hit by a major Saudi-led boycott.

Saudi Arabia -- the world's largest exporter of oil -- and its allies accuse Qatar of cosying up to both Sunni Islamist extremists and Shiite Iran, Riyadh's main rival.

They have cut all ties with Qatar -- which denies the charges -- and banned all flights to and from Doha.

Qatar on Sunday said that its citizens were unable to take part in the hajj because of the diplomatic dispute.

Muslims on Tuesday observe the first day of Eid al-Adha, or Feast of Sacrifice, which marks the end of the hajj.

Muslims traditionally slaughter sheep for the three-day Eid al-Adha, a tribute to the prophet Abraham's sacrifice of a lamb after God spared Ishmael, his son.

They will consume some of the meat and give the rest to poor people unable to buy food.