Mount Arafat (
Arabic: جَبَل عَرَفَات,
romanized: Jabal ʿArafāt), and by its other Arabic name, Jabal ar-Raḥmah (
Arabic: جَبَل ٱلرَّحْمَة,
lit. 'mountain of mercy'),[2] is a
granodioritehill[1] about 20 km (12 mi) southeast of
Mecca, in the
province of the same name in
Saudi Arabia.[3] The mountain is approximately 70 m (230 ft) in height, with its highest point sitting at an elevation of 454 metres (1,490 ft).
According to Islamic traditions, the hill is the place where the
Islamic prophet
Muhammad stood and delivered the
Farewell Sermon, also known as the Khutbat al-Wada',[4] to
his companions (Sahabah) who had accompanied him for the
Hajj towards the end of his life. Some Muslims also believe that Mount Arafat is the place where
Adam and
Eve (
Hawa) reunited on
Earth after falling from
Heaven, believing the mountain to be the place where they were forgiven, hence giving it the name Jabal ar-Rahmah, 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 the
Islamic month of
Dhu al-Hijjah, also known as the
Day of 'Arafah after the mountain itself, being the day when Hajj pilgrims leave
Mina for Arafat; this day is considered to be the most important day of the
Hajj. The khutbah (sermon) is delivered and Zuhr and Asr prayers are prayed together in the valley. The pilgrims spend the whole day on the mountain invoking
Allah to forgive their sins.[5]
Geology and radiology
A 2012 study classified Mount Arafat as a
granodiorite rock which mainly consists of
feldspar,
quartz and
muscovite, 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 of
primordial 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 of
Red Sea seems to have altered the original age of the Arafat granodiorite under study to 9.13 ± 1.05 Ma. Measured radioactivity concentrations due to
226Ra,
232Th and
40K were found to not pose any radiological health hazard to the general public.[1]
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 of
Dhu al-Hijjah. Failure to be present in the plain of Arafat on the required day invalidates the pilgrimage.[7]
Since late 2010, this place is served by
Mecca Metro. On a normal Hajj, it would be around 21 km (13 mi) to walk.[citation needed]
^
abcdQureshi, A. A.; Sultan, A.; Rashid, A.; Ali, M.; Waheed, A.; Manzoor, S.; Baloch, M. A.; Matiullah; Batool, S.; Khan, H. A. (September 2012). "Geological and radiological studies of the Mount Arafat, Mekkah, Saudi Arabia". Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry. 293 (3): 955–963.
doi:
10.1007/s10967-012-1776-0.
ISSN0236-5731.
S2CID95942060.
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', and
outliers with 'OL', and
anticlines with 'AC'.
Volcanoes are indicated with 'V',
volcanic craters with 'VC',
lava fields with 'LF', and
volcanic fields with 'VF'.