Hajj sermon: Islam negates aggression says Grand Mufti

Grand Mufti advises Muslims to unite to address the issues faced by the ummah.

MOUNT ARAFAT: Calling people to follow Islam in its true sense, Grand Mufti Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah al ash Sheikh said Islam as a religion shuns aggression. 

Addressing a huge gathering at Nimra Mosque, Sheikh said that poverty and ignorance are two major problems faced by the followers of Islam.

He advised that Muslims should unite to address the issues faced by the ummah.

Calling people to follow the teachings of Quran and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Sheikh said Muslims should ask Allah alone for help.

Hajj rituals

Vast crowds of Muslim pilgrims, all dressed in white, flocked from early to Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia's west to take part in the main rituals of the annual hajj.

Many pilgrims had camped overnight in the sprawling plain surrounding Mount Arafat but the majority began arriving at dawn.

Men, women, and children from 189 countries streamed to the site, some setting up small colourful tents in which they slept and prayed.

Beggars and street vendors also dotted the roads searching for generous souls among the 2.5 million believers expected to converge on the plain during the day.

After dawn prayers, pilgrims headed to the small hill in Arafat plain named the "Mount of Mercy" as others made themselves comfortable between its huge rocks.