Arafat and Jabal al-Rahmah, the plain east of Makkah

What Arafat is

According to the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Arafat is the standing place of Hajj, and the saying “Hajj is Arafah” is used for it. Saudipedia describes a plain surrounded by curved mountain ranges, with no permanent residents except the staff of government Hajj service buildings. It is the only one of the Hajj sites that lies outside the boundary of the Haram.

For most of the year the plain is quiet. During Hajj it fills with pilgrims for one day, from midday to sunset on the ninth of Dhul-Hijjah. The Ministry’s website says Islamic tradition links the name and the place with Adam and Eve meeting here after leaving Paradise. We state this only as tradition.

Jabal al-Rahmah and Masjid Namirah

Jabal al-Rahmah is a hill of dark rock. Saudipedia gives it as about 300 metres long. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah describes a concrete pillar about 7 metres tall in the middle of the hill, which marks it out from the hills around it. It is associated with the Prophet’s sermon at Arafat in his final Hajj.

Masjid Namirah (also written Nimrah) stands at the western edge of Arafat. Saudipedia says it was first built in the middle of the second Hijri century and is now a very large building of about 110,000 square metres, with room for over 400,000 worshippers. Our tour ends its Makkah stops here before returning to your hotel.

Where it is and how far from the Haram

Sources give slightly different figures. Saudipedia says Arafat is about 22 km east of Makkah. The Ministry of Hajj says about 23 km from the Grand Mosque. Another Saudipedia page says about 20 km. So treat it as roughly 20 to 23 km. It is about 10 km from Mina and about 6 km from Muzdalifah. It lies on the road between Makkah and Taif.

What visitors usually do there

Outside Hajj, the plain is open ground and visitors come to see its scale and to walk up to Jabal al-Rahmah. Visitors usually:

1. Stop at the foot of the hill and look at the pillar and the plain.
2. Climb the steps or path to the top if they wish. It is a short climb compared with Jabal al-Nour.
3. Take photographs and spend time in quiet prayer or reflection.
4. Look at Masjid Namirah from the road or go in if it is open.

In our two hour tour this is where most people spend the longest.

Practical notes

• Heat. There is almost no shade on the plain. Go in the morning and carry water.
• Footwear. The ground around Jabal al-Rahmah is uneven.
• Questions of practice. Where practice at Arafat differs between schools or groups, ask a scholar or your group leader. This page is not a ruling.

Masjid Namirah in more detail

Discover Makkah, the official Makkah destination site, says that the Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed the Dhuhr and Asr prayers together, shortened, within this mosque’s grounds on the Day of Arafah. The mosque was built in the second Hijri century.

Some facts from the same source:

• Place. It lies along the western edge of Arafat. Most of the building is inside Arafat, and a part reaches into Wadi Uranah. Signboards inside the mosque mark the border of Arafat.
• Distance. About 18 km from Masjid al-Haram and about 1.5 km from Jabal al-Rahmah.
• Size. About 110,000 square metres, with six minarets of 60 m and 64 gates, and room for more than 400,000 worshippers.
• Other names. Masjid Arafah and Masjid Ibrahim.
• Visiting. Discover Makkah says the site is not open for visits, but it can be viewed from a distance by car. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah says it opens on Arafah Day to receive pilgrims.

For this reason, outside Hajj, a visit to Masjid Namirah means a drive past and a stop to look, not a walk inside.

Which of our tours includes Arafat

The Makkah ziyarat has two tiers on one page, the Makkah ziyarat taxi. The two hour ziyarat covers Jabal al-Nour, Jabal Thawr, Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat and Masjid Namirah, mostly viewed from the road.

Fares are for the whole vehicle, in Saudi Riyal, with the return to your hotel included.

Time beyond the tour is charged at the hourly rate, from SAR 80 an hour, and the driver tells you before that starts. You pay the driver at the end, in cash in SAR or by bank transfer, with no deposit and no booking fee. See every place in the ziyarat hub and every fare on Routes and prices.

The four hour full ziyarat adds Jannat al-Mualla, Masjid al-Jinn, a stop at Masjid Namirah, Masjid al-Khayf and the Jamarat at Mina, Masjid al-Mashar al-Haram, a stop at the Hira Cultural District, and optional Masjid Aisha for a second Umrah, with longer stops. Arafat and Jabal al-Rahmah are in both tiers. Masjid Namirah is seen in passing on the two hour ziyarat, and has its own stop on the four hour full ziyarat.

Nearby: Jabal al-Nour, Jabal Thawr, Mina and Muzdalifah.