MAKKAH: The Arafat sermon holds immense importance and on the blessed day of Arafat, pilgrims from diverse backgrounds gather on the plains of Arafat to pray, remember Allah, and seek closeness to Him.
Despite their different cultures, races, and languages, they all listen to a single sermon broadcast live to Muslims across the world and translated into twenty languages. Over the past 100 years, sixteen esteemed preachers have delivered the Arafat sermon. The most recent among them is the Imam and preacher of the Grand Mosque Dr. Maher Al-Muaiqly. The Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh, has delivered the sermon the most times, followed by the late Sheikh Abdullah bin Hassan Al Al-Sheikh.
According to the SPA, the Arafat sermon encompasses principles of humanity, peace and coexistence. It calls upon pilgrims to support and cooperate one another to create a spiritual and devotional environment, strengthen Islamic values and ethics, and preserve the Hajj pilgrimage.
The translation of the Arafat sermon is a very important component of the Religious Presidency’s operational plan for the Hajj season. This is achieved through the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ project for simultaneous interpretation of the Arafat sermon and the sermons of the Two Holy Mosques, the SPA reported. This aligns with the current development of the religious authority in accordance with Saudi Vision 2030 and aims to increase the quality of language and translation services. The goal is to reach 1 billion listeners through translation into more than 20 languages, conveying the true message of Islam to Muslims of different languages and the world at large. This is accomplished through a dedicated mobile application for sermon translation, the Presidency’s website, and the Manarat Al-Haramain platform.
