Muslim pilgrims gather for peak of haj east of Mecca

Muslim pilgrims gather on Mount of Mercy at the plain of Arafat during the annual haj pilgrimage, outside the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, July 8, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Around one million Muslim pilgrims gathered at sunrise on Friday at Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat for a vigil to atone their sins and to pray for peace back home as the annual haj pilgrimage neared its climax.

Pilgrims clad in white robes climbed the rocky Mount of Mercy, which oversees the plain of Arafat where the Prophet Mohammad held his last sermon. Under the burning desert sun, many sought whatever natural shade they could or sheltered under parasols.