Muslims begin hajj pilgrimage

MOUNT ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia -- Hours before sunrise yesterday, thousands of Muslims from around the world stood in the dark on a rocky desert hill, preparing for prayers on the first day of the annual hajj pilgrimage, a central pillar of their faith.

Muslims believe that prayer on Mount Arafat is their best chance to erase past sins and start anew.

The four-day hajj features millions packed shoulder-to-shoulder in prayer and supplication. According to Islam, each able-bodied believer must make the pilgrimage once.

"I have feelings that cannot be described in words. We thank God for the chance to perform the hajj here and visit God's house in Mecca," said Mustafa Daama, 27, from Mauritania.

On other parts of the mountain, Muslims chanted in unison, "Labayk Allahuma Labayk," or "Here I am, God, answering your call. Here I am." Muslims believe the hajj traces the paths of the prophets Abraham, Ishmael and Muhammad. The hajj typically concludes as it began, with a set of rituals at the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure in Mecca's Grand Mosque that observant Muslims around the world face in prayer five times a day.

Technology and the modern world have changed the atmosphere surrounding the hajj.

For centuries, the rocky mountain was a quiet place for contemplation and serene prayers. Now it is crowded with pilgrims pushing and shoving to take pictures with their iPads and mobile phones.

Adding to the tumult, ultraconservative men with speakers yelled at pilgrims to stop crowding the hill, saying the area of Mount Arafat is sacred and that men and women should avoid the inevitable brushes of physical contact.

Ignoring their calls, many pilgrims were uploading their pictures online from the hilltop to share instantly with friends and family, while others used touch screens to read the Quran.