Millions united in humility and equality for Haj

Makkah - In a sign of humility and equality before God, the pilgrims shed symbols of materialism, entering a state of "ihram".

Some two million Muslim pilgrims are gathering in the valley of Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia for a day of prayer that marks the pinnacle of the Haj pilgrimage.
Wednesday is an emotional day for the pilgrims from around the world, with many weeping as they stretch their hands out toward the sky to ask for forgiveness and pray for loved ones.
The five-day Haj pilgrimage began Tuesday. To shed symbols of materialism, male pilgrims wear white garments meant to symbolise humility and equality, while women forgo makeup and perfume and wear loose-fitting clothing.
The pilgrimage is among the five main pillars of Islam. The faithful circumambulate the Kaaba counterclockwise seven times.
Newly arrived pilgrims circumambulated the holy Kaaba in Makkah's Grand Mosque. In a sign of humility and equality before God, the pilgrims shed symbols of materialism, entering a state of "ihram".
Since arriving in Makkah over the past several weeks, hundreds of thousands have chanted, "Labayk Allahuma Labayk," or "Here I am, God, answering your call. Here I am." They also pray for deceased relatives.
Hoda Darahim of Egypt said her 35-year-old daughter died this year. "Her dream was to perform the Haj. So I am fulfilling her wish," said the 62-year-old, who is raising her two grandchildren by relying on financial help from her older sons and a small government pension.
It's the third Haj for Moussa bin Abdullah Butu from Nigeria. But this one is especially challenging for the 38-year-old artist because he lost his two-year-old son, Abdullah, to illness this year.
"In the white ihram, the rich man and the poor, we are all together," he said.
The pilgrimage requires money, physical perseverance and a coveted Haj visa.
Butu said he was grateful for the opportunity to perform the Haj once again. "I know that I am one of the people that Allah chose....I am one of the people Allah called this year," he said.
On the climax of the Haj today, when two million to three million people will pack shoulder to shoulder in prayer in a valley called Arafat. That is the site where the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) delivered his final sermon 1,400 years ago, calling for equality and unity among Muslims.

• Saudi Arabia