In pictures: Haj pilgims pray on plains of Arafat

Muslim pilgrims touch the rock atop of Mount Arafat, near the holy city of Mecca, as they pray ahead of the haj main ritual, on October 14, 2013. AFP Photo/Fayez Nureldine

Muslim pilgrims gather atop Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat during the peak of the annual haj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca. Reuters /Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Pilgrims in their hundreds of thousands thronged Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia from early morning for the climax of the annual hajj pilgrimage, arriving on foot, by train or in vehicles. AFP Photo /Fayez Nureldine

A Muslim pilgrim touches a marker at the top of a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat. AP Photo/Amr Nabil

Muslim pilgrims pray on a rocky hill called the Mountain of Mercy, some touching a marker at its peak, on the Plain of Arafat, near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. AP Photo/Amr Nabil

A Muslim pilgrim prays atop Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat during the peak of the annual haj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca. Reuters /Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Muslim pilgrims rest as others climb Mount Arafat, near the holy city of Mecca, ahead of the haj main ritual. AFP Photo/Fayez Nureldine

A Muslim pilgrim prays atop Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat during the peak of the annual haj pilgrimage. Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

A Muslim pilgrim helps another climb Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat during the peak of the annual haj pilgrimage. Reuters / Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Muslim pilgrims climb Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat during the peak of the annual haj pilgrimage, near the holy city of Mecca. Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

Muslim pilgrims gather atop Mount Mercy on the plains of Arafat during the peak of the annual haj pilgrimage. Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa