Hajj Oversight Team Advises Pilgrims to Remain in Hotels Until Buses Arrive for Arafah

Chairman of the DPR’s Hajj Oversight Team and Deputy Speaker Cucun Ahmad Syamsurizal has advised all Indonesian Hajj pilgrims not to leave their hotels before the buses assigned to transport them to Arafah arrive. He issued the warning to prevent potential dehydration or other illnesses during the scorching conditions at Arafah Plain on Tuesday (26 May). “We expect the cluster and sector leaders who have been briefed to implement all programmes so that people do not wait outside their rooms while buses are delayed,” Cucun said in Mecca on Monday (25 May). He noted that the current phase involves mobilising pilgrims from Mecca to Arafah, a plan previously discussed in a working meeting. Cucun stressed the movement scheme ensures no congregation of pilgrims outside hotels to avoid fatigue from the heat. “Each cluster’s departure time must have buses ready, preventing long waits that lead to exhaustion. Arriving at Arafah in such a state could result in illness or dehydration due to the intense heat,” he added. Arafah Day, or 9 Dhu al-Hijjah, falls on Tuesday (26 May), considered the pinnacle of Hajj rituals where millions of Muslims gather at Mount Arafat near Mecca for prayers. The following day, 10 Dhu al-Hijjah (Wednesday, 27 May), marks Eid al-Adha, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God, later replaced by a ram. Muslims worldwide observe Eid al-Adha with communal prayers, family gatherings, sacrificial animal offerings, and distributing meat to relatives, friends, and those in need.