- Pilgrims arriving in Saudi Arabia for the 2026 Hajj will witness a historic step as authorities prepare to translate the Arafat Day sermon into 35 languages
- The initiative, which includes Yoruba and Hausa, aims to ensure millions of non-Arabic speaking Muslims benefit from the message
- Officials say the translation project reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to serving Islam and enriching religious content worldwide
As pilgrims continue to arrive in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ahead of the 2026 Hajj exercise scheduled to commence on Monday, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Sudais, Head of Religious Affairs at the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, has announced that this year’s Arafat Day sermon will be translated into 35 international languages, including Yoruba and Hausa.
Sheikh Al-Sudais explained that the Presidency of Religious Affairs will translate the sermon to be delivered by Sheikh Ali bin Abdulrahman Al-Hudhaifi, an Imam and preacher in the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, into 35 languages.
Source: Getty Images
The sermon will also be broadcast through digital platforms and channels affiliated with the Presidency.
“This initiative is aimed at conveying the message of Islam and the content of the sermon to Muslims across the world,” Al-Sudais said. He added that the translation project is part of Saudi Arabia’s wider efforts to serve Islam and Muslims.
Languages included
The approved languages for translation are:
- English
- French
- Indonesian
- Urdu
- Turkish
- Persian
- Spanish
- Chinese
- Russian
- Bengali
- Hindi
- Malay
- Amharic
- Hausa
- Swahili
- Somali
- Pashto
- Punjabi
- Tamil
- Filipino
- Bosnian
- German
- Italian
- Portuguese
- Swedish
- Uzbek
- Tajik
- Nepali
- Sinhala
- Malayalam
- Oromo
- Tigrinya
- Yoruba
- Ugandan
- Lithuanian
Al-Sudais noted that the Presidency has built strong experience in translation projects over the years, stressing that the initiative enriches religious content and ensures non-Arabic speaking Muslims benefit from the sermon.
Hajj 2026 schedule
The five-day Hajj exercise will begin on Monday, when pilgrims will depart from Makkah for Mina, also known as Tent City, to start their journey.
On Tuesday, pilgrims will gather at Mount Arafat, also called Jabbal Rahma (Mount of Mercy), which marks the Day of Arafat, the spiritual peak of the Hajj.
Over the following three days, pilgrims will perform the stoning of pebbles at the Jamarat, among other rites. The Hajj will conclude on May 29, when pilgrims return to Makkah before departing for their home countries.
Source: Getty Images
NAHCON releases number of people who have died
Legit.ng earlier reported that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria has confirmed that four Nigerian pilgrims have died during the ongoing 2026 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia, while at least 54 others have been hospitalised.
The disclosure was made by the Head of the National Medical Team during a media briefing in Makkah on the health condition and welfare of Nigerian pilgrims participating in this year’s pilgrimage.
According to the official, all four deceased pilgrims were women. The medical team explained that most of the deaths recorded so far were associated with heart-related complications, including suspected cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction, Vanguard reported.
Source: Legit.ng