Saudi Arabia has announced plans to broadcast this year's Arafah sermon in 37 languages, including three prominent Nigerian languages: Hausa, Yoruba, and Fulani. The sermon will be aired live on June 5, corresponding to the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah 1446 in the Islamic calendar.

According to a statement released by Saudi authorities, this initiative aims to promote inclusivity and global awareness of the Hajj pilgrimage and its significance while reaching a broader international audience.

"The Hajj Khutbah 1446 will be translated into 34 languages on Thursday, 9 Dhul Hijjah 1446," the official announcement stated.

The full list of languages includes Arabic, Urdu, English, French, Indonesian, Persian (Farsi), Hausa, Chinese (Mandarin), Russian, Bengali, Turkish, Malay (Bahasa Melayu), Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Filipino (Tagalog), Amharic (Ethiopia), Bosnian, Hindi, Dutch, Thai, Malayalam, Swahili, Pashto, Tamil, Azerbaijani, Swedish, Uzbek, Albanian, Fulani (Fula), Somali, Rohingya, and Yoruba.

Significance of Arafah Day

The Day of Arafat, falling on June 5 this year, is considered the most significant day during the Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj. It is when pilgrims gather at the plains of Mount Arafat for prayer and reflection, while Muslims worldwide observe the day by fasting and engaging in devotional activities.

This multilingual broadcast initiative represents Saudi Arabia's ongoing efforts to make Hajj rituals more accessible to Muslims globally, particularly for those unable to attend the pilgrimage in person.

The inclusion of Hausa, Yoruba, and Fulani languages is particularly significant for Nigeria, which has one of the largest Muslim populations in Africa and sends thousands of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia annually for Hajj.