Mount Arafat sermon translated into 10 languages to 'reach more Muslims'

A sermon delivered to thousands of worshippers who gathered at Saudi Arabia’s Mount Arafat during Islam’s holiest day was translated into 10 different languages in an effort to reach more Muslims worldwide, according to Arab News.

While the religious discourse was given in Arabic, it was later translated into English, French, Indonesian, Urdu, Farsi, Chinese, Turkish, Bengali, Hausa, and Malay, said Arab News.

Muslims gather on Mount Arafat where it is believed the Prophet Mohammed delivered his final sermon, for one of the most important Hajj rituals during the annual pilgrimage.

An official at the holy sites, Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Al-Hamidi, stated that the Saudi leadership was "keen to convey the moderate message of Islam to the world".

Initially, the translation project was only in five languages when it began in 2018 and reached 13 million people across the globe.

Another language was added the following year, helping the sermon reach 16 million worldwide.

Just 60,000 people, all citizens or residents of Saudi Arabia, have been selected to take part in this year's Hajj, with foreign pilgrims again barred due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The scene was dramatically different to past pilgrimages, which have drawn up to 2.5 million people, and this year the mountain was free of the huge crowds that descend on it in normal years.

On Tuesday, Muslims celebrated Eid Al-Adha.