President of Religious Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais ordered on Tuesday that Friday sermons and prayers be shortened during this year's Hajj due to intense heat in Makkah and Madinah.
The decision aims to ease hardship on pilgrims and worshippers, especially the elderly and those in crowded areas such as the mataf (circumambulation area), upper levels, and courtyards.
It also includes reducing the waiting time between the call to prayer and the start of the sermon.
Al-Sudais said the directive reflects the presidency’s responsibility to provide a safe and reverent worship environment at the Two Holy Mosques, in line with the leadership’s directives.
The move considers the arrival of millions of pilgrims and applies Islamic principles that prioritize relief from hardship and the protection of worshippers’ well-being in extreme conditions, he stressed.
