The Royal Court announced the appointment today, designating Sheikh Hudhaify to deliver the pivotal sermon on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah (June 29, 2026), during this year’s Hajj pilgrimage.
Sheikh Ali Hudhaify currently serves as Imam and Khateeb of Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet’s Mosque).
The Arafat Sermon is a Sunnah of Hajj that follows the example of the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him). It is delivered from the pulpit of Masjid al-Namirah on Mount Arafat on the ninth day of Dhu al-Hijjah.
The sermon reminds pilgrims of the day’s significance, the value of seeking forgiveness, and the mercy that descends upon Arafat.
The Imam references the Farewell Sermon of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who stood on these same plains over 1,400 years ago. After the Khutbah, Dhuhr and Asr prayers are combined and shortened, then pilgrims disperse across the plains to stand in supplication until sunset.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Hajj is Arafah,” marking this day as the core of the pilgrimage.
Sheikh Ali Hudhaify
Sheikh Ali bin Abdur Rahman Al Hudhaify was born in 1366 AH (1947 CE) in the village of Al-Qarn Al-Mustaqeem, in the land of Al-Awamir, south of Makkah Al-Mukarramah.
He memorised the Holy Quran from an early age and received his foundational Islamic education through the traditional Kuttab system, also memorising key Sharia texts.
He graduated from the College of Sharia in Riyadh (Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University) in 1392 AH (1972 CE), earned a Master’s degree in 1395 AH (1975 CE), and completed a Doctorate in Islamic Jurisprudence and Sharia Politics in 1403 AH (1983 CE).
He subsequently joined the Islamic University of Madinah as a faculty member. Sheikh Hudhaify assumed the role of Imam and Khateeb of Quba Mosque in 1398 AH (1978 CE), before being appointed Imam and Khateeb of Masjid an-Nabawi in 1399 AH (1979 CE) — a position he continues to hold to this day.
In 1401 AH (1981 CE), he also served as Imam and Khateeb of Masjid al-Haram. He holds Ijazat in the ten Quranic recitations and in Hadith, and has certified numerous students at the Prophet’s Mosque and the Islamic University of Madinah.
He serves as Chairman of the Scientific Committee for Reviewing the Mushaf of Masjid an-Nabawi at the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran. In 1447 AH (2025 CE), he delivered the Khutbah on the Day of Arafah.
The sermon is broadcast worldwide in multiple languages, reaching hundreds of millions of listeners.
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