Khutbah Translation for Hajj & Umrah Pilgrims

If you are travelling for Hajj or Umrah and want to understand the khutbah at the Two Holy Mosques, a live translation app on your phone can help. It transcribes the imam’s Arabic and shows the meaning in your language in real time. Set it up before the Friday prayer (or before the Hajj sermons) and you can follow along instead of standing through words you cannot place.

The pilgrim’s problem

At the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, the Friday khutbah (and, during Hajj, the sermons of the season) is delivered in Arabic. Pilgrims come from every country on earth, and the majority do not understand it. You can feel the weight of a once-in-a-lifetime moment without following a word of the meaning.

Two things have made this much better in recent years: official translation of the sermons at the Two Holy Mosques, and personal live-translation apps.

The Day of Arafah sermon

The most important sermon of the year, the khutbah on the Day of Arafah during Hajj, is now officially translated and broadcast live by the Saudi authorities. In 2025 it was translated into 34 languages, according to the Malaysian national news agency Bernama. If you are performing Hajj, check the official translation channels, such as the Manarat al-Haramain platform, for that sermon.

For other sermons at the Grand Mosque, the authority that runs the Two Holy Mosques offers live interpretation through the Manarat al-Haramain platform and FM radio; Arab News reported 10 languages in May 2026. The language list can change, so check what is offered when you arrive. A personal app on your phone is another option, and the one that works at any other mosque you pray in along the way.

How to follow the Haramain khutbah in your language

The approach is the same one that works in any mosque, adapted for the crowds:

1. Install and set up before you travel. Download a live khutbah-translation app, pick your language, and try it once at home so you are not fumbling in the Haram. RecitID’s Live Khutbah mode translates the spoken Arabic into 52 languages in real time.
2. Arrive early and settle before the khutbah. The Haramain fill up; find your spot and start the app as the imam ascends the minbar.
3. Keep the phone low and silent. Screen dim, sound off, held in your lap. The etiquette of attentiveness matters even more in these mosques.
4. Expect a lag and read along. There is a short delay while the app hears and translates each phrase; follow the text at the imam’s pace.

For the practical etiquette of using a phone during the sermon and other ways to follow along, see how to follow the khutbah without Arabic.

Umrah vs Hajj timing

• Umrah can be performed for most of the year, though Saudi Arabia pauses Umrah permits for several weeks around Hajj (in 2025, permits for people already inside the Kingdom were suspended from 29 April to 10 June). If your trip includes a Friday, you will likely catch a Jumu‘ah khutbah at the Haramain, so it is worth preparing for.
• Hajj concentrates several sermons into the season, including the Arafah khutbah; check the official translation channels for the Haramain sermons, and use your app anywhere else.

Practical tips for the crowds

• Set up beforehand. Connectivity and space are at a premium during peak times; do not rely on configuring anything in the moment.
• Mind your battery. Long days, lots of walking; a live-translation session uses power. Carry a power bank.
• Be considerate. You are surrounded by people in worship. Keep the device discreet and never let it distract those around you.