Pilgrims seek Allah's Mercy.

ARAFAT, 10 January 2006 - Delivering the most important sermon from the plains of Arafat, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh called on Muslims to follow the moderate teachings of Islam and steer clear of fanaticism and extremism.

"Shariah forbids terrorism," he told the 2.5 million pilgrims who gathered in Arafat yesterday. The grand mufti urged Muslims worldwide to close their ranks and to unite against anti-Islam and anti-Muslim campaigns.

"You Muslims, who believe in Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him) should work to cement your unity," he told the pilgrims at Masjid Al-Nimrah. "The Muslim people should work to establish economic, political and military mechanisms to defend Muslims against attacks by their enemies."

In an atmosphere filled with spirituality and serenity, the pilgrims performed the most important rite of the Haj, as they spent the day in prayer in Arafat.

A white sea of faithful surged to Arafat as dawn broke on the second day of the five-day event. Waves of men in seamless white robes and women in head scarves and long dresses joined voices in a crescendo chanting "Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik" (Here I am O God, answering your call).

Tears rolled down the cheeks of pilgrims as they climbed Jabal Al-Rahmah, where Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) delivered his final sermon more than 14 centuries ago. The mount was flooded by pilgrims who sat or stood there for hours in contemplation and prayer.

Jabal Al-Rahmah is a hillock amidst a huge plain circled by mountains. It is uninhabited with few coming here except on this one day of the year. From a distance the mount looked like a white pillar surrounded by a huge white sheet. This effect was produced by the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in their "ihram" trying to find a place on or near the mount.

It was from this location that the Prophet (pbuh) made his historic last sermon during which he said that race and ethnicity do not designate superiority, only piety and good actions can achieve superiority for a Muslim before Allah. He advised his followers to learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.

Standing in the plains of Arafat in prayer until sunset on the 9th of Dul Hijjah is the high point of the Haj. The pilgrims who fail to make it on time must come for Haj again.

"I really can't describe the feeling of being here at Arafat for the first time. It's overwhelming," said 52-year-old Ali Saeed Al-Ghamdi.

"Words can't describe how I feel," a Kashmiri pilgrim said. "Look at this crowd answering God's call, 1,400 years after the Prophet, the nation is alive and well. This is awesome, just awesome."

A French convert to Islam was very excited about his pilgrimage. "I am French and embraced Islam in 2003. My Haj is very special. I studied all the rituals of the Haj in the last three years with a view to performing them correctly. I felt very close to Allah, the Almighty in Arafat," said Jacque Karimullah.

"O God, grant me and my loved ones good health, forgiveness and save us from hell," Abdul Samad, an Indian pilgrim, prayed as he raised his hands and faced the sky. With tears in his eyes, he added: "Forgive me for my sins and have mercy on my soul."

"Haj is an experience of a lifetime, it is also a glimpse into the mind and psyche of the Muslim Ummah," remarked Laique Niazi from Karachi, Pakistan. "Where else on earth can you find millions of people, different in language, race, color, culture, but united in faith and purpose, acting in complete goodwill, discipline, generosity, and brotherhood? That is the unique Haj experience I will share with all my friends and relatives."

Niyaz Hanware, a businessman from Bombay, India, said: "Arafat reminds me of the Day of Judgment where we will all be gathered together dressed in simple white garb made up of two pieces of unsewn cloths so that a prince and a pauper are indistinguishable, a nobleman and a slave are side by side, an illiterate and an intellectual are in the same class, color and race do not matter, nothing matters on this day except your good deeds." After a pause he added, "But I feel lonely, all alone, as we all will be on the Day of Reckoning."

The pilgrims left Arafat after sunset, moving to Muzdalifa to spend the night, following in the footsteps of the Prophet (pbuh). They will also collect pebbles from Muzdalifa to stone the Jamarat in Mina after sunrise today in a ritual symbolizing the stoning of the devil.

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan arrived yesterday at Mina to supervise Haj services.

The Armed Forces Hospital announced that it treated more than 2,500 cases from Sunday until yesterday. The Saudi Press Agency quoted chief of the medical mission, Col. Abdullah Al-Muhareb, as saying that four sick pilgrims were taken by the medical staff to Arafat and back to Mina to help them perform Haj.

- With input from Siraj Wahab, Syed Faisal Ali, Hasan Hatrash and Wael Mahdi

      Haj Reflections: Day Two
      Siraj Wahab 
        
      ARAFAT, 10 January 2006 - Yesterday was the most important day of Haj. On the plains of Arafat were spread more than 2.5 million souls, all beseeching their Lord for mercy and forgiveness. In Masjid Al-Nimrah, a most important sermon was delivered to a rapt audience by Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, the Kingdom's grand mufti. Sadly, many of the assembled pilgrims had no idea what was meant by the words they heard. Except for references to various Qur'anic verses, most pilgrims from outside the Arab world could not follow the sheikh's train of thought. 

      This is really a tragedy in our modern times. The truth of the matter is that Muslims living thousands of miles away had access to immediate translations of the sermon but the pilgrims were in the dark as to its meaning. For example, the Pakistani television channels beamed the speech live to their viewers and simultaneous translation in Urdu was provided.

      Many technological means could be used to bring greater understanding of the sermon to the pilgrims. Women make up roughly 40 percent of the pilgrims but due to the crush they are unable to approach Masjid Al-Nimrah. Many women remain in their tents and have no access to the sermon. 


      * * *

      This issue aside, yesterday the atmosphere in Arafat was wondrous. There had been a light drizzle in Mina on Sunday night and heavy rain had been expected, but nothing of the sort occurred. The drizzle had merely served to reduce the dust and the atmosphere was bright and partially cloudy. There was a cool breeze blowing across Arafat and due to the potential for direct sun, the authorities had made the decision to turn on the sprinklers early in the morning. This created a very cool, welcoming environment and created excellent conditions for the day's rituals. One pilgrim, Bashir Muhammad called the weather "a blessing from Allah." 


      * * *

      There is always a rush among the pilgrims to get closer to Jabal Al-Rahmah (The Mount of Mercy), the point from which the Prophet, peace be upon him, gave his last sermon. Jabal Al-Rahmah is one raised area amidst a huge plain circled by mountains. It is uninhabited with few coming here except on this day of the year. But yesterday, from a distance the Mount of Mercy looked like a white pillar surrounded by a huge white sheet. This effect was produced by the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in ihram trying to find a place on or near the mountain. 


      * * *

      The terrain of the mountain is not hospitable so when we went there we were surprised to find an elderly Egyptian couple quite a way up the hill. Fatiyya is 65 years old and her husband Muhammad is 70. When asked what had made them climb the mountain instead of staying comfortably in their tent Fatiyya replied, "The love of the Prophet and our faith in Allah. We wanted to get as close to the place as possible from where our beloved Prophet made his historic sermon during which he said that in the eyes of Allah the greatest Muslim will be the one with the strongest piety. Neither nationality, nor race or financial status will be important. In the end, piety will be all that matters." 


      * * *

      Piety is the focus of the pilgrims but some journalists have a different focus. There is definitely competition among the media. Many boast of how many stories they are filing daily. One journalist created high anxiety when he bragged of filing seven stories. Reporters had nightmares in which their editors demanded more effort. Working in Arafat and Mina is extremely difficult due to the problems with facilities such as Internet connectivity. Print news organizations here are not equipped with the latest satellite equipment and must depend on regular landlines and mobile phones. Later it was discovered that the journalist had filed seven small briefs in one day and everyone gave a sigh of relief. 


      * * *

      This is the fifth Haj I have covered for Arab News and even in that short time there have been many changes. Arafat used to be a sea of white. Now, there is a huge element of color in Arafat mainly due to the colorful umbrellas distributed by companies, especially airlines and telecom companies. This year the plain is also dotted with small blue, red, yellow, green and purple nylon tents. These tents, made in China, are inexpensive and on sale in many local supermarkets. Designed to be used as playthings by children, the pilgrims have adopted them as convenient, temporary shelters. The tents are lightweight and can be setup with just two poles and a length of plastic cord. They provide privacy and protection from the sun and no one in any position of authority seems to oppose them. At the end of the day, the pilgrims will quickly fold them up, tuck them under their arms and take them to Muzdalifah. 


      * * *

      Another colorful comforting aspect of Arafat is the neem trees. Planted over the years, the trees now provide shade and enhance the environment. Yesterday, hundreds of the trees moved in a gentle rhythm in the light breeze sweeping back and forth across the plain. Majid Amjad, a pilgrim in his late 40s, said the trees reminded him of his village in Badayun in Uttar Pradesh, India. "For me the shade of the neem tree took me to the past and I unconsciously went down memory lane, remembering many of the people from my youth," Amjad said. "Then I prayed for all of them. But for the neem trees I would not have remembered them." 


      * * *

      Prayer is the activity of the day, although perhaps one wouldn't believe that to be true based on the reports filed by many journalists. Encountering Al-Madinah Managing Editor Dr. Khaled Batarfi in Arafat, I asked him whether he thought people discussed politics at Arafat. The outside world has an impression that the 2.5 million pilgrims discuss nothing but politics all the time. According to Dr. Batarfi, the rituals of the Haj are so difficult and physically exhausting that no one really has the time or energy to talk about politics.

      "Media people have a knack for getting quotes from people, and pilgrims are no exception but their reports give the impression that Muslims in Arafat and Mina are talking about politics," said Dr. Batarfi. "Actually, if the media didn't ask, such thoughts would not come to mind. Haj is a journey within and nobody has the time or inclination to discuss politics. Yes, in our prayers all the oppressed Muslims in the world take top priority. For instance, here in Arafat I prayed to God for the liberation of Palestine, the liberation of Iraq, Chechnya and Kashmir. I prayed to Allah to give me the opportunity to pray in the liberated city of Jerusalem but my prayers ... are between myself and Allah." 

     
        

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