by Siraj Wahab
ARAFAT, 19 December 2007 — It is hot — very, very hot. The sun is out in full force and is beating down on the pilgrims. Nonetheless, they seem unperturbed. On the horizon far ahead, the magnificent minarets of Nimira, the only mosque in Arafat, rise up from the plains. Haj is the last of the five pillars of Islam. It is ordained in the Holy Qur’an, and it was the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who, by his example, defined its elements exactly. Muslims from around the world follow in his footsteps to this day. The pilgrimage always takes place on the same six days of the Islamic calendar, beginning on the eighth and ending on the 13th of the month of Dul Hujjah, the last month of the lunar year. The rituals take place in five locations in and near Makkah.
* * *
Being at Arafat on this day is considered the most important aspect of Haj. It was from this place 1,428 years ago that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) delivered his unforgettable farewell sermon, enunciating far-reaching religious, economic, social and political reforms. Lady Evelyn Cobbold, an Englishwoman, who became a Muslim and took the name of Zainab, described the standing scene at Arafat — wuqoof in Arabic — in moving words ... words that are worth reproducing year after year. “It would require a master pen to describe the scene, poignant in its intensity, of that great concourse of humanity of which I was one small unit, completely lost to their surroundings in a fervor of religious enthusiasm,” she wrote in her Haj journal decades ago. “Many of the pilgrims had tears streaming down their cheeks; others raised their faces to the sky that had witnessed this drama so often in the past centuries. The shining eyes, the passionate appeals, the pitiful hands outstretched in prayer moved me in a way that nothing had ever done before, and I felt caught up in a strong wave of spiritual exaltation. I was one with the rest of the pilgrims in a sublime act of complete surrender to the Supreme Will which is Islam.”
* * *
The most hallowed sight for pilgrims here at Arafat is Jabal Al-Rahma, the Mount of Mercy. This is the actual place from which the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave his farewell sermon. People wanted to get as close as possible to this point and by early morning the whole area was covered with pilgrims. From a distance the gray mountain gave off the impression of being wrapped in a white sheet. As the day wore on, the sun’s rays intensified and by noon, the pilgrims were baking in merciless heat. Telecom companies began handing out umbrellas. The water sprinklers appeared. Ice water was distributed from trucks. The pilgrims sank to the ground in prayer and for a while, the haste and confusion diminished.
* * *
It is only when one sees the pilgrims massed at some point such as Nimira Mosque that there is an awareness of the millions involved in the event. Due to better management, the crowds are generally moving more smoothly. This is truly a blessing for all. How many are at this year’s Haj? The government puts the number of pilgrims from abroad at 1.7 million. The number from inside the Kingdom is more difficult to say. Current estimates put it at 500,000. In spite of its size, the Haj multitude is surprisingly gentle. Occasionally, as one group or another attempts to cross the mighty stream, there is an angry wave of pushing and jostling, but even that is understandable. As somebody rightly pointed out, “To many pilgrims, who may never have gone further than the next village before making the Haj, getting lost or separated is an experience too terrifying to contemplate.”
* * *
Haj is no place to discuss politics, say pilgrims. “We should be looking within, not without. But yes we are affected by what is happening all around us. The siege of Gaza, the carnage in Iraq, the confusion in Afghanistan and the crisis in Pakistan. This is affecting the psyche of all Muslims. Here at Arafat I have cried and cried and been bereft. I don’t know what else to do,” said Maftooh Abdul Hameed, a Saudi national of Pakistani origin.
* * *
It is normally assumed that Haj is colorless since most of the pilgrims are dressed in white. Once at Arafat, you see that this is not the case at all. The pilgrims use umbrellas of every color for shade. This gives a rainbow effect to the entire area. The group leaders carry poles on which they mount objects of every color. Empty soda bottles and cricket bats are popular, but ribbons, Arab headdresses and even balloons have been spotted. The idea behind the strange parade of poles is to give the group members something distinctive to look for in the midst of the crowds.
* * *
Technology is gradually making its way into the Haj. Everything from the digital cameras the pilgrims carry to record the event to the scooters the reporters ride to get around shows how technology used well can enhance the Haj experience. But low tech is still much in evidence. Some pilgrims carried cardboard boxes with them from Mina. The idea behind the cartons was that they could either be used as sunshades or ground covers, and they could be abandoned if they became too much of a burden.
* * *
If there were an award for excellence in service at Haj, it would have to be given to the Saudi Boy Scouts. The scouts carry maps and are constantly on the lookout for lost and distressed pilgrims. They either give people directions to their camps or, if the pilgrims are families or are infirm, the scouts actually escort them all the way back to their group leaders. Some of the scouts are as young as 14, but all are doing men’s jobs. Many pilgrims have been calling to God for blessings upon the scouts and crying and hugging the boys when they are reunited with their groups.
ARAFAT, 19 December 2007 — It is hot — very, very hot. The sun is out in full force and is beating down on the pilgrims. Nonetheless, they seem unperturbed. On the horizon far ahead, the magnificent minarets of Nimira, the only mosque in Arafat, rise up from the plains. Haj is the last of the five pillars of Islam. It is ordained in the Holy Qur’an, and it was the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who, by his example, defined its elements exactly. Muslims from around the world follow in his footsteps to this day. The pilgrimage always takes place on the same six days of the Islamic calendar, beginning on the eighth and ending on the 13th of the month of Dul Hujjah, the last month of the lunar year. The rituals take place in five locations in and near Makkah.
* * *
Being at Arafat on this day is considered the most important aspect of Haj. It was from this place 1,428 years ago that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) delivered his unforgettable farewell sermon, enunciating far-reaching religious, economic, social and political reforms. Lady Evelyn Cobbold, an Englishwoman, who became a Muslim and took the name of Zainab, described the standing scene at Arafat — wuqoof in Arabic — in moving words ... words that are worth reproducing year after year. “It would require a master pen to describe the scene, poignant in its intensity, of that great concourse of humanity of which I was one small unit, completely lost to their surroundings in a fervor of religious enthusiasm,” she wrote in her Haj journal decades ago. “Many of the pilgrims had tears streaming down their cheeks; others raised their faces to the sky that had witnessed this drama so often in the past centuries. The shining eyes, the passionate appeals, the pitiful hands outstretched in prayer moved me in a way that nothing had ever done before, and I felt caught up in a strong wave of spiritual exaltation. I was one with the rest of the pilgrims in a sublime act of complete surrender to the Supreme Will which is Islam.”
* * *
The most hallowed sight for pilgrims here at Arafat is Jabal Al-Rahma, the Mount of Mercy. This is the actual place from which the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave his farewell sermon. People wanted to get as close as possible to this point and by early morning the whole area was covered with pilgrims. From a distance the gray mountain gave off the impression of being wrapped in a white sheet. As the day wore on, the sun’s rays intensified and by noon, the pilgrims were baking in merciless heat. Telecom companies began handing out umbrellas. The water sprinklers appeared. Ice water was distributed from trucks. The pilgrims sank to the ground in prayer and for a while, the haste and confusion diminished.
* * *
It is only when one sees the pilgrims massed at some point such as Nimira Mosque that there is an awareness of the millions involved in the event. Due to better management, the crowds are generally moving more smoothly. This is truly a blessing for all. How many are at this year’s Haj? The government puts the number of pilgrims from abroad at 1.7 million. The number from inside the Kingdom is more difficult to say. Current estimates put it at 500,000. In spite of its size, the Haj multitude is surprisingly gentle. Occasionally, as one group or another attempts to cross the mighty stream, there is an angry wave of pushing and jostling, but even that is understandable. As somebody rightly pointed out, “To many pilgrims, who may never have gone further than the next village before making the Haj, getting lost or separated is an experience too terrifying to contemplate.”
* * *
Haj is no place to discuss politics, say pilgrims. “We should be looking within, not without. But yes we are affected by what is happening all around us. The siege of Gaza, the carnage in Iraq, the confusion in Afghanistan and the crisis in Pakistan. This is affecting the psyche of all Muslims. Here at Arafat I have cried and cried and been bereft. I don’t know what else to do,” said Maftooh Abdul Hameed, a Saudi national of Pakistani origin.
* * *
It is normally assumed that Haj is colorless since most of the pilgrims are dressed in white. Once at Arafat, you see that this is not the case at all. The pilgrims use umbrellas of every color for shade. This gives a rainbow effect to the entire area. The group leaders carry poles on which they mount objects of every color. Empty soda bottles and cricket bats are popular, but ribbons, Arab headdresses and even balloons have been spotted. The idea behind the strange parade of poles is to give the group members something distinctive to look for in the midst of the crowds.
* * *
Technology is gradually making its way into the Haj. Everything from the digital cameras the pilgrims carry to record the event to the scooters the reporters ride to get around shows how technology used well can enhance the Haj experience. But low tech is still much in evidence. Some pilgrims carried cardboard boxes with them from Mina. The idea behind the cartons was that they could either be used as sunshades or ground covers, and they could be abandoned if they became too much of a burden.
* * *
If there were an award for excellence in service at Haj, it would have to be given to the Saudi Boy Scouts. The scouts carry maps and are constantly on the lookout for lost and distressed pilgrims. They either give people directions to their camps or, if the pilgrims are families or are infirm, the scouts actually escort them all the way back to their group leaders. Some of the scouts are as young as 14, but all are doing men’s jobs. Many pilgrims have been calling to God for blessings upon the scouts and crying and hugging the boys when they are reunited with their groups.
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