MAKKAH, 30 November 2002 — An estimated two million faithful congregated in the Grand Mosque here and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah yesterday to mark the fourth and last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.

Inclement weather conditions in the holy city did not deter the faithful, most of them Saudis, from assembling for prayers on the most auspicious day of Ramadan. Many of them had spent the night inside the holy Haram.

All roads were clogged with motorists inching their way into the haram area after driving at maximum 70kmph instead of the normal 120kmph on the Makkah Expressway.

By 9.30 Thursday night all roads to Makkah were packed with cars. Traffic was diverted to the spacious parking lots at Kuday and Ruseifah but they became full soon prompting authorities to allow vehicles back into the Haram area. It took 90 minutes to drive the short distance from Makkah’s entry point to the parking lots.

Around two million cars have entered Makkah from its six gates since the beginning of Ramadan.

Makkah and Madinah traditionally witness huge crowds of Umrah pilgrims coming from all parts of the Muslim world during the holy month, especially in its last 10 days.

The worshipers included a large number of foreigners who had come especially to offer Friday prayers at the grand mosque in Makkah and perform Umrah.

Makkah city experienced light drizzle yesterday, a day of bad and dusty weather also in Jeddah. A sand storm that began in the morning subsided by nightfall.

Dr. Saleh ibn Humaid, imam and khatib of the Grand Mosque and president of the Shoura Council, addressed the worshipers after the prayers, stressing the need for Muslims to learn from lessons given in the Holy Qur’an and never to lose hope in the help of Allah regardless of adversities have presented themselves in recent times.

Humaid said the Holy Book provides solutions for all the issues faced by the ummah though it is the victim of injustice meted out by arrogant powers such as the atrocities of Jews in occupied Palestine. However, the help of Allah is the greatest solace for Muslims in the face of adversities.

The imam also stressed the need for hope and optimism with trust in Allah at all times of adversities. He quoted the Holy Qur’an: “And never give up hope in God’s soothing mercy: truly no one despairs of God’s soothing mercy except those who have no faith.”

He called upon preachers and scholars to rekindle the spirit of hope in the ummah and reinforce religious bonds.

Muslims are living an alienated life in the midst of other people as a result of oppression in the present world, he said. This is because mighty nations do not care for the sentiments and customs of other communities. The rights of the weak are trampled upon. Injustice and violence of the powerful only breed violence. History is replete with instances of weak people not taking injustice and disgrace lying down. Injustice paves the way for their resurgence.

Humaid also urged Muslims “to rearrange their priorities and evaluate the situation thoroughly in order to imbibe the political, economic and intellectual changes of modern times and evolve remedies.” The best way to counter external pressures and challenges is not by resisting them but by looking inward through self criticism. The rush of unhappy events in recent times has confused Muslims and made them the target of hostile media attacks, he said.

Humaid also noted that no revival is possible with a media furor or public protests but only by cleansing the heart and total surrender to Almighty Allah.

He also exhorted the people to devote themselves to self purification, particularly in the last days of this holy month.