MINA, 10 February 2003 — The pilgrims arrive in Mina with mixed feelings of trepidation, joy and reflection. They think of the rituals they must perform so there is trepidation. They count themselves lucky to be in the tent city on 8th Dul Hijjah. Their joy is unequalled. And the whole exercise reminds them of life gone by, the wrongs they committed and the time they wasted. So it is natural to reflect on the past and pray for inspiration in the future. Tomorrow on the plains of Arafat they will bare their hearts before Almighty Allah and beseech Him to forgive them and bless them with their greatest desires.
What tops the list of their prayers is often secret, perhaps something that they would admit to no one but God. However, there are some pilgrims who will confide their wishes. It is not surprising that a huge range of requests will be made to God on the plains of Arafat. Some prayers are for the general good of humanity. All the pilgrims will be praying for peace and for good sense to prevail. Khurshid Alam from Lahore, Pakistan will also be praying for something touchingly personal - success for the Pakistani cricket team in the upcoming World Cup. “I will definitely seek the help of Allah for my country to win this year’s World Cup,” he said. “I will pray for the victory of Muslims in all fields. Whether it is on the battleground or the playground, I want Muslims to emerge victorious.”
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It is very cold and windy in Mina. Last night the men wrapped themselves tightly in their ihraams. They brought the material up around their necks and sat, for warmth with their legs tucked under their bodies. The female pilgrims from Indonesia and Malaysia had a hard time with the chilly temperatures. “We are not used to cold weather,” said one Malaysian woman who was part of a large contingent of pilgrims. The members of the group were grouped close together to keep themselves warm. Pilgrims who had no valid permits huddled together in open spaces and under trees braving the cold winds.
Riding through the city on a moped last night was difficult. It was simply too windy. The officials managing the Haj are concerned about the cold and damp conditions. They have done their best to set up facilities to cope for it and are well prepared for inclement weather. The flame-proof tents provide good shelter. Inside the tents it is cozy and warm. Pilgrims tend to wander outside the tents on occasion. This has caused the authorities concern about a potential outbreak of illness as the pilgrims become tired and stressed.
“This cold and damp weather facilitates the spread of germs and diseases. If the temperatures are high, it is good because all the germs get killed and there is little fear of people getting sick,” said one volunteer at the South Asian pilgrim center. “We are praying for the best but prepared for the worst,” he added.
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It is not official but the fact is very evident. The number of pilgrims this year is far fewer than last year. Haj veterans feel this is because of the gathering war clouds. Perhaps as a result, many people were afraid to leave their countries at this time. There are fewer Saudis performing the rituals as well. “Haj has become very expensive for us,” said Talaat Al-Harithy. “For each person it costs nearly SR4,000. If we have five members in the family, that means SR20,000. It is too much for many Saudis. Also, in our culture we cannot possibly share a tent with other families. People from the subcontinent for example have no cultural restrictions on sharing one tent with other families. But for us, there is a problem,” he added. And he is right.
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Mina is a small city and as far as your eye can see, tents cover every open space. They have been neatly arranged, row after row. The entrances to many of the tents are decorated with banners and garlands. This helps pilgrims identify their temporary residences from among so many that otherwise look the same. Huge balloons hang in the sky over certain locations to help pilgrims find their tents. Security officers are everywhere. They will not allow any vehicle to park, even for a minute, on the roadsides. The city itself has expanded to accommodate the influx of pilgrims.
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Many female pilgrims came from Russia this year to perform Haj. We asked again and again for the names of their hometowns, but they just kept saying, “Russi, Russi.” They may be Chechens. The moment they hear the word “Chechen,”they say Dagestan. These pilgrims have bags filled with things to sell. The wristwatches the Russian women have brought seem to be especially popular with pilgrims from other lands. They also have beautiful silverware, crystal and imitation jewelry for sale. These pilgrims are especially nervous and more difficult to interview than others. When we took out a pen to scribble notes, the Russian women became alarmed immediately. They thought we were municipal authorities who wanted to arrest them. The Russian pilgrims looked at us with distrust and quickly scuttled off into the maze of tents. We felt sorry for them.
According to one report, the Dagestani pilgrims come to Saudi Arabia via Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Syria and Jordan — arriving in Makkah after a grueling 5,000-km trip. In each country they stop and sell the items they have brought with them in order cover the costs of the holy journey. May Allah bless them and answer their prayers.
