MINA, 29 December 2006 — Believers descended on Mina Valley yesterday full of religious fervor and looking forward to performing their pilgrimage safely. They believed that the Almighty would make it safe, secure and easy for them. They were fully geared up to begin their trek to the plain of Arafat where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered his last sermon. The ritual, known as the standing at Arafat, or “waqoof”, is considered the most important part of Haj.
The pilgrims will stay the night in Muzdalifa where they will collect pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil at the Jamrat in Mina for three days beginning tomorrow.
“Allah is Almighty and will help His servants perform Haj without any incident,” said Asad Alam, an Indian-born pilgrim from the United States, who has come with his wife to perform Haj. “We are not afraid of stampedes or any other incident. They cannot shake our unflinching faith in Him.”
At least 362 pilgrims were killed in a stampede in Mina in the last Haj, the fourth fatal overcrowding incident to occur at the Haj since 2001. Seventy-six pilgrims also died last year in a building collapse in Makkah just before the Haj commenced. In the past, fire has also claimed lives. In 1997, 343 pilgrims died and about 1,500 were injured when a fire broke out in the tent city of Mina.
But the risks involved with the challenges of providing safe passage for so many people in such a small area didn’t seem to be on the minds of the faithful yesterday. The Mina Valley’s environment was serene and spiritual, filled with prayer and renewed vigor. By evening the valley was bustling with the activities of the guests of Allah, some busy in their prayers, others trying to familiarize themselves with the topography of Mina so that it would be easier for them to reach the Jamrat Bridge tomorrow for the stoning of the Devil.
“I have no fear, no concern and no anxiety,” said Irfan Habib, who lost his uncle in last year’s Mina stampede. “It is part of our faith and that’s why we are here. If I die here Allah will reward me with paradise.”
Around over two million people perform Haj every year in recent times. The pilgrimage is obligatory on every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it. The pilgrimage is a physical challenge, especially for the elderly or infirm. The dangers of the pilgrimage have historically involved the journey to Makkah from some faraway place itself, where pilgrims faced long treks through unknown lands, bad weather and highwaymen. Today, it’s easier for a pilgrim to hop on a commercial jet and fly thousands of kilometers to Makkah than it is for him to walk the six kilometers from the plains of Arafat to the pillars of Satan.
Saudi authorities were alert and making all efforts to avoid any incident. Interior Minister Prince Naif has said improvements introduced this year would prevent crowding at the Jamrat Bridge, which will witness from Saturday the symbolic stoning of the devil, the most incident-prone of Haj rituals.
“We hope that this year’s Haj will not witness any problems,” Naif said earlier.
Saudi Arabia allocated $1.1 billion to expand the Jamrat Bridge into a multi-storey structure. The first phase, completed in time for this Haj, allows up to 250,000 pilgrims to move across the bridge each hour.
Those who had performed Haj in the past said they could feel the improvement in the Haj management over the years. “No doubt the Saudi government is doing a marvelous job to make our stay and performance of the ritual easier every year,” said Midhat Khaja, an Egyptian pilgrim.
“I came last year with my brother, who died in the stampede. But I’m surprised to see that the bridge where the deadly incident took place was not there and a new huge bridge was constructed in a year; it can happen only in Saudi Arabia.”
Pilgrims were clear about one thing that everything is in His hand. So they need not to worry. But at the same time they said that people should not crowd the roads leading to Jamrat. Police have barricaded roads leading to the Jamrat Bridge to prevent pilgrims from camping out there and blocking the way. Even some religious leaders were helping the government’s efforts to avoid crowding.
They issued a religious edict this month allowing pilgrims to begin the stoning ritual in the morning rather than the afternoon as per tradition.
