ARAFAT, 30 December 2006 — Around three million pilgrims were rapt in attention when Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh gave a call for the unity of Muslim Ummah to ward off the challenges facing them. He emphasized the need of awakening among the Muslim community the world over and urged them to return to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to make this world peaceful and harmonious.
“Look at the world which has been following various political and economic philosophies,” he said in his sermon. “Do you see anything but strife, killing, bloodshed, terror and corruption? They all are the result of following wrong ideologies.”
Al-Asheikh delivered his sermon at Masjid Al-Nimra on the same day 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” (“Here I am, Oh God”). Tears rolled down the cheeks of pilgrims as they climbed Jabal Al-Rahmah.
The pilgrims prayed in Arafat, a ritual that forms the spiritual climax of the Haj. The “Wuquf” they performed there symbolizes man’s wait for the Day of Judgment.
Muslims from around the world had converged on the plains of Arafat yesterday hoping for a safe Haj. They kept on reciting Qura’nic verses and prayed to Allah for mercy and acceptance of their pilgrimage.
It is an obligation for all Muslims to undertake the pilgrimage at least once in a lifetime, if they are physically and financially able. The weather was pleasant and very favorable for the daylong exercise.
The cold breeze, which was troubling the pilgrims in Mina, particularly the old and infirm, stopped blowing and the sun shone above their heads, providing an umbrella of warmth and happiness to the praying masses.
Though most of the pilgrims were sitting in a state of meditation in their camps, some ventured out to get a feel of the plains while thousands of others scaled Jabal Al-Rahmah, where the Prophet had delivered his last sermon more than 1,400 years ago. One of the major themes of that sermon was equality between men and women and rich and poor.
The white seamless garb of the pilgrims, called “ihram”, symbolizes purity and equality of mankind and erases all signs of class and culture. “Here nobody is rich or poor, big or small. All are equal on these plains. God will reward them on the basis of their deeds, not social, political or economic status,” said Ali Al-Mutawwalli, an Egyptian.
“I performed Haj today and Allah has promised those performing Haj that all their previous sins will be pardoned,” said Ali Majdoie, a Lebanese. “Now I’m before you as a person as pure as a newborn child. I vow not to indulge in any wrongdoing in future and will lead the rest of my life as per the Qur’an and the Sunnah.”
Ali said that he also prayed for the welfare, peace and tranquility of his troubled country. “I prayed to the Almighty to give us courage to fight back enemies and to defeat them in their game plan of dividing us, which suits their purpose,” he said. “We will not allow sectarian tensions to destroy us.”
Grand Mufti Al-Asheikh also addressed this theme yesterday. “There are several misguided movements with clandestine nature and ambivalent goals,” he said in his sermon. “Their propagandists ply themselves under the guise of religion, national patriotism and tribal affiliations and they look for the gullible and lead them to the lowest rung of degeneration. Their aim is to disturb the peace and confuse the people.”
Pilgrims also prayed for the peace to return in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Sudan. “Every Muslim is duty bound to pray for fellow Muslims. I prayed for our brethren in Iraq, in Palestine, in Sudan. There are people dying there,” said Anwar Abdulllah from Sudan.
“If we can come together on the plains of Arafat, there is no reason why we can’t do it elsewhere,” said Ahmed Abdullah Shalik, a Palestinian. “The need of the hour is to close our ranks. The enemy is terrified of our power and is engaged in dividing us. Let us not fall prey to his machinations.”
Some were optimistic that the condition of Muslims will improve everywhere. “I’m sure that Allah will give us back the lost glory and prestige,” said Salahuddin Khan, a pilgrim from Amethi, India. “If we start concentrating on education and development, we can catch up very soon with others. I prayed that Allah provide us courage and means to take our community to new heights.”
The scene at Arafat electrified Farhana and her husband Shahed Mustafa from Pakistan’s Sindh Province. “This is amazing. It is only at Arafat that one realizes the true potential of the Ummah,” said Farhana. “We, the followers of the Prophet Muhammad, have nobody to fear except God. The Prophet gave us a complete religion. We will protect it with our blood. By coming here we want to seek God’s mercy and to let everybody know about our love for our most dearest Prophet, peace be upon him.”
Ahmed Yusufzai, an Afghan, commented: “I am here because our Prophet was here. We don’t need any more reason. He is our hero. He is our role model in every aspect of life. He showed us the path to One God and has shown us the way to avoid hellfire. I live and die for him.”
Crying inconsolably, Yusufzai had a message for all Muslims: “Afghanistan, Lebanon, Kashmir and Iraq have shown us that in the face of fire, Muslims can put up a heroic resistance. But we have to stay united. I prayed for unity. May Allah answer all our prayers here at Arafat.”
At sunset, the pilgrims began marching toward Muzdalifah Valley, several kilometers from Arafat, to spend the night. There they will spend the night in prayer, asking for Allah’s forgiveness.
This morning, the faithful return to the valley of Mina for the last part of the Haj — the ritual that involves throwing stones at the Jamrat Al-Aqaba representing Satan.
At Mina, the pilgrims will later sacrifice animals, men will shave their heads and the faithful will proceed to Makkah to circumambulate the Kaaba for Tawaf Al-Ifadah.
— With inputs from Samir Al-Saadi, Zainy Abbas, Galal Fakkar, Siraj Wahab and Syed Faisal Ali
