MINA: As Haj pilgrims began the stone throwing ritual at the Jamrat Bridge, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan sent Eid Al-Adha greetings to pilgrims, other Muslims and the entire world.
This year’s Haj has been described as “most successful” because the nearly three million pilgrims completed their rituals so far in a peaceful and secure atmosphere. They stoned Jamrat Al-Aqaba in Mina, slaughtered sacrificial animals and performed Tawaf Al-Ifadah yesterday.
“From this sacred land, Mina, Mount Arafat and the Grand Mosque, to where the pilgrims flocked responding to God’s call and stood in prayers and circumambulated the Kaaba, we congratulate the pilgrims for performing Haj and related rituals. We also pray the Almighty Allah to accept and bless their Haj,” King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan said in a greeting message read out by Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari.
“The Haj rituals bind the pilgrims together with a sense of love and compassion and mutual support cutting across their differences of color, nationalities and languages,” the king and crown prince said in a joint statement. The Haj, emanating from the spirit of their great Ummah, also fills the world with peace, mercy and tolerance, the joint message said.
They also underscored the role of Haj in promoting the values of truth, virtue and integrity and ending resentment and animosity. “Since the pilgrimage to Makkah is a grand occasion in which a Muslim participates with his heart and soul, you should derive maximum benefit from its blessed moments and go back to your homes free from all sins, as innocent as newborn babies, carrying with you some of its fragrance. Blessed are those who win God’s forgiveness,” the message said.
The imam at the Grand Mosque called on the Muslims to be kind and tolerant to others in his sermon to the faithful gathered for the Eid Al-Adha prayers early morning yesterday.
“The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent as Mercy to all — Muslims and non-Muslims. He used to visit sick Jews and answer their invitations. He was kind to animals, birds and even to inanimate things,” Sheikh Saleh Al-Talib, who led the prayer at the Grand Mosque, said in his Eid sermon.
The Grand Mosque and its surrounding area were overflowing with pilgrims when they joined local residents in the Eid Al-Adha prayers in the cool morning in Makkah.
“The Haj shows how Muslims are united as brothers despite their ethnic and geographical differences. During Haj they wear the same clothes and pray with the same imam facing one Qiblah (direction of prayer) following uniform rituals. A Muslim achieves superiority over another only with his virtue and devotion,” the imam said. He also warned them against disunity when they go back to their native lands.
The stoning at Jamrat, which began yesterday, is the most potentially perilous aspect of Haj due to so many people convening at this location. Nearly three million people will pass through the Jamrat complex during the remaining days to symbolically throw their stones at the three pillars of Satan.
In order to protect the crowd from itself, more than 300,000 security personnel have been positioned at several places on the bridge and before the entrances to the bridge. Their aim is to ensure one-way flow of foot traffic through the recently renovated and expanded complex, which is still incomplete but considerably larger and more accommodating than last year.
“The giant projects that was carried out by the Saudi government at the holy sites have played an important role in easing the movement of pilgrims from Makkah to holy sites and the other way around. Projects such as the bridges and tunnels were ordered by King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan to ease the movement of pilgrims,” said Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Makkah governor and president of the Central Haj Committee.
“Preparations to organize and arrange the crowds on the bridge have been made well in advance,” Commander of Civil Defense for Haj Lt. Gen. Sulaiman Al-Amro told Arab News.
The Ministry of Haj demanded the Tawafa establishments and other domestic Haj organizers to stick to the schedules assigned to them to send the pilgrims under them to the Jamrat.
Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, director of Haj security administration, who is also the Interior Ministry spokesman, said in Mina last night that 1.7 million pilgrims had moved on to the Jamrat complex by 11 a.m. yesterday. He said officials expect over 2.5 million pilgrims to have commenced the stoning rituals yesterday.
Prince Khaled said that pilgrims arrived to Mina in peace and comfort under complete services and supervision provided by the Saudi government. He said that all service departments in Makkah, security departments and related Haj departments are working around the clock and doing their best to provide the best of service to pilgrims to ensure their comfort and safety.
Prince Khaled expressed the pride of the Saudi people and government to have the honor of serving Guests of God, which is a great responsibility. He said that they are making sure that the services are provided at its best level in a way that rises up to the expectations of King Abdullah. He said that all plans made by the appropriate authorities to serve pilgrims this Haj have been executed as planned and all services that pilgrims need are provided.
— With input from Hamid Al-Sulami
