MINA: Monday may be the final day of the pilgrimage, but try telling that to the hundreds of thousands of Hajis who used Sunday as an opportunity to finish stoning the Satan on the Jamrat Bridge before leading a mass exodus to the holy city of Makkah. There, pilgrims would either complete circling of the Kaaba, known as the Tawaf Al-Wida (Farewell Tawaf) or make preparations for their journey back home or to Madinah.
Despite the troubles with crowd control on the Jamrat Bridge in the past, this year witnessed a marked shift in atmosphere and circumstances for the better. The guards maintained a friendly and relaxed attitude when directing Hajis toward the three pillars representing Satan, as has been the case throughout the Haj period. The pilgrims themselves were mostly quite content to walk normally, wait their turn to throw their stones, before moving onto the next pillar.
“I was quite worried that there would be trouble and stampedes, but this year everything has gone smoothly by the grace of Allah,” remarked Sudanese pilgrim Hisham.
Another reason why the stoning of the Satan has been relatively trouble-free over the three days will be down to the Saudi government’s continuous expansion of the bridge itself, which allows for multiple exit and entry points. This has certainly improved the flow of pilgrims and will definitely be an encouraging sign for the authorities as they continue to improve the Haj experience.
Leaving the Jamrat Bridge on the long road to Makkah, you cannot help but notice that all of the pilgrims walk with smiles on their faces, probably out of relief that they have completed their once-in-a-lifetime journey unharmed.
“It has been such an experience performing Haj for the first time,” said British pilgrim Rasheeda. She and husband Salman had just finished their stoning in the Jamrat Bridge and were walking to Makkah to finish their tawaf.
“And then we’re moving on to Madinah, where we can hopefully relax a little and pray at the Prophet’s Mosque. I know my wife is looking forward to doing a little bit of shopping too,” added Salman.
Walking alongside the young couple is Saudi husband and wife Mohammed and Fatima, who have completed their fourth Haj. They claimed this had been the smoothest pilgrimage so far in 10 years.
“I thank the Saudi government for taking steps to improve the experience for pilgrims,” said Mohammed.
No doubt the authorities are delighted with a relatively trouble-free season, despite the storms that dominated the first day of the pilgrimage. They have gone out of their way to provide world-class medical facilities, while ensuring the pilgrims are well protected from the heat (and rain) by handing out umbrellas and water frequently. In addition, poorer pilgrims have always been able to access free food thanks to the non-governmental organizations working in the holy sites. The Jamrat rituals were relatively trouble-free, and the experience will no doubt improve as the bridge continues to expand.
Yet there are still areas that the Saudi government needs to work on. Traffic remains a problem, with coaches coming to a standstill for hours as they move between the key Haj locations. The authorities have taken steps to improve this, with the planned monorail, which will shuttle pilgrims quickly, nearing completion. Better drainage facilities are needed for areas surrounding Mina and Makkah, not just in the cities themselves, if a repeat of the catastrophe that occurred following the storms is to be avoided.
Last but not least the government must give special focus to improving the environmental impact of the pilgrimage. Again, the monorail will help, but it is not enough. Pollution caused by immense amounts of litter and exhaust fumes is unacceptably high and needs to be addressed if the Saudi government can truly claim to have improved the Haj experience substantially. But they are moving in the right direction.
