''4 million pilgrims'' performed Haj this year

Monday 29 October 2012

Nearly four million pilgrims have performed Haj this year, Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal announced yesterday.

“This year’s pilgrimage was a resounding success,” he said.

Addressing a press conference here, Prince Khaled urged the international media to highlight the great Haj message that Muslims are a peace-loving people can coexist peacefully with others.

“Islam is a religion of moderation and service to humanity. It is a religion of peace and love and calls for peaceful coexistence with others,” the governor said. “Unfortunately only negative things about Islam and Muslims are highlighted by the media.”

Haj is a unifying factor, he added.

“Pilgrims wear the same form of dress, live in the same areas, move through the same places and perform the same rituals. They give a good message to the world that the unity of Muslims is not a danger to the world but it will be beneficial to the world.”

Referring to media criticisms, he said: “We welcome constructive criticisms from the traditional and social media. If we want reforms we have to begin it from ourselves.”

Speaking about measures to stop illegal pilgrims, he said: “There is a plan to construct a wall around the holy sites. It has been passed by the Cabinet last Ramadan.”

The Cabinet has approved three projects: A comprehensive development plan for Makkah, the public transport plan for the city and the development plan for holy sites.

Prince Khaled, who is chairman of the Central Haj Committee, said the entry of illegals through the main entrances of the holy sites would be prevented. “If we can prevent undocumented pilgrims coming through Arafat we can reduce their number to a great extent.”

He emphasized the possibility of promoting low-cost Haj services to reduce illegal pilgrims. “We have got a number of proposals to get rid of squatters in the holy sites. We have to be very strict in dealing with illegals,” he added.
He attributed the increase in undocumented pilgrims to a lack of punishment. “We have to set out punishments and implement them strictly next year. We should not allow them to abuse Haj and the regular pilgrims.”

According to the General Statistics Department, 3.16 million performed Haj this year. “But the latest report from Jamrat said that on the first day of Eid more than 3.65 million performed the stoning ritual. So about 4 million pilgrims have performed Haj this year,” he added.

“Unfortunately, there were a large number of undocumented pilgrims who created many problems and the majority of them are non-Saudis,” he said and estimated the number of undocumented pilgrims at 1.4 million.

Prince Khaled said the government had not made preparations for the undocumented pilgrims. “By the Grace of God, everything went well without any problems. And it is one of the most successful pilgrimages in recent years.”

He said more than 120,000 security officers were deployed on Haj duty.
He said the expansion project for the holy sites should be carried out in coordination with all related departments and should cover housing, transport and services.

Prince Khaled emphasized that pilgrims should obtain a high degree of civilization. They should respect and support one another, follow regulations,” he added.

“The Haj congregation is a unique incident in the world,” he said and commended all those who have participated for its success, including volunteers and scouts.

“This is not a political or economic meeting. It is a gathering to worship Allah. It brings together Muslims from all over the world, despite their race, language and color,” he said. He said he was not aware of any anti-regime rally carried out by Syrian pilgrims near Jamrat.

The prince emphasized the need to educate pilgrims before they come to the Kingdom in order to have better results.

“Awareness programs inside the Kingdom will have little effect if pilgrims did not receive proper Haj awareness in their countries,” he said.
Haj gives Muslims a big lesson. “If Muslims perform their Haj rituals with sincerity to receive the pleasure and reward of God, get rid of their differences and unite, they will become a strong nation and can achieve success.”

Speaking about problems faced by pilgrims at the Mashair Railway, he said it would take some time until we reach perfection in operating this transport system. He said action would be taken against those responsible for the delay in transporting pilgrims through the railway.

http://www.arabnews.com/four-million...ormed-haj-year

Pilgrims rush to complete final Haj rituals

Sunday 28 October 2012

MINA: Pilgrims rushed to complete the final rituals of the annual Haj on Sunday, thronging a devil-stoning site on the penultimate day of the pilgrimage.

Most pilgrims will hurl rocks at three pillars representing Satan between noon and sunset, leaving the holy city of Mina before dusk.

But others will stay on in Mina until Monday when they will perform the stoning ritual one final time.

Worshippers living outside Makkah will have to perform the farewell circumambulation around the Kaaba, a cube-shaped structure in Makkah toward which Muslims worldwide pray.

The Haj officially ends on Monday but pilgrims who are in a hurry to conclude their journey can do so on Sunday.

“I hope I will be able to perform the Haj again in the future,” said Um Hassan, an Iraqi pilgrim. “It was a great experience.”

Able-bodied Muslims must perform the Haj at least once in their lifetime.
The devil-stoning in Mina, once the most dangerous phase of the Haj marred by deadly stampedes and fires in tent camps, has passed without incident this year.

Most tents are now fire-proof and gas canisters and cooking are banned. The stoning area has also been expanded to avoid overcrowding.
Saudi authorities have built a five-level structure around the stoning site, allowing for the smooth flow of pilgrims.

Over three million registered pilgrims took part in this year’s Haj, based on official figures. But many others also performed the pilgrimage without permits camping on roads and walking on foot between the holy sites.

http://www.arabnews.com/pilgrims-rus...al-haj-rituals

Millions of Muslim pilgrims stone devil for second day

video inside: http://english.alarabiya.net/article...27/246181.html

27 October 2012

Millions of Muslim pilgrims from all over the world, grouped by nationality, stoned the devil in Saudi Arabia's Mina valley on Saturday, as the hajj reached its final stages.

After stoning three walls symbolizing Satan in a rejection of sin and temptation, male pilgrims changed out of the seamless terrycloth robes of pilgrimage and shaved their heads, as a sign of renewal. Women - and those men who prefer not to undergo a complete shave - had a lock of hair clipped.

Security forces were heavily deployed in the stoning area and first aid teams remained on high alert around the three adjacent pillars representing Satan.

Men, women and children from 189 countries moved easily from one pillar to the next shouting "Allahu Akbar (God is the greatest)" as they hurled pebbles at the stone walls.

They walked in groups carrying their national flags so no members would get lost in the massive crowds.

As many prayed after and during the stoning, others were taking pictures on their mobile phones of themselves next to the pillars.

The photographing was criticized by members of the security forces who said through loudspeakers: "How are you people stoning Satan and taking pictures with him at the same time?"

Though pilgrims will repeat the stoning ritual for at least two more days, they could now call themselves "hajjis," referring to those who have done the pilgrimage.

Malik Evangelatos, from Ukiah, Calif., said the experience felt "wonderful, satisfying and humbling," according to AP.

Evangelatos, who converted to Islam six years ago, said the simple pilgrim's garment that he had worn the past few days helped him "see the bigger picture in life and go back changed, happy and appreciative." For him, the hajj brought a chance to be truly equal regardless of ethnicity or race.

"It has probably been the highlight of my life outside of getting married and having a baby," he said. "You feel an emotional release. It is something that is not recreated anywhere else in the world."


The ritual, which takes place in the kingdom's usually-deserted Mina valley and comes to life only during the annual hajj pilgrimage, began on Friday with the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday as the faithful began by stoning the largest pillar, Jamrat al-Aqaba.

Mina used to be the most dangerous phase of the hajj and the most problematic for the Saudi authorities, marred by deadly stampedes in the past as well as by fires in tent camps.

In the past few years, however, tents have been fire-proofed and gas canisters and cooking are now banned.

The stoning area has also been expanded to avoid overcrowding.

The Saudi authorities have built a five-level structure around the three stoning sites, allowing for a smooth flow of pilgrims who are only permitted to move in one direction throughout the area to prevent congestion.

The ritual is an emulation of Abraham's stoning of the devil at the three spots where it is said Satan tried to dissuade the biblical patriarch from obeying God's order to sacrifice his son, Ishmael.

According to the authorities, 168,000 police officers and civil defense personnel were mobilized for this year's hajj. For the stoning, they organized specific times of day for groups of pilgrims to perform the ritual.

Over three million registered pilgrims are taking part in the rituals which will be over on Monday. Many pilgrims, however, conclude the pilgrimage on Sunday.

http://english.alarabiya.net/article...27/246181.html

Pilgrims stone Jamrat Al-Aqaba with remarkable ease, praise Saudi efforts

Saturday 27 October 2012

Nearly three million pilgrims performed the symbolic act of stoning the devil yesterday in a very orderly fashion.

Masses of faithful, still clad in a two-piece seamless white cloth or ihram, completed the largest human movement on earth and flocked to the Mina Valley from Muzdalifah where they spent the night praying and collecting small rocks for the stoning of devil.

Pilgrims began the journey of faith on Wednesday, moving from Makkah to Mina, and on Thursday they moved to Mount Arafat for the Haj climax, before returning to Mina where three giant structures symbolizing “Satan” stand.

The faithful threw only seven small stones at the first pillar known as the “Big Satan” (Jamarat Al-Aqaba) on Friday.

“I am very proud that God has given me the opportunity to perform Haj,” said Ikramuddin Farooqui, from Allahabad, India. “May God accept our Haj.”
“I am so moved, I can't describe the happiness inside me,” a Syrian pilgrim said, tears streaming down his cheeks. “It is a dream come true.”
The Saudi leadership and its people came in for fulsome praise for the wonderful arrangements at the Jamarat complex.

"I was here some seven years ago and there were many deaths while performing this ritual," recalled Ibrahim Mohammad Kutty, an Indian pilgrim. "This place used to be like an ordinary pedestrian bridge and stampedes were a regular occurrence."

He prayed for the long life of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and other princes, governors and government officials for pouring billions of riyals into the Jamarat project and turning it into a massive multistory complex. "Stoning the devil has now become the easiest and most organized ritual ... God bless Saudi Arabia and its people," said an emotional Ibrahim Mohammad Kutty.

Pilgrims threw the small stones to cries of “Allahu Akbar,” or God is Greatest. According to tradition, the stoning ritual takes place at the site where Satan appeared to Prophet Abraham, to his son Prophet Ismael, and to Abraham's wife Hajera.

Prophet Abraham and his family each threw seven stones at Satan. The gesture has been perpetuated, and Muslims must perform it to complete the Haj.

Helicopters hovered constantly overhead to monitor the huge crowds with the help of thousands of high-tech cameras, all connected to a control room run by top security authorities.

After the stoning, pilgrims offered sacrificial meat, normally by slaughtering a sheep and even camels. Most of the sacrifices were slaughtered at a number of state-of-the-art abattoirs run by the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB). The meat is sent to poor countries.

Also on Friday, the pilgrims visited the Grand Mosque in Makkah to circumambulate the Holy Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure, seven times; it is called as Tawaf Al-Ifada. Some of the pilgrims also walked the 500 meters between Safa and Marwa seven times to commemorate Hajera’s run between the hillocks in search of water, before they take off ihram and don normal dress.

Delivering the Eid sermon in Makkah, Imam-e-Haram Sheikh Saleh Mohammed Al-Taleb called on Arabs and Muslims to take “practical and urgent” steps to stop bloodshed in Syria that has killed some 30,000 people, and urged world states to assume their moral responsibility towards the conflict.

“The world should bear responsibility for this prolonged and painful disaster (in Syria) and the responsibility is greater for the Arabs and Muslims who should call on each other to support the oppressed against the oppressor,” said Sheikh Al-Taleb.

"The solution should be practical and urgent because the oppressor becomes even more fierce as the days pass," he said.

“The world should take moral and legal responsibility against the massacres and the oppression that the Syrian people are subjected to as well as the continuing violations in Palestine,” Sheikh Al-Taleb, one of the most senior religious scholar in the Saudi Arabia, said.

“The war and destruction should be stopped and the higher interests should be ahead of personal interests in order to stop the spill of the Muslims' blood,” he added.

The stoning ritual continues over the next two days during which pilgrims will hurl seven stones every day at each of the three massive structures. They used to be mere pillars in the past.

http://www.arabnews.com/pilgrims-sto...-saudi-efforts

Beacon: The clock tower of the Grand Mosque looms above above the city of Mecca in this stunning view from the top of Noor Mountain

Millions of pilgrims head to Mina as hajj 2012 officially kicks off

Muslim pilgrims circle the Holy Kaaba and pray at the Grand mosque during the annual Hajj in the holy city of Mecca.
(Info-graphic design by Farwa Rizwan)

Wednesday, 24 October 2012

Millions of pilgrims arrived this week in Mecca for Islam’s annual Hajj (pilgrimage), which officially starts on Wednesday. Around four million pilgrims were heading to Mina, where they will spend their night before heading to the Mount of Arafat in the early hours of Thursday.

Many pilgrims began leaving for Mina on Tuesday night after circumambulating the Holy Kaaba, the first house of worship on Earth, built by Adam. Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail rebuilt it some 5,000 years ago. Most Hajj rituals are related to Prophet Ibrahim, his wife Hager and his son Prophet Ismail, and thus reflect the unity of humanity.

The Saudi government has given top priority to the security and safety of pilgrims and has deployed thousands of security forces in Mecca, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, all cities within a radius of 10 kilometers, to ensure a safe and secure Hajj.

A statement by the Saudi Interior Ministry on Tuesday said that pilgrims were being transported to Mina smoothly without any obstacles, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Grand Mosque, the focal point of the Islamic faith, was already teeming with joyful pilgrims at dawn on Monday, wearing the simple white folds of cloth prescribed for Hajj, many of them having slept on the white marble paving outside.

“I feel proud to be here because it’s a visual message that Muslims are united. People speaking in all kind of languages pray to the one God,” said Fahmi Mohammed al-Nemr, 52, from Egypt.

Hajj must be performed at least once in their lifetime by all Muslims capable of making the expensive, difficult journey, a duty that applies equally to Sunni and Shiite Muslims.

Saudi leaders have emphasized it is a strictly religious occasion and they are prepared to deal with any troublemaking.

Last year nearly 3 million pilgrims performed the Hajj, with roughly a third from inside the conservative kingdom. The Saudi authorities said there have so far been 1.7 million arrivals from abroad and about 200,000 from inside Saudi Arabia.

Mecca’s merchants, famed across the Arab world, are already doing a thriving trade as pilgrims stock up on souvenirs such as prayer beads and mats, Qurans, dates, gold and Zamzam water, pumped from a holy well.

“The first time I saw the Kaaba I cried with joy. I prayed for myself and all Muslims,” said Nafisa Rangrez, 36, from Gujarat in India, who had waited five years for a Hajj visa, according to Reuters.

All Muslims must face towards the Kaaba, the huge black cube at the center of the Grand Mosque, five times a day for prayer, making a visit to the sanctuary a powerful experience. Pilgrims must circle it seven times when they arrive in Mecca.

Wednesday is the first official day of the pilgrimage, with Muslims following a set form of rites laid out by the Prophet Mohammed and culminating on Friday with the Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice), a holiday across the Islamic world.

“I would love to live here for the rest of my life. There’s no such place in the entire world. This is a blessed country,” said Ziad Adam, 23, a theology student from Kenya.

“It’s my first time in Mecca for pilgrimage. I can’t wait to pray in Arafat,” 32-year-old Koara Abdul Rahman, a businessman from Burkina Faso, told AFP.

“Right now, I’ve got all the good feelings you can think of,” said an Iranian pilgrim, her voice quivering and tears welling.

Saudi Arabia’s king is formally titled Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the ruling family has long reigned on its guardianship of Islam’s birthplace.

Over the past decade it has spent billions of dollars expanding the Grand Mosque and building new infrastructure to avert the stampedes and tent fires that marred past pilgrimages with hundreds of deaths.

In 2011, Saudi Arabia began the biggest expansion yet of the Grand Mosque, to increase its capacity to 2 million. A new railway will link the holy sites around Mecca.

This year alone, the kingdom spent more than 1.1 billion riyals ($293.3 million) on development projects in the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah, all outside Mecca, according to AFP.

http://english.alarabiya.net/article...24/245606.html

Al Arabiya goes inside the basement of al-Jamarat Bridge

The basement houses automated collection and sorting machines
for the pebbles used in the stoning ritual

24 October 2012

The basement of al-Jamarat Bridge lies 15 meters underground, and Al Arabiya got the opportunity to see the automated method of gathering, storing and sorting the pebbles used by pilgrims in the stoning ritual that takes place above the three basins.

“This system works according to electric gates. It removes all the pebbles that have been gathered in al-Jamarat’s basin.”

Each of the basins of al-Jamarat has two machine systems that transfer the pebbles from the bottom of the bridge at different speeds. This system has gates that are electronically controlled to m`nage the pebbles course, quantity and destination. It also features sorting censors that filter and isolate everything that is thrown into the pit.

“The quantities of pebbles, when reached 1000 tons, are relocated after the Hajj period and after the pilgrims have departed from Mashaal. These quantities are sent to special locations.”

The remainders at al-Jamarat Bridge reach 300 tones according to official statistics that have been recorded from previous years’ experiences. The electronic system, which works through electronic gates located in each floor of al-Jamarat Bridge, simplified the process of redirecting the pebbles towards compressors at the bottom of the bridge.

Each corner of the facility shows the quick development that occurred from the top to the bottom of the bridge. The basement houses meticulous organization of surveillance cameras and general safety measures. The routes of the bridge’s vehicles also demonstrate the modernization of al-Jamarat Bridge.

video inside: http://english.alarabiya.net/article...24/245709.html

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