About two million pilgrims from all corners of the globe are on Friday set to converge on Mount Arafat, about 15 km east of Makkah, at the climax of this year’s annual pilgrimage of Haj. Chanting “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik (O God, here I am answering Your call)…,” the white sea of humanity will surge toward the vast plains of Arafat at the outbreak of dawn on Friday, after spending a night of meditation and introspection in the Tent City of Mina Thursday.
Standing at Mount Arafat (wuqoof) is an accomplishment of a pilgrim’s life mission and fulfillment of his dream of performing Haj. All the men, in a seamless two-piece white garment, symbolizing a state of purity and emphasizing their unity regardless of social status or nationality, will spend the day in prayer and supplication, marking the high point of the five-day Hajj.
Women also generally wear white, exposing only their faces and hands.
The movement of pilgrims into Mina was orderly and smooth, thanks to the elaborate arrangements made by the authorities.
“The plans for the transportation of pilgrims to Mina have been completed successfully, praise be to God,” said Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the Ministry of Interior.
Authorities have mobilized all their human and material resources to make the pilgrimage hassle-free and a great success. An integrated security team of more than 100,000 personnel drawn from all branches of the Ministry of Interior have been deployed across the Holy Sites to ensure safety and security of the pilgrims. Pilgrims faced little difficulty getting into Mina where hundreds of security forces are manning bridges, roads and underpasses.
Saudi Gazette saw the smooth flow of pilgrims into Mina and there were no untoward incidents reported from any corners of the vast valley. Many in the sea of white-clad believers were so moved by the occasion that tears streamed down their faces as they set out from Makkah for Mina, retracing the noble tradition of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
“It is a beautiful feeling,” said Aziza Yousfy, 60, from Algeria, before setting out for Mina from Makkah. Seeing nearby Mina Valley and Mount Arafat “has always been a dream for me”, she said. Sayed Tajamul Haq, 64, an Indian pilgrim walking with his wife, voiced hope that “God will accept our prayers for forgiveness and mercy”, during an experience he described with a smile as “fantastic.”
The Tent City reverberated with the talbiyah of pilgrims who made final preparations for their standing on Arafat. Almost all the Haj missions have readied a meticulously designed and flawless operation plan for the movement of pilgrims to Arafat. The pilgrims prayed Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha and Fajr prayers at their tents in Mina. They shortened Dhuhr, Asr and Isha prayers to two rakaats (units), following the tradition of the Prophet (pbuh).
The pilgrims will spend Friday in Arafat praying and asking for God’s mercy and forgiveness. The ritual of standing at Arafat will begin after Dhuhr. Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al Asheikh will deliver the Arafat sermon at Nimra Mosque and will lead the shortened and combined Dhuhr and Asr prayers.
The pilgrims will spend the time in Arafat with prayers for acceptance of their pilgrimage and recitation of Qur’anic verses until sunset.
After sunset, the pilgrims will march toward Muzdalifah Valley and spend the night there in prayers after performing combined Maghreb and Isha prayers.
Interior Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, said a total of 1,389,053 foreign pilgrims belonging to 163 nationalities are performing Haj this year.
In a cable sent to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Thursday, Prince Muhammad said the arrival of pilgrims through all entry points have been completed smoothly and perfectly.
Men make up 55 percent (757,981) of pilgrims while there are 631,072 women pilgrims. There is 0.6 percent (8,545) increase in the number of pilgrims than last year.
Several leaders and heads of state are performing Haj this year. They included presidents — Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan, Abdul Hamid of Bangladesh, Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud of Somalia, Abdulla Yameen of the Maldives and Pakistan’s Senate Chairman Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari.
Makah Emir and Chairman of the Central Haj Committee, Prince Mishal Bin Abdullah, has directed all concerned agencies and departments to mobilize their resources in extending the best ever services to pilgrims.
Col. Sami Al-Showairikh, commander of the media and awareness division at Public Security, said that at least 188,558 people with no Haj permits have so far been stopped from entering the Holy Sites.
A total of 1,420 drivers of vehicles have been arrested for transportation of illegal pilgrims.
Also, 61,368 vehicles have been seized.
Punitive measures against 14,688 drivers who attempted to enter the Holy Sites without a permit will be taken.
Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar said the mayoralty has mobilized 23,050 personnel, including 14,000 street cleaners, to serve the pilgrims and keep Makkah and the Holy Sites neat and tidy.
Ali Al-Ghamdi, an official of the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, said that 22,000 toilets were readied for pilgrims in Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. The Saudi Red Crescent Authority teams have offered emergency medical aid to 674 pilgrims, of which 285 were taken to hospitals.
While Ebola has hit Africa, most MERS cases worldwide have been in Saudi Arabia itself.
Pilgrims from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the three nations hardest-hit by Ebola which has killed more than 3,000 people in West Africa this year, have not been allowed in for the Hajj.
The Health Ministry on Wednesday announced the country’s latest MERS victim, a 43-year-old Saudi who died in Taif, east of Makkah.
But “no infectious cases have been recorded among the pilgrims, including coronavirus (MERS),” said Acting Health Minister Adel Fakieh in a statement carried by SPA.
He added that “the health situation of the pilgrims is reassuring.”
Not a single case of Ebola has so far been detected and the ministry is taking all measures to ensure the safety and health of the pilgrims, said Manal Mansour, the head of Health Ministry’s department for prevention of infectious diseases.
“The most important precaution that (the Kingdom) has taken was to restrict visas from the affected areas,” she said.
By Badea Abu Al-Naja, Hassan Cheruppa
