DOCSLIB.ORG

Hajj – the Journey Between Arafat and Mina

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Hajj – the Journey Between Arafat and Mina 0 HAJJ: The Journey of a Lifetime, (Part 1)! ‘Hajj’ means ‘to set out for a definite purpose’. There are two main purposes of the Hajj. The first is to show obedience to Allah, (this is the Arabic word for God). The second is that the Hajj is a way of worshipping Allah. Islam, the religion of Muslims, lays out five acts of worship called the ‘Five pillars’, which all Muslims must perform. The last of these is the Hajj. It is the duty of each Muslim to go on the Hajj at least once in their lifetime as long as they can afford it and the family left behind is properly provided for. Muslims who go on the Hajj are both worshipping and obeying Allah. The Hajj takes Muslims to Mecca. For them, this is the holiest city in the world. Many people think that Islam was founded, or started, by the Prophet Muhammad and that Mecca became a Holy city because he made it a religious centre. However, Muslims believe that he was carrying on the work which other men had started long before him. Hajj was made obligatory in the 9th year of Hijra. The following year, 10th Hijra, the Prophet Muhammad announced he himself would perform Hajj that year. He led tens of thousands of Muslims to Hajj that year and demonstrated to 1 Muslims how to perform all the rites and rituals of the Hajj. This Hajj is known in history as ‘Hajjatul Wida’ or Farewell Pilgrimage because this proved to be the last Hajj Prophet Muhammad performed. At the end of this farewell pilgrimage, the divine revelation that had started 22 years ago came to an end with the following verse of Surah Al-Maidah: “This day have I completed My commandments for you, and have brought to its fullness the favour that I have bestowed upon you, and have chosen Islam as your religion.” Hajj is an act of worship just like Salah (five daily prayers) and Sawm (fasting in the month of Ramadan). Muslims from all over the world gather in Mecca in the last month of the Muslim calendar and worship Allah. Hajj is a special worship that lasts for several days (Dhul Hijjah 8th-13th). This is an occasion that brings Muslims of all countries, colours, and races to one place – the Kaabah. This is a unique opportunity of worshipping Allah collectively in a large gathering at one place. In the centre of the Great Mosque in Mecca is a cube shaped building known as the kaabah. The Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail originally built this. It was the first centre for the worship of Allah. In the years that followed, it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The Kaabah of today still contains the famous ‘black stone’. This was part of the first Kaabah. It was a stone which was said to have been brought by angels from heaven. By the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), people had forgotten what the Kaabah was for. Instead of using it as a place to worship Allah, they were worshipping idols there. Muhammad (pbuh) put a stop to this. He threw out all the statues and made it, once again, a place for the worship of Allah. 2 Belief in Allah is the most important thing in the life of every Muslim. Mecca is the most holy centre for the worship of Allah. Muslims remember this, not only by going on the Hajj, but everyday when they turn to face the direction of Mecca to pray. Who must go on the Hajj? 1. Any Muslim who can afford it, 2. A free person, not a slave, 3. A sane person, 4. An adult, 5. A person who is in good health* 6. Women who have travelling company (mahram)* * Should find someone else to go if cannot go oneself. Before a Muslim goes on the Hajj, they must: 1. Be physically fit and healthy, 2. Be financially secure, 3. Pay off all existing debts, 4. Leave enough money for family who are staying behind, 5. Make up with anyone whom they have broken up with, 6. Buy the correct clothing, 7. (Females) must go with their ‘mahram’. 3 THE ROUTE OF HAJJ! 1), 6) Mecca 3) Arafat 4) Muzdalifah 2), 5) Mina TASKS! 1. What does the word ‘Hajj’ mean? 2. Which city do pilgrims go to perform the Hajj? 3. What is the name of the famous holy building in this city? 4. With which famous prophets is this city connected? 5. What is the Black stone? 6. Draw a picture of the Kaabah? 7. Who must go to Hajj? 8. Who does not have to go on the Hajj? 9. What three things must a Muslim do before going on the Hajj? 10. What is a ‘mahram’? 11. The Hajj is an act of worship. Worship is a way of showing a person’s feelings for God. Pilgrims going to Mecca give up their usual life for a while to show their devotion to Allah. Make a list of other things people do to worship God. 4 HAJJ, Part 2! Muslims from all over the world take part in the Hajj. They come from very different countries and backgrounds. Some will be rich while others are poor. None of this will matter. Before reaching Mecca, each pilgrim must wash and put on special clothes called ‘Ihram’. For men, Ihram consists of two seamless pieces of white cloth to cover the upper and lower parts of their bodies. Women wear garments which cover everything except their hands and faces. As all pilgrims dress in the same way, many of the differences between them disappear. They are all equal. During the Hajj, pilgrims must not have sex, use perfume, cut their hair, harm or kill in any way any living thing. They must make a special effort not to get angry with others. This should be a time of peace. Once they are dressed correctly, pilgrims may enter the ‘Haram’. This is the holy area around Mecca and only Muslims are allowed to enter this district. The first place to visit is the Kaabah. The Kaabah: ❖ Muslims believe Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail built the Kaabah. ❖ In pre Islamic times, the Kaabah was home to 360 idols and gods. ❖ For Muslims, the Kaabah marks the direction of prayer. ❖ It is a large cube shaped building covered by a black cloth (kiswah). ❖ Muslims circulate the Kaabah anti-clockwise during Hajj 7 times. This is known as ‘Tawaf’. 5 Ihram: ❖ Ihram is a special state of ritual purity represented in special clothing. ❖ Ihram must be worn when performing Hajj. ❖ The following are prohibited when in the state of Ihram: 1. Engage in marital relations, 2. Shave or cut nails, 3. Use cologne or scented oils, 4. Kill or hunt anything, 5. Fight or argue, 6. Men may not cover their heads and women may not cover their faces. ❖ The Ihram for men is two pieces of white cloth. One covering them from the navel to the knees and one covering the torso. However, the right shoulder must not be covered. ❖ Women wear long robes covering them from head to toe except the face. ❖ Ihram symbolises purity, humbleness, equality and unity. 6 The Black Stone • The Black Stone is placed in the Eastern corner of the Kaabah. It is also known as the ‘Hajar al-Aswad’. • Muslims regard the Black Stone as sacred. As a mark of respect, during the Hajj pilgrims kiss or touch the Black Stone as they circulate the Kaabah. • According to Islamic legend the stone was given to Adam on his fall from paradise and was originally white but has become black by absorbing the sins of the millions of pilgrims who have kissed and touched it over the years. • During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the Kaabah was rebuilt. A dispute broke out as to who should have the honour of placing the Black Stone in its correct place. • The Prophet Muhammad settled the dispute. He instructed the people to bring him a cloak. He advised them that the elder of each clan should hold onto one edge of the clock. The stone was then carried to its correct place. 7 Safa and Marwah • Safa and Marwah are two small hills enclosed under domes and joined by a walkway. • During the Hajj, pilgrims must run or walk fast, back and forth between Safa and Marwah seven times. • The ‘running’ which is also known as ‘Sa’ee’ commemorates Hajar’s search for water in the desert. Hajar was the wife of Prophet Ibrahim. • Hajar ran back and forth between Safa and Marwah in search for water for her child Ismail. On her seventh visit she heard a voice and saw an angel pointing to the feet of her child. There she saw a spring of fresh water. • She dug a well at the spot and called it Zamzam. • During the Sa’ee, pilgrims are reminded of the story of Hajar and hope to take some inspiration from it. The main spiritual characteristics of Hajar’s story are: Patience, Trust in God, Struggle and Striving. 8 Arafat ❖ Mount Arafah, is a granite hill east of Mecca. Muslims believe the prophet Adam and his wife Eve (Hawa) were reunited on the hill and forgiven by Allah after 400 years separation on account of their forgetfulness in paradise when satan confused them. This is why it is also called the mount of ‘mercy’. ❖ It is an important place of pilgrimage because on the Hajj, Muslims are required to spend an afternoon there wearing the Ihram asking God for forgiveness and repenting for their past sins.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Meccan Era in the Light of the Turkish Writings from the Prophet’S Birth Till the Rise of the Mission - I
    ISSN 2039-2117 (online) Mediterranean Journal of Vol 9 No 6 ISSN 2039-9340 (print) Social Sciences November 2018 . Research Article © 2018 Noura Ahmed Hamed Al Harthy. This is an open access article licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/). The Meccan Era in the Light of the Turkish Writings from the Prophet’s Birth Till the Rise of the Mission - I Dr. Noura Ahmed Hamed Al Harthy Professor of Islamic History, Vice Dean of Scientific Research, University of Bishe, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Doi: 10.2478/mjss-2018-0163 Abstract The prophet’s biography had a supreme place in the Turkish writings. In this vein, the present research’s title is “The Meccan Era in the Turkish Writings from the prophet’s birth till the Prophetic Immigration to Medina”. Therefore in this research, a great amount of information about the Meccan era in the Turkish Writings from the prophet’s birth till the Prophetic Immigration to Medina was collected. It also included prophet’s life before and after the mission till the immigration to Abyssinia, the boycott, passing the second Aqaba Pledge, the Prophet's stand towards some contemporary nations and finally, the conclusion and the list of citied works and references. Before the prophet Muhammad Ibn Abd Allah's (PBUH) birth, the Arabian Peninsula lived in full darkness then it was enlightened by Islam. The prophet (PBUH) was not detached from the universal arena; rather, he was aware of the surrounding nations led by the Persians and Romans during that time.
    [Show full text]
  • The History of Implementation of Pilgrimage in the Pagan Era
    International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 2017, Vol. 7, No. 12 ISSN: 2222-6990 The History of Implementation of Pilgrimage in the Pagan Era 1Rizalman Muhammad, 2Faiz Hakimi Mat Idris, 3Kamaliah Salleh, 2Ahmad Zahid Salleh, 2Mohamad Zaidin Mohamad 1Institut Pendidikan Guru, Ipoh Campus, Malaysia 2Faculty of Islamic Contemporary Studies, UniSZA, Malaysia 3Faculty of Law, Accountancy & International Relations, UniSZA, Malaysia Email: [email protected] DOI: 10.6007/IJARBSS/v7-i12/3636 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v7-i12/3636 Abstract The first pilgrimage performed by the Prophet Abraham which was in the 20th century BC had eventually been mixed with polytheism and heresy elements before Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was sent to this world. In this regard, this article aims to reveal the ritual of the hajj in the ancient Arab society which is different from the current practice of Muslims nowadays. This article is a qualitative study using content analysis. The finding reveals that although Arab community remained to believe in Allah, but in view to the long gap between the two ages of Prophet Abraham and Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.), they had mixed up the implementation of a true and wrong rituals in their pilgrimage. Keywords: Pilgrimage, Pagan Arabs, Kaaba, Mecca Introduction The term Jahiliyyah is derived from jahl which connotes a description of pre-Islamic Arab society who were ignorance of the God, the prophets, the way of life, and who were also arrogantly and imperiously proud of their lineage (Ibn Manzur n.d.). It was a dark age of the Arab history with the absence of divine light to guide their faith, and their lives were fully deviated and strayed from the religious method.
    [Show full text]
  • Hajj As a Case Study
    Review of Modelling and Simulating Crowds at Mass Gathering Events: Hajj as a Case Study Almoaid Owaidah1, Doina Olaru2, Mohammed Bennamoun1, Fer- dous Sohel3,1, Nazim Khan4 1Department of Computer Science and Soware Engineering, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009, Australia 2Business School, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009, Australia 3College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch 6150 Australia 4Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Craw- ley WA 6009, Australia Correspondence should be addressed to [email protected] Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation 22(2) 9, 2019 Doi: 10.18564/jasss.3997 Url: http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/22/2/9.html Received: 30-06-2018 Accepted: 08-03-2019 Published: 31-03-2019 Abstract: The Hajj is an Islamic pilgrimage that involves four main holy sites in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. As the number of participants (pilgrims) attending these events has been increasing over the years, challenges have arisen: overcrowding at the sites resulting in congestion, pilgrims getting lost, stampedes, injuries and even deaths. Although Hajj management authorities have employed up-to-date facilities to manage the events (e.g., state-of-the-art infrastructure and communication technologies, CCTV monitoring, live crowd analysis, time scheduling, and large well-trained police forces and scouts), there is still overcrowding and “unexpected” prob- lems that can occur at the events. These problems can be studied and mitigated by prior simulation, which allows for preparation and deployment of the most appropriate plans for crowd management at Hajj events.
    [Show full text]
  • Living the Muslim Life - Meditating and Retreating to the Mosque for the Last 10 Days of Ramadan Can Bring a Special Closeness to and Charitable Causes
    The Ten Obligatory Acts Shahadah – 1st Pillar Salah – 2nd pillar Salah at home: Muslims are allowed to pray at home. They must perform wudu Sawm – 3rd pillar before prayer but they do not need a special room in their house to pray. Sunni Muslims refer to their faith as ‘the house of Islam’ ‘There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the History of Salah Muslims will use a prayer mat, which they position so it is facing Makkah, in the same way as it would in a mosque. Muslims women can often find it useful to Ramadan: Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim Year, but that does not mean that it happens in September. by which they mean their home. A house needs Prophet of Allah’ Salah is the five times a day ritual prayer of Islam. Salah as it pray at home, especially if they have children to look after. Muslims traditionally follow a lunar calendar which is slightly shorter than the solar year, it means that Ramadan will foundations and for Muslims, this is the Qur’an. The is known today began with Muhammad. According to the Muslim be slightly earlier (by about ten days) in the Western calendar every year. ‘House of Islam’ is supported by the 5 pillars. The Ten Shahadah means ‘to observe, witness, testify’, The biographies, Muhammad began a system of morning and evening Jummah prayer: The midday prayer every Friday is considered to be special, Obligatory Acts were developed by the Twelve Imams of first part shows the belief of Tawhid, that there is prayers.
    [Show full text]
  • Manual for a Healthy Hajj & Umrah
    101 Tips Manual for a Healthy Hajj & Umrah Dr Mohammed Jiva MBE MBChB FRCGP DCH DRCOG GP & CEO BHD Name DOB UK Address Telephone Next of Kin Current medical problems Current medication Allergies Year UK Tour operator name, address and phone number Dr Mohammed Jiva MBE Dr Jiva qualified in 1994 from the University of Liverpool. Having embarked on training in general practice he completed his GP vocational training in 1998, Obtaining diploma’s in Child Health (DCH), Obstetric and Gynaecology (DRCOG), Membership of the Royal College of General Practice (MRCGP) later being awarded Fellowship (FRCGP). Dr Jiva has retained a position as a full time GP throughout his career and currently is a full time GP Principal at Peterloo Medical Centre, Middleton where he has been since 1999. He has held various management positions for various NHS organisations, he currently holds positions as Chief Executive Officer of Rochdale and Bury Local Medical Committee as well as Chairman of the Rochdale’s GP Federation, Rochdale Health Alliance. For over a decade Dr Jiva has worked with the British Hajj Delegation providing voluntary primary healthcare services to pilgrims in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during Hajj as part of a 9 GP medical team, he currently holds the position of Senior Medical Officer in the British Hajj Delegation. Subsequently Dr Jiva has taken a key role in the development of voluntary primary care services for the homeless population in the borough of Rochdale (HART – Homeless Alliance Response Team). In 2014 at the age of 44 he was honoured with a MBE for services to General Practice.
    [Show full text]
  • Mosque of Selim II
    AP AH College Board Presentation Content Area #7 West and Central Asia 500 B.C.E.- 1980 C.E. Chapter 13- Islam & Some Buddhism • “Islam” = submission to God in Arabic • Arose in the early 7th century (Muslim calendar begins in the year 620 CE when Muhammad fled from Mecca to Medina- known as the year of the Hijra or flight (in Latin anno hegirae) • “Allah”- God’s name in Arabic • Muslims= believers in Islam • Muslim world’s political and cultural center was the Fertile Crescent • Muhammad- founder of Islam. Final prophet. Native of Mecca • Koran- Islam’s sacred book • Muslim Heritage Link • Summary Link • Periods of Islam Summary Five Obligations(Pillars) of Islam • Profession of faith in Allah • Must worship 5 times daily (while facing Mecca’s direction) • Give to the poor • Fast during the month of Ramadan • Make a pilgrimage to Mecca The reward for the Muslim faithful is Paradise Five Pillars Summary Link Modern Pilgrimage Video Link The Kaaba. Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Pre-Islamic monument; redirected by Muhammad in 631- 632 C.E. Multiple renovations • Granite masonry, covered with silk curtain and calligraphy in gold and silver-wrapped thread • Kaaba (cube in Arabic) is a square building elegantly draped in a silk and cotton veil • Holiest shrine in Islam • Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia • The Qur’an established the direction of prayer- towards Mecca and the Kaaba • All Muslims aspired to undertake the hajj (annual pilgrimage) to the Kaaba • Upon arrive in Mecca, pilgrims gather in the courtyard of the Masjid al-Haram around the Kaaba- circumambulate (tawaf in Arabic)- hope to kiss and touch the Black Stone embedded in the eastern corner of the Kaaba • Summary Link The Kaaba.
    [Show full text]
  • Determining the Historical Significance of the Farewell Sermon of the Prophet (PBUH) in Context of Demand of the Time
    IIUC Studies 17 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3329/iiucs.v17i1.54984 Determining the historical significance of the farewell sermon of the Prophet (PBUH) in context of demand of the time MD. Cholem Ullah Center for University Requirement Courses (CENURC) International Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC), Bangladesh Abstract In the 10th Hijrah, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) performed Hajj (pilgrimage) only once in his life and delivered his historic 'Farewell Sermon' for the liberation and welfare of the world humanity. This paper explores the importance and significance of the sermon in the context of its historical demand and its place in the world civilisation. The article also attempts to review historically on speaker, time and application of the speech to determine its place in perspective of world history and Islamic history as well. The methodology of the paper followed a qualitative approach comprised of the secondary source. It is argued that the sermon is the only historic speech in the world that incomparable provisions on liberation and welfare of humanity till the Final Day. The ultimate implication of the magnificent sermon is sustained ensuring its time was momentous and eventful; the more appropriate time cannot be estimated. Thus, according to historical analysis, the farewell sermon of the Final Apostle (PBUH) is the demand of time intimately and significantly that relevant to today’s life and society. Keywords Farewell sermon, History, Civilisation, Humanity Paper type Research paper 1. Introduction On the 10th year of Hijrah calendar, the glorious mission of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH: peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was going to be completed; at the moment the Apostle (PBUH) had decided to go on Hajj, and the month of Dhul-Hajj was only at hand.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Hajj Guide
    In the name of Allah the Beneficent and the Merciful Hajj Guide for Pilgrims With Islamic Rulings (Ahkaam) Philosophy & Supplications (Duaas) SABA Hajj Group Shia-Muslim Association of Bay Area San Jose, California, USA First Edition (Revision 1.1) December, 2003 Second Edition (Revision 2.1) October, 2005 Third Edition (Revision 2.0) December, 2006 Authors & Editors: Hojjatul Islam Dr. Nabi Raza Abidi, Resident Scholar of Shia-Muslim Association of Bay Area Hussnain Gardezi, Haider Ali, Urooj Kazmi, Akber Kazmi, Ali Hasan - Hajj-Guide Committee Reviewers: Hojjatul Islam Zaki Baqri, Hojjatul Islam Sayyed Mojtaba Beheshti, Batool Gardezi, Sayeed Himmati, Muzaffar Khan, and 2003 SABA Hajj Group Hajj Committee: Hojjatul Islam Dr. Nabi Raza Abidi, Syed Mohammad Hussain Muttaqi, Dr. Mohammad Rakhshandehroo, Muzaffar Khan, Haider Ali, Ali Hasan, Sayeed Himmati Copyright Free & Non-Profit Notice: The SABA Hajj Guide can be freely copied, duplicated, reproduced, quoted, distributed, printed, used in derivative works and saved on any media and platform for non-profit and educational purposes only. A fee no higher than the cost of copying may be charged for the material. Note from Hajj Committee: The Publishers and the Authors have made every effort to present the Quranic verses, prophetic and masomeen traditions, their explanations, Islamic rulings from Manasik of Hajj books and the material from the sources referenced in an accurate, complete and clear manner. We ask for forgiveness from Allah (SWT) and the readers if any mistakes have been overlooked during the review process. Contact Information: Any correspondence related to this publication and all notations of errors or omissions should be addressed to Hajj Committee, Shia-Muslim Association of Bay Area at [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • Navigating Hajj
    Hajj Experience Preparing for Hajj Prerequisite for the Hajj • Must be old enough, and mature enough to understand the full import, and significance of what he is setting out to do. • Ask for forgiveness from Allah • Make peace with those you have wronged or have wronged you. • Must be financially sound enough to be able to bear all expenses • Payback all debts, including zakat • Write Will & indicate what one’s assets & dues are. Pre-Hajj Prep • Obtain all the required visas/passport. • Up-to-date on the required immunizations. • Recommend to keep valuable jewelry at home. • Notify Group Leader/Physician of any medical problems. • Have cash handy (some places take credit cards) Preparing for Hajj - Basics • Pack necessary clothing • Comfortable and not first worn • Sandals and shoes • Sandals can have stitching • Bring at least 2 pairs of sandals (wore-in) • No wearing of closed shoe • Showering supplies • Fragrance-free shampoo, soap, detergent, etc. Ihram • For men it is a special two piece, plain & seamless attire; one of which is wrapped around the waist & held up by a belt, & the other piece is wrapped around the shoulders. • Women are not obligated to the rule, observing modesty. Suggest a black abaya which is commonly available in Saudi Arabia. Preparing for Hajj - Accessories • Bring/acquire cell phone • Bring walkie-talkie • Bring first aid kit – Include anti-biotics (of possible) • Bring camera • Consider a fanny-pack – Also Ihram belt Preparing for Hajj - Considerations • If you are with a group of people, you must consider plans and backup plans to find each other if separated • Bag to keep shoes once inside the mosque in Mecca or you can lose them.
    [Show full text]
  • Welcome to the Guests of Allah
    WELCOME TO THE GUESTS OF ALLAH MAKKAH CITY GUIDE SaudiaUmrah.com 1 INTRODUCTION USEFUL INFORMATION Makkah Al Mukaramah is Muslims’ Qibla (Praying Direction) and the heart of the Islamic world, the cradle of revelation and the holiest city in Islam. The city is the birthplace of Prophet Mohammed “Peace be upon him” and it is here within the Great Mosque that the Ka’aba, the most sacred shrine of Islam, awaits the Muslim pilgrim in Where GMT/UTC Number of guests Hajj & Umrah. South East + 3h Million Discover Makkah Al Mukaramah, the most sacred land Asia yearly on earth and learn more about the religious and historical 15 places you must visit during your Umrah. WEATHER Average temperature during the year 30 38 43 40 Jan Apr Jul Oct 18 24 28 25 31 42 42 35 Feb May Aug Nov 18 27 29 22 34 44 42 31 Mar Jun Sep Dec 20 28 28 20 Maximum Minimum 2 SaudiaUmrah.com SaudiaUmrah.com 3 1. Jabal Al Nour (The Mountain of Light) The mountain houses the famed Ghar Hira HISTORICAL PLACES or Hira cave. The mountain is barely 640 m tall. It does however, take two hours to TO VISIT make it to the cave. The mount and the cave hold tremendous signicance for Muslims throughout the world. 2. Ghar Hira (Hira Cave) Taking 1,200 walking steps to reach, the cave itself is about 3.7 m in length and 1.6 m in width. The cave is situated at a height of 270 m of Jabal Al Nour Mountain.
    [Show full text]
  • 'I Cried at Sight of the Kaaba'
    LIFEPULSE 20 THURSDAY JANUARY 4, 2007 CHINA DAILY Murphy’s Law drives me ‘I cried at sight of the Kaaba’ totally crazy The largest-ever HOT POT haj has come to an end in Mecca, with nearly 10,000 PATRICK WHITELEY Chinese Muslims A 100-question knowledge test is the foreigner’s gateway to a Chinese undertaking the driver’s licence, but the all-impor- tant paperwork needs to be in order. holy pilgrimage. For impatient “need-it-now” novic- Mu Qian es, this paper trail can lead to many reports dead-ends. If you want a ticket to ride in the Middle Kingdom, heed from Mecca the words of someone who has been there and failed that. n estimated 2.5 mil- I always live by Murphy’s Law. If lion pilgrims from 187 something can go wrong, it will. The countries and regions glass is not half full, or half empty, undertook the haj, from it’s poisoned. This attitude makes December 28, 2006 to living in China a sheer delight, be- AJanuary 1, 2007, making it the larg- cause most things go unexpectedly est-ever such gathering to date. right. When they don’t, I am ready In the time of Muhammad, there for it. My driving ambition, however, were no fl ights to bring haj pilgrims had Murphy stamped all over it. to Mecca in just a few hours, and pil- The checklist includes: passport, grims did also not have to deal with residence permit, original driver’s the logistics and security problems licence, medical certifi cate, and fi ve posed by the more than 2 million haj photographs.
    [Show full text]
  • SACRED SPACES: ISLAMIC ART and ARCHITECTURE (Mecca and the Dome of the Rock) ART of EARLY ISLAM
    SACRED SPACES: ISLAMIC ART and ARCHITECTURE (Mecca and the Dome of the Rock) ART of EARLY ISLAM Online Links: Mosque - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dome of the Rock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mecca - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kaaba - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Minaret - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Mihrab - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Minbar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Adhan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Muezzin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Isra and Mi'raj - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ART of EARLY ISLAM Online Links: Origin of the Crescent Moon Symbol - The Guardian The Kaaba – Smarthistory Dome of the Rock - Smarthistory Known to the Muslim faithful as Umm al-Qura- the Mother of Cities- Mecca is the holiest place in the Islamic world. Here, the prophet Muhammad (c. 570-632 CE), the messenger of God and founder of the Muslim faith, was born. Here, too, within the city’s Great Mosque, is the most sacred Muslim shrine, the Ka’aba. According to tradition, this cube-shaped building, draped in black cloth embroidered with a band of sacred verses in gold and silver thread, was originally built as a replica of a heavenly prototype. It was sacred to the Meccans before the time of the Prophet. And since the birth of Islam in the seventh century, it has been the focal point of the hajj, now the world’s largest annual pilgrimage. One of the “five pillars” of Islam, the hajj lasts several days, during which pilgrims must carry out certain rituals in Mecca and at sacred sites nearby. Muslims consider the city and an area several miles around it to be haram (“restricted,” “sacred”) and off-limits to non-Muslims.
    [Show full text]