Clouds gathered in the sky above Mina on the first day of Hajj yesterday. The pilgrims who entered the city walked to the rhythm of raindrops that fell upon them. Dark skies welcomed the pilgrims who will have their eyes focused upward in the coming five days.

“This is the best time to seek mercy from God for past mistakes. It appears as if nature is sending a message of acceptance through the tiny drops to those seeking Allah,” said Ahmad from Taif just after arriving in Mina early yesterday.

His companion, Saeed, said: “There is no picture by any artist that can depict the first morning hours when pilgrims are crowding into Mina. Color, race, ethnicity, social differences all melt away,”

For Muslims who have come every year to Mina for the past 1400 years, this image is not peculiar to this Hajj season. And so comes the question that many ask, “Why is this year different?” Ibrahim Hakimi from Khartoum answered: “This year is different because it witnessed the actual realization of the need of the Islamic nation to unite on an international and institutional level. The summit in Makkah in December was the first Islamic summit to call for the activation of Muslim institutions and for the creation of an Islamic superstructure that joins the torn Muslim nation together. Islamic unity is no longer a dream; it is an emerging reality that we hope will come true in the next few years.”

An official at the South Asian Center for Pilgrims expressed his view. “The year has also been successful because Muslim countries stood together with their sister Pakistan in its humanitarian crisis. Thanks to Allah and to the support of other Muslims, Pakistani pilgrims are present in Mina this year, asking for forgiveness and seeking assistance from Allah. Looking at the Pakistani pilgrims, one can hardly see the sorrow on their faces.”

Hassan from Egypt commented: “The joy in 2006 extended to Muslim and non-Muslim alike. This is a blessing from Allah but this time it united the entire Muslim nation with other nations in their celebration of the start of a new year as if destiny planned that Muslims and people from all over the world would celebrate on the same day though for different reasons. This month will give spiritual birth to Muslims who perform Hajj.”

In Mina, the center of activity was Masjid Al-Khaif. Pilgrims who came in early pitched their tents in the shadow of the mosque and immediately settled into reading verses from the Holy Qur’an.

“This is the command of our Prophet, peace be upon him,” said Javed from Indian-administered Kashmir. “I don’t know much about these rituals. I only know that the Prophet () undertook a similar journey and I am doing this to express my love for my beloved Prophet.”

An elderly woman from Chechnya was huddled in a makeshift tent near the Jamrat bridge. Everybody waved and smiled at her. “If she can undertake this arduous journey, then I consider myself privileged. I am young compared to her,” said a Sudanese woman. “May Allah accept everybody’s Hajj!” she added.

Considerable physical strength is demanded of pilgrims during Hajj. Umar, an American Muslim performing the Hajj for the first time, said: “From beginning to end, the rituals demand a great deal of strength and endurance. We can eat during the Hajj, but many of us use the occasion to fast. The constant crush of hundreds of thousands of other pilgrims, each trying to perform the same rites at the same time in limited space and in hot weather compounds the stress and heightens the requirement for good physical conditions and mental toughness.”

For all pilgrims, the aim is always to seek the peace of Allah. “It teaches us that all of life is a spiritual quest,” said Abdul Rahman.

This morning, the pilgrims will begin their trek to the plain of Arafat where Prophet Muhammad () delivered his last sermon. The ritual, also known as the standing at Arafat or waqoof, is considered the most important part of Hajj.

The pilgrims will stay the night in Muzdalifa where they will collect pebbles for the symbolic stoning of the devil in Mina tomorrow.

An Interior Ministry statement put the number of foreign pilgrims at 1,557,447. Of these, 846,556, or 54 percent, are males. The vast majority of pilgrims (1,413,169) came by air, while 117,785 came by land and 26,493 by sea, the statement said.

Makkah Governor Prince Abdul Majeed said the first day of Hajj went off smoothly with no traffic obstruction. All relevant departments monitored the services provided to pilgrims. The governor urged officials to do their utmost in serving the pilgrims.

The general manager of the fire department, Gen. Saad Al-Tuwaijri, meanwhile said his department was ready to receive pilgrims in Arafat. He said there were 26 fire-fighting units all over Arafat to meet any eventuality. Officers have been specifically deployed to ensure that pilgrims comply with fire safety regulations, he said.

PHOTO CAPTION

A general view shows the Grand Mosque and Ka’aba (center) in Mecca. (AFP)

Source: ArabNews