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Nearly two millions pilgrims gather in Makkah for Haj rituals

New Delhi, Mon, 17 Dec 2007 NI Wire

Nearly two millions pilgrimages gather in Makkah for Haj rituals

Dec 17:   The holy rituals of Haj begin today in Makkah al-Mukarramah (Makkah), the holy city of Saudi Arabia known for its origin place of Muslim prophet Mohammad amid in the tight security. As much as two millions of pilgrims across the world have been gathered in the valley of Mina including 1,10,000 followers from India for performing one among the five essential duty of Islam.

“At least half millions of pilgrims from Saudi Arabia will join the gathering to perform the their duty.”, officially said by the Arab government. This time, “Mohmoud Ahmadinejad, the shia president of Iran has been officially invited for performing Haj rituals for the first time”, said a senior government official.

India has fixed a quota of 1,10,000 pilgrimage for Haj visit. All the issued visas also known as ‘Umrah’ visa have been booked while several flights packed with pilgrims have been gone to Jeddah, the nearby airport of Arabia from the Makkah city. Indian government this year has also not reduced the granted subsidy in the Haj charges.

On international level, mostly all the governments have allowed Muslim followers to pilgrimage in Makkah according to their allotted quota.

Iraqi president Mohmoud Ahmadinejad had got the offer of Saudi Arabia’s government to perform the rituals of Haj officially, which Ahmadinejad had accepted and toady he would flew to Arab for joining the remaining pilgrimages.

Though Ahmadinejad has already officially visited Saudi Arabia two times earlier but never perform the Haj rituals.

To accomplish all the rituals successfully is the biggest headache for Saudi government as there were many accidents had been held in the past in which in 2006, as much as 364 people were died in a stampede at the entrance of the Jamarat Bridge, where pilgrims traditionally throw stones at a pillar representing ‘Shaitan’ (the evil idol).

Haj is one among the top five essential duties in Islam and each Muslim who is capable financially and morally (those who have completed all his/her responsibility) has to perform all rituals of Haj at least one time in his/her life.

The rituals of Haj begin in every twelfth day of last month of the Hijri Calander and being celebrated for five days. This year the fest of devotion and scarifies climaxed on Friday December 21.

For performing haj, all the pilgrims gather in Mina, a nearby valley where they spend a day in Namaz (prayer) and Ibadat (citing). They sleep in the night in the tents and the next day they march to Mount Arafat where it is believed that Prophet Mohammad had received the last passage of Islam's holy book, the Koran. A special dress (unhammed white dress for males and normal white dress to all women include curtain) has been provided to all pilgrims. In Mount Arafat, people perform the rite of wuquf (standing) as it is believed to perform all the duties in Arafat in completely loneliness.

From there they marched to the Kaaba, (the house of god) and there they perform namaz in masjid-e-harm and revolve seven times around the Kaaba. Later they left the masjid and the tradition of stone casting begins there. It is believed that the ‘pillar’ on which Muslim followers throw stones represents the symbol of Shaitan (lord of evil).


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