Unity of Ummah stressed; call to shun terrorism: Over 2.5m perform Haj
By Syed Rashid Husain
ARAFAT (Saudi Arabia), Jan 9: Over 2.5 million pilgrims on Monday performed the Waquful Arafat, the central rite of Haj. It was at the plains of Arafat that Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be upon Him) delivered his last sermon while performing Haj some 14 centuries ago.
Pilgrims of 177 different nationalities streamed on foot or were carried by about 14,300 buses from the tent village of Mina to Arafat after the Fajr prayers on Monday.
Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, delivered the Haj sermon at Masjid al-Nimra in Arafat.
The pilgrims offered the combined Zuhr and Asr prayers.
In his sermon, the Saudi Grand Mufti took up contemporary issues afflicting the Islamic world, including terrorism and disunity. He also spoke about the media diatribe against the Muslim world, the basic tenets of the religion and the curse of extremism.
He urged the youth to follow the path of moderation as enjoined by Islam and steer clear of fanaticism and extremism.
Stressing that there was no justification for terrorism in the religion, he said the Shariat forbade terrorism. He added that terrorist attacks by some people in the name of Islam had blemished the image of the Muslim faith.
He urged Muslims worldwide to close ranks and unite against campaigns targeting Islam and Muslims. “You Muslims, who believe in Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), should work to cement your unity,” he told the pilgrims. “The Muslims should also work to develop economic, political and military means to defend themselves against attacks by their enemies.”
Sheikh Abdul Aziz stressed that failure to forge unity had allowed the enemies of Islam to bully Muslims. “Several anti-Islam campaigns have been launched in the name of combating terrorism,” he said.
“These campaigns are malicious and aimed only at targetting Islam and Muslims.”
The Grand Mufti called for respecting the rights of women and holding judges and judicial authorities in high esteem. “This was imperative for Islamic societies to flourish,” he added.
A Saudi interior ministry statement put the number of pilgrims reaching Saudi Arabia from abroad at 1,557, 447. The number is 1.2 per cent more than recorded last year, the statement said. Of them 846,556, or 54 per cent were men and 46 per cent women.
At least one million pilgrims, including the authorised by responsible agencies and the non-authorised, were also reported to have entered the Haj sites.
As per the tradition, the Kiswa (cover) of Kaba was changed on the Haj day. The SR20 million Kiswa is made of natural black silk.
Over 100 media organizations from 56 countries are covering the Haj this year. Four Saudi TV channels are providing live coverage of the Haj rituals.
ARAFAT (Saudi Arabia), Jan 9: Over 2.5 million pilgrims on Monday performed the Waquful Arafat, the central rite of Haj. It was at the plains of Arafat that Prophet Mohammad (Peace Be upon Him) delivered his last sermon while performing Haj some 14 centuries ago.
