Today is the 9th of Dhul Hijjah and we are at Arafat. A short while
ago, it was midday. We are here to attend on the grand day of
pilgrimage which is the climax of our journey of a lifetime. We have
listened on the wireless to the sermon given by the King's
representative who is the leader of the pilgrimage this year. It was
a comprehensive sermon, outlining the characteristics of the Muslim
community and highlighting certain aspects of pilgrimage.
Arafat is a wide valley, with a small hill in the middle, called the
Mount of Mercy. On this day, it is covered with white and little
black spots. That is because every inch of the mount is occupied by
human being. People mistakenly think that the mount itself is a
better place to be in on this day. We have, however, the Prophet's
Hadith which says: "I have stopped here, but the whole of Arafat is
equally good for attendance on this day." In these days, when
pilgrimage is in the summer, standing on the mount, exposed to the
sun, may make many pilgrims suffer a sunstroke. For our part we have
chosen to stay in the tent provided by our mutawif. The tent is
barely sufficient to accommodate all the mutawif's guest pilgrims as
they sat down. Some people started to introduce themselves to others
and inquire where other pilgrims came from and what they did for a
living. Soon, however, this line of conversation stopped and
everybody was engaged in his worship. We offered our Zuhr and Asr
prayers together and shortened at the time of Zuhr and we sat down
for our talbiyah. Some people did their talbiyah separately, which is
the proper thing to do. Others joined in a chorus, raising their
voices loud.
"Labbaik Allahumma labbaik. Labbaika la shareeka laka labbaik. Innal
hamda wanni' mata laka walmulk. La shareeka lak." For periods of time
you heard nothing except these phrases being repeated again and
again, in fine melodious tune which came naturally, but sounded
better than a most beautiful symphony played by the greatest
orchestra. The reason is that everybody felt the meaning of this
talbiyah, and shared in its message of total dedication to Allah.
There is nothing in this valley to attract anyone to come here.
People, however, come from the remotest corner of the world, feeling
that at tendance here on this day, at this time, is the pinnacle of
their lifetime.
Since we have prayed Asr, there is nothing more to pray before
sunset. Our Maghrib prayer will be offered somewhere else.
I imagine that if a stranger looked at a tent like ours, crowded with
people, all wearing very simple garments, consisting of nothing more
than two pieces of cloth, doing nothing except repeating these
phrases in chorus or on their own, he would be at a loss to
understand what we are doing and why we are here. He will be amazed
at seeing such a number of people, who have apparently come from
different parts of the world, and who speak different languages,
joining in the same chorus, repeating a never-ending piece of music,
not played on instruments, but expressed in words.
He will not fail to observe, however, that music meant a great deal
to every single one of us. That is the remarkable thing about it. It
embodies a message of total submission to Allah and a renewed pledge
to abide by the requirements of faith.
We stopped for lunch and renewed our ablution. It was burning hot.
The water in metal containers was hot although they have been filled
only a couple of hours ago. Plenty of drinks were available, water
was distributed free. This is a great change from what pilgrims used
to suffer in the past when water was scarce and there was very little
available by way of soft drinks. Nowadays everything a pilgrim may
need is available. After lunch, some of our companions in the tent
seemed to doze off. They woke up again presently, feeling that they
have been wasting valuable time. The thing to do here is to make use
of every minute in prayer, talbiyah and glorification of Allah.
This is a great day when Allah rewards His servants who have
undertaken the journey of pilgrimage with forgiveness and much more.
Gratitude for this generous reward must be shown. People were
standing or sitting here and there addressing their Lord and absorbed
in supplication. This is the time to appeal to Allah to grant all our
desires and wishes.
I went over to call my wife from the tent provided for women, making
sure that she and my mother were well supplied with drinks and that
they had their lunch. I was about to turn back when my wife expressed
her being uneasy about being in the period on this great day. Again,
I had to explain to her that being in the period is not fault of
hers. She can do exactly as other pilgrims, repeating all the
talbiyah and glorification of Allah she wanted. She could pray Him
for anything she desired. Her attendance at Arafat was just as valid
as that of any other pilgrim. Her reward was the same. She could
address Allah and supplicate to Him. The only thing that she same.
She could address Allah and supplicate to Him. The only thing that
she could not do was regular prayers. The exemption from praying for
women in the period applies here as it applies in all other places.
Reassured, her face radiated with happiness. She said she could not
thank me enough for bringing her here.
My mother joined in and followed that with an earnest prayer for me.
I was so gratified and happy. A mother's prayer for her son is always
answered. When it comes on such a day, in such a place, as an
expression of genuine feeling of happiness, it more than compensates,
for the hard work I have had to put in order to save enough money for
this journey.
Returning back to the men's tent, I was absorbed for nearly an hour
in glorification of Allah and supplicating to Him. I prayed for
everyone I could remember of my relatives, friends, neighbors and
associates. I followed that with a prayer on behalf of everyone who
asked me to pray for him and I have unwittingly left him out. There
is something special about supplication in this place. One feels
himself to be in the presence of Allah, addressing Him directly, and
that He, in His majesty, is listening to His servants' supplication
and granting them all their wishes. This is what is meant by the
Hadith which states that Allah casts a glance at the pilgrims on the
day of Arafat and calls all His angels to witness that He has
forgiven all the sins committed by all those who are present at
Arafat in their past.
The sun begins to go down, and people are still engaged in their
supplication and talbiyah. They feel that they cannot glorify and
thank Allah enough for His blessings. With about an hour to go for
sunset, the mutawif and his assistants begin to prepare for the
return journey. We were asked to gather our belongings and put them
in the coaches and minibuses which have been provided for us. At that
moment, I remembered a friend who had done the pilgrimage in the past
telling me that the best thing to do on the return journey is to
walk. I felt the desire to act on his suggestion. Realizing that my
parents may not be up to that task, I approached them reluctantly. I
suggested that they go back by minibus while I go back walking. I
gave my wife the choice to join me or to join them. She was keen to
come with me.
To my surprise, they wanted to do the same. I tried to counsel them
against it, but they said that they might not be able to come on
pilgrimage again. It was a chance not to be missed. My mother for
whose health I was concerned was the most enthusiastic. I had to give
in. I spoke to the mutawif and borrowed a couple of blankets from
him. He reminded me that we must not leave the boundaries of Arafat
before the sun had set. We said good-bye and began to move.
When we went out, the procession of vehicles of all sorts and shapes
began to form. None was moving except to take its position in line.
Everyone was waiting for the sun to set. It is most important to be
present at Arafat for part of the day and part of the night. This is
different from the case of a person who does not arrive at Arafat
until after the sun has set. In his case, presence for a part of the
night is adequate for him to be deemed as having fulfilled the
pilgrimage. Those who are at Arafat during the day must not leave
before nightfall.
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