Remember Allah on the appointed days. If anyone is in a hurry to leave after two days, there is no blame on him, nor is there any blame on anyone who stays on, so long as they are mindful of Allah. Be mindful of Allah, and remember that you will be gathered to Him. (2:203)

Mina, the city of tents, the place of gathering in the valley where the majority of pilgrims reside during this re-enactment of the prophet Ibrahim Alaihis Salaam’s ordeal.

I include one of my "squiggle dot google maps" showing the relationship between the various places connected with the Hajj.

Ka’aba Haram, Makkah, (blue dot), Jabal Nur (pink dot), Arafat (aqua area), Muzdalifah (lime area) boundary of Mina (white area), position of Jamarat (blue line) Masjid Aqabah (orange dot) Masjid Khayf (dark green dot) Slaughter houses (yellow area) royal palace complexes, perched high above the Mina valley on a sliced off mountain top. (red area)
Below a closer view of the amazing Mina area.

 

 
Masjid Khayf
According to a hadith by Ibn Abbas RadhiAllahu anhu, seventy Prophets prayed at this location, and Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam stayed here during his Farewell Hajj, emulating all the acts of his SallAllahu alaihi wasallam’s forefather Ibrahim Alaihis Salaam. According to many narrations this is where Allah Ta’ala sent the ram in place of Ismail Alaihis Salaam when he was about to be sacrificed. Abdur Rahman ibn Mu’ath RadhiAllahu anhu reports that when the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam delivered a sermon in Mina, he instructed the Muhajireen to set up camp in front of Masjid Khayf and the Ansar to locate themselves behind it, with the remaining Muslims to camp behind them. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

 

Looking towards the new Jamarat construction area, cranes discernable in the central distance. Minarets of Masjid Khayf, with the new Mina Hospital under way on the left.

 

To the left of the above photo, the mountain that was behind Masjid Khayf, transformed into meringue topped concrete! where the Cave of Mursalaat was. The position of the cave where Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam received Surah Mursalaat was reportedly in this mountain just behind where Masjid Khayf is now located. The massive tiered rows of tents, terraced into what once was this mountain, appears as a huge decorative façade, resembling some weird confectionary. Abdullah ibn Mas’ud RadhiAllahu anhu said when Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam recited the Surah he listened and memorized it as it left his lips. Some other references say that Surah Nasr was also revealed in Mina. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

 

Looking back towards the east, the sea of tents occupying every square meter of the valley. The flat mountain in the distance is where the palaces are perched.  

 

The new Jamarat bridge as of last week! One truly wonders how it will be ready for Hajj. Almost ten thousand workers are involved in round the clock shifts.

 

The labourers are working in an environment of choking dust. These men are suspended in this platform from a crane spraying a liquid concrete mix onto the recently attacked side of the mountain to ensure the sides remain intact.  

 

Jabal Nur, so dignified in the distance, just beyond the mountain range. A different view below.

 

Masjid Aqaba or Bay’ah. The small ochre structure in the photo below, marks the place where the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam took the Pledge of Allegiance from the six from the tribe of Khazraj, in 620 following the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam’s year of sadness. The following year, five of the original group returned to perform the pilgrimage in consort with seven others, including two from the Aws, the other leading tribe of Yathrib at the time. The name Aqaba refers to the mountain behind this noble place, where hundreds of rock eating monsters are devouring boulder by boulder, rock by rock, dust by dust. Boulders the size of the tray of the massive trucks were being carted away.

 

An article appeared in one of the Arabic daily papers saying the authorities have no intention of demolishing Masjid Aqaba Alhumdilillah! May Allah Ta’ala guide us all and preserve the little that remains from our glorious past. Ameen.

While standing at this vantage point overlooking one of the biggest construction sites currently in operation in the world, the heart wept at the site of Jabal Nur and this humble structure both signifying the beginning of this Mubarak Deen. During his farewell Hajj Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam was standing so close to this place when he asked the people, "O people what day is this?" The Sahabah RadhiAllahu anhum replied, "It is a sacred day." "Which city is this?" Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam asked further. "It is a sacred city," came the reply. When Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam then asked which month it was, they replied, "It is a sacred month." Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam then said, "Your blood, your wealth, your honour and your lives are just as sacred to each other as this day, this city and this month." Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam repeated this statement and then looked to the heavens saying," O Allah! Have I not conveyed the message? O Allah! Have I not conveyed the message?" Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam then addressed the people saying, "Those present here should pass on the message to those who are absent. You people should never turn away from the Deen after me and start killing each other." (Bukhari)

May we look beyond the enormous changes the eye beholds, allowing the poignant words of our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam be indelibly etched onto our hearts as we read his SallAllahu alaihi wasallam timeless advice. Ameen.

I have so many more photos I am currently uploading to Flickr seeing we now have access to it, Alhumdulillah, and to save my limited space on the blog site for images. Will inform you of its progress, Insha’Allah.  

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Ameen. 

 

 

 

 

 

Later, when you flow down from Arafat, recite the name of Allah near al-Mash’ar al-Haram (the Sacred Monument) and recite the name as He has guided you, while before it, you were completely unaware. (2:198)

Al-Mash’ar al-Haram is a mountain located in Muzdalifah, called Jabal Qaza. The word al-mash’ar means sign or symbol, and haram being sacred.  This is also the name of the Masjid on this plain. The two minarets seen in the middle distance in the photo below. Muzdalifah is where the Hujjaj reach in the darkness of night from Arafat, and ideally all leave at the same time after Fajr, having performed Maghrib and Esha Salat together at the time of Esha and then collecting the pebbles for stoning the Shaytan in Mina.

 

Amazing, as it is totally deserted on this last Juma’ah of Shawwal, to be teeming with Hujjaj in a few weeks time. Insha’Allah, SubhanAllah! The ablution blocks and drinking fountains seem to be in abundance when seen like this, but never adequate when the millions "flow" from Arafat. I particularly like the translation of this word into "flow" as this is exactly how the pilgrims move from one rite of Hajj to the next, as a huge stream weaving its course in and around these sacred sites. This photo is looking towards Arafat, with the tent city of Mina sprawled out behind from where this was taken. (see next post)

Wadi-e-Muhassar, separating Muzdalifah and Mina, was the place Allah Allah Ta’ala destroyed Abraha and his forces that came with a mighty army and elephants from Yemen to destroy the Ka’bah, as referred to in Surah Al-Fil. Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam drove his camel through it with haste, so as to pass quickly through a place where the wrath of Allah had once descended. When passing here, it is also preferred to proceed with haste.

 

 

 

 

These three photos show the remains of the magnificent aqueduct known as Darb Zubayda.

Zubayda bint Ja`far ibn Mansur (d.791A.D.) was daughter of the Abbasid caliph Al-Mansur, and cousin of Harun al-Rashid (r.766-809 A.D.), whom she later married (781A.D.).

She was the best known of the Abbasid princesses. She and her husband’s exploits are the subjects of The Thousand and One Nights. It is said that her palace ’sounded like a beehive’ because she employed one hundred women maids who had memorized the Qur’an. She is particularly remembered for the contributions she made to the ulema and the poor, and for the series of wells, reservoirs and artificial pools that provided water for Muslim pilgrims along the route from Baghdad to Mecca and Medina. The route was re-named Darb Zubayda, “Zubayda’s Way”. At its height, the route included milestones, 54 major way stations with cisterns, reservoirs or wells, fire signal towers, hostels and fortresses—all paid for by the Abbasid treasury. The people of Makkah received water from this canal for twelve hundred years, with Muslim rulers continuing to repair and maintain it through the centuries until it eventually started to break up. In parts, the monumental stone artistry still seems intact, after all these years of harsh conditions. Going back to the previous post on Arafat, you will notice this same aqueduct surrounding the base of Jabal Rahmah. The views of it hugging the mountain sides, and winding around valleys as a ribbon around a parcel is awesome, and more so given the harsh nature of the landscape it traverses.

Harun al-Rashid ruled from 786 to 809. He performed Hajj six or nine times, including the one in 790 which, in fulfillment of a vow, he made entirely on foot. His final one, performed in 804, was the last Hajj ever made by a caliph. It is recorded that a field of carpets would be rolled out on the sand before them each day of traveling!

Zubayda made five or six pilgrimages herself. Apart from patronizing the incredible engineering feat of the aqueduct she is also honoured for her efforts in established an abundant drinking water system in Makkah at the time.

 

One of dozens of maintained rest and water stations on the pilgrim road from Iraq to Makkah, this pool at Aqiq, Saudi Arabia, still holds water more than a thousand years after it was constructed under the patronage of Zubayda.

Insha’Allah Mina and the new Jamarat construction in next post.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Ameen. 

 

 

 

The attendance during the last Juma’ah of Shawwal in Ka’aba was relatively light compared to how it will gradually increase over the next few weeks with the arrival of the Hujjaj. The Khutbah was basically about the lessons contained in the Hadith stating, ‘The excellence and good observance of Islam by a man is to leave aside what does not concern him." How the perfection and beauty of man’s belief is reflected in his giving up unprofitable and irrelevant talk and actions. It was said that if those who are ignorant would refrain from interfering with what is not their concern, or in their realm of knowledge, then the differences between the Ummah would be less!

We then drove to Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina. Always amazing to visit these places of significance while there are so few about. Insha’Allah the next few posts will share some aspects of this time.

 

The green area is the Plain of Arafat, with Jabal Rahman in the circled yellow area, and Masjid Namirah on the western boundary, opposite Wadi Uranah (or WELLY as written here!) Note that the corner nearest Wadi Uranah is not within the boundary of Arafat.

 

Jabal Rahmah, the Mount of Mercy, in the central area of the Plain of Arafat, is an outcrop of massive granite boulders about 70 meters high,approximately 22 kilometers east of Makkah al-Mukarramah. 

Steps lead up to the summit where there is a paved platform surmounted by a white painted stone pillar. I have read that it is not a Sunnah to spend time on the boulders, and during Hajj helicopters are constantly hovering over head announcing for pilgrims not to crowd onto the mount. Unfortunately there are accidents, some resulting in death every year.

The surrounding country is rough and mountainous, but Arafat itself stands isolated in the middle of a level scrub-covered plain. Thousands of trees have been planted over the past few years to give shade, and provide structural support for the thousands who do their Hajj walking and do not have a place in an official compound.

To the bottom right of the above photo is a small walled area that encloses the boulders Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam seated his camel Qaswa and proceeded to make Du’a. Now known as Masjid Sakhrah. Jabir RadhiAllahu anhu said, "After leading the Zuhr and Asr salahs, the Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam led his camel to the place he was to stay. Facing the back of the camel towards the boulders, Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam left the path in front vacant for people to pass and then faced towards Qiblah. He then engaged in Du’a until sunset." (Muslim)
The poles with the "flowery" metal branches are part of a huge sprinkler system constantly spraying a fine mist over the millions of pilgrims during their austere yaum al-wuquf, the Day of Standing, the 9^th Dhu-l-Hijjah. From noon till sunset, invoking and imploring, examining oneself as a solemn symbolic foretaste of our standing on the Day of Qiyamah.

 

Also, Arafat is where it is said, and Allah the Almighty knows best, that Adam and Hawwa, Alaihumaa Salaam, separated for 200 years following their expulsion from the Garden, then "recognized" each other and were reunited. Here too they were forgiven by Allah, the Merciful, for their transgression. (Arafat comes from the root ‘arifa to know, to recognize)
Another account for the name is attributed to Abdullah bin Abbas RadhiAllahu anhu, who said that Jibreel Alaihis Salaam after teaching the rites of Hajj to Ibrahim Alaihis Salaam came to him here asking, " Do you know them?" Whereupon Ibrahim Alaihis Salaam informed Jibreel Alaihis Salaam that he did. And yet another opinion has it that the place derives its name from the fact that it is here that people admit their sins and beg forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala. In this case, the root word from which the name Arafat is derived is I’tiraaf, which means to admit. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

 

 

Namirah Mosque, indicating the place where a tent was erected for Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Near Wadi Uranah, after mid day he delivered the last sermon of this Farewell Pilgrimage to the 124,000 Sahabah RadhiAllahu anhum present, and then led Salat. Such a profound and moving oration, Insha’Allah that we are in the habit of reading regularly.

During Hajj, the Imam delivers the Khutbah and leads Zuhr and Asr prayers combined and shortened at Zuhr time, following the way it was performed by our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alahi wasallam. This huge Masjid is only ever used on this one day of the year.

 

 

 

Two of several colourfully decorated camels available for rides around the foot of Jabal Rahmah. SubhanAllah, such wonderful creatures, and in the past an integral part of the Hajj. Whereas our images and experiences of Hajj are filled with thousands of buses transporting pilgrims, it was not so long ago when tens of thousands of camels were the only transport.  

Insha’Allah more to follow on from here next time.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Ameen. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Footprints.

 

Labayk

Here am I.

Summoned.

Wayfaring

As a feather,

Traversing the terrain of life.

Floating on the winds of joy.

Submerged in rain soaked tears of confusion,

Thunder claps shuddering trembling aspirations.

Distractions, attractions ebb and flow.

Faltering in valleys of stings, barbs and jibes.

Trapped in mud,

Hardened by scorching burns of innuendo and hollow chatter.

Scrambling the rocks and boulders of stubbornness.

Whose footprints are etched below?

 

Ultimately in the Shade of Surrender.

The House of the Lord of Entirety.

Peace, Safety, Security.

The dew drop eventually melts into

The Ocean.

 

Engulfed in the hum of adoration.

Mankind; clay of all colours.

Born, embraced, snatched into His Fort.

Synonymous synchrony

In His Eyes.

Past the footprints of Ibrahim.

 

Footsteps glide, mute on marble.

A deafening echo reverberates from the Baitul Ma’moor.

Seventy thousand Angels daily adoring, never to return.

How blessed the gift of revisiting,

Leaving layers of footprints

Upon layers of footprints. 

Memorable records secreted in the earth’s vaults. 

Allahu Akbar.

 
Cockroach scuttles, cat slinks.

Moths and men cling to the black.

A deep black void leading to a blinding brightness.

Birds soar above, humanity swirls below.

Exalting.

Past the footprints of Ismail.

 

Testimony to the One ascends upon the billowing Kiswah.

Mercy cascades from each silken thread.

 

Enthroned on euphoric bliss

Upon the touch of the Sacred Dwelling.

Rhapsodical overtures mixed with drunken fragrances

Ripple the blank submitting soul.

Past the footprints of Ibrahim

Over the footprints of Mustafa.

In the footprints of Hajar,

Seeking.

Forever seeking the footprints of the sandals

Of Your Beloved SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.

Ya Wadud, Ya Rashid,

Guide my every footstep to these noble footprints.

Ameen.

 

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. Ameen.