11 January 2006
International
Haj represents every shade of human skin
- By Haj represents ever
>From the pictures appearing in newspapers and on television, everyone gets
the impression that the Haj is a sea of white, but being on the ground with
the pilgrims it is amazing how colourful it is. Each national group is
carrying a flag. Many of the pilgrims have signs or some sort of design
pinned to their clothing to help them identify each other. They have prayer
rugs over their arms and bags clutched in their hands. Even the pilgrims'
faces are colourful. Every shade of human skin is
represented. Among the 25 lakh pilgrims are the tall, majestic Afghans with
flowing beards, bushy eyebrows and aquiline noses; the lanky Somalis with
their graceful gait; the helpful Sudanese, with smiles playing on their
faces at all times; the loquacious Egyptians with goatees and the
fair-skinned Iranians always walking in one large group. The pilgrims are of
every age, too. Those from the India are quite elderly. Fifty-one is the
average age of the Indian pilgrims. This means that a huge number are
crippled and infirm. They manage to get through the rituals by helping each
other, but at the end of each day they are exhausted, their bodies
completely sapped of resources. Many mentioned to me that they wished they
had found a way to perform Haj when they were younger. Pilgrims from India
and Pakistan tend to use their retirement or end of service benefits to
finance the Haj. On the other hand, looking at the Haj contingents from
Indonesia and Malaysia, it is easy to see the difference. Most of these
pilgrims are young adults. The societies of these nations encourage their
people to take on the duty of Haj before marriage.
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The scene of Tuesday morning at the Grand Jamrat or Jamrat al-Aqaba was incredible as usual. The pilgrims are supposed to throw small pebbles at this representation of Satan but many get caught up in the religious fervour of the moment and imagine that they are seeing Satan before their eyes. In a desperate attempt to strike Satan, the pilgrims throw sandals, shoes, umbrellas, almost anything, at the Jamrat. This can be very dangerous as heavier objects do not travel far and sometimes come down on other pilgrims in the area. Even worse, with all the sharp objects on the ground, those pilgrims who threw away their sandals find it difficult to finish the rest of the rituals.
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After the Jamrat has been stoned, the sacrifice has been made and the barber visited, joy is evident on the pilgrims' faces. It is at this time that their minds turn to some of the more mundane pleasures of life, such as shopping and sports. I was a bit surprised when an Indian pilgrim came up to us and asked for the itinerary of the Indo-Pak One-Day Cricket Series to be played in Pakistan.
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Arafat used to be a sea of white. Now, there is a huge element of colour in Arafat mainly due to the colourful umbrellas distributed by companies, especially airlines. On Monday, the plain was also dotted with small blue, red, yellow, green and purple plastic tents. These tents, made in China, are inexpensive and on sale in many local supermarkets. Designed to be used as playthings by children, the pilgrims have adopted them convenient, temporary shelters. The tents are lightweight and can be setup with just two poles and a length of plastic cord. They provide privacy and protection from the sun and no one in any position of authorities seems to oppose them. At the end of the day, the pilgrims will quickly fold them up, tuck them under their arms and take them away.
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Another colourful comforting aspect of Arafat were the neem trees. Planted over the years, the trees now provide shade and enhance the environment. On Monday, hundreds of the trees moved in a gentle rhythm in the light breeze sweeping back and forth across the plain. Mr Majid Amjad, a pilgrim in his late forties, stated that the trees reminded him of his village in Badayun in India. "For me the shade of the neem tree took me to the past and I unconsciously went down memory lane, remembering many of the people from my youth," Mr Amjad said. "Then I prayed for all of them. But for the neem tree I would not have remembered their names. This is sheer providence."
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Prayer is the main and only activity of the five-day event, although perhaps one wouldn't believe that to be true based on the reports filed by many journalists. Encountering the managing editor of Al-Madinah Arabic newspaper, Dr Khaled Batarfi, I asked him whether he thought people discussed politics at Arafat. The outside world has an impression that the pilgrims discuss nothing but politics all the time. According to Dr Batarfi, the rituals of Haj are so difficult and physically exhausting that no one really has the time or energy to talk about politics.
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Media people have a knack for getting quotes from people, and pilgrims are no exception but their reports give the impression that Muslims in Arafat and Mina are talking about politics, said Dr Batarfi. "Actually, if the media didn't ask, such thoughts would not come to mind. Even for myself, I am talking to you on this subject only because you are asking me this question. Haj is a journey within and nobody has the time or inclination to discuss politics. Yes, in our prayers all the oppressed Muslims in the world take top priority. But my prayer should not be confused with a political statement. My prayers are between myself and Allah."