Makkah abuzz as Haj draws near

MAKKAH: There are only 72 hours to go before pilgrims head to the nearby tent city of Mina on the first leg of their five-day journey of a lifetime.

All roads across the Kingdom are leading into the holy city where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) received the first verses of the Holy Qur'an more than 14 centuries ago.

It was from this holy city that the last Prophet first propagated the pure and simple message of Islam - a message that has since captured the hearts and minds of more than a billion followers across all continents.

Haj is one of the five essential pillars of Islam, and on Monday about 3 million pilgrims will spend a day on the vast plains of Arafat renewing and reinforcing their faith.

The weather this year is pleasant, but in the past Arafat has frequently seen temperatures soar beyond 50 degrees Celsius.

On Wednesday evening, Makkah's temperature was recorded at 25 degrees. The evening was particularly pleasant with a cool breeze blowing across this city surrounded by mountains. The sprawling courtyard and carpeted rooftop of the massive Grand Mosque, which houses the Holy Kaaba, was filled with pilgrims who appeared happy and relaxed.

International and domestic flights packed with men, women and children continued to land at five-minute intervals at King Abdulaziz International Airport. Parking lots across Jeddah are occupied by gleaming coaches that have brought in pilgrims from neighboring Arab countries.

Traffic flowed smoothly on the four-lane expressway to Makkah from Jeddah. One reason for the lack of congestion on the highway was the strict enforcement by the Passport Department of its "no-permit-no-pilgrimage" policy. At the Jeddah pickup points for Makkah-bound passenger vehicles, young Saudis refused to transport those who lacked permits.

"We don't want to take the risk. Many of our colleagues have been arrested and their vehicles impounded because they were ferrying people without official permits into Makkah," said Dhafer Muhammad from his white Toyota Cressida in the Bab Makkah district of Jeddah. "They are checking each and every car. If you have the permit, come along, if not, sorry."

His friend, Waleed Mahdi, seemed desperate for passengers. He already had two Indians sitting in his Toyota Camry, and he was looking for two more passengers to make his journey profitable. He got the passengers he needed in Arab News and Turkish national Mehmut Ahmet Misiri.

"Yallah; come in," he said, but he hesitated when he realized that the Turkish man was wearing ihram, the two pieces of seamless cloth that all pilgrims have to wear before starting the pilgrimage.

"Do you have the permit?" queried Mahdi. "Yes," replied the Turkish man. However, the piece of paper that he produced said something else. He had an iqama issued in Makkah, and his contention was that he could travel into and out of the holy city anytime. The driver, however, said if he was a resident of Makkah he should not have donned the ihram in Jeddah.

He agreed to take him but on the condition that he put on a long coat over his ihram, which Misiri eventually did. There were three additional checkpoints on the expressway besides the regular Shumaiysi post. Since none of the occupants in the Camry was in ihram, the policeman waved the vehicle past. Some others, however, were not lucky and were seen pleading with the policemen to let them pass.

Reaching the Holy Mosque was no hassle at all. Everything was well organized with traffic policemen guiding cars and other vehicles in the right direction. No one was being allowed to park anywhere near the mosque. Therefore, the main thoroughfare, Ibrahim Khalil Road, was orderly, and pilgrims on foot had a relatively peaceful time.

The focus inside the mosque is the Holy Kaaba. Pilgrims gaze at it for hours. Sometimes their eyes get moist, and they raise their hands in prayer. Many, many others circumambulate the Kaaba. The innermost open area of the beautiful mosque called the "mataaf" was packed with the faithful. Among them was Riad Mustafa, an Egyptian doctor, and his wife, Mirfat.

"This is our first journey to Makkah. It is amazing. This is the Kaaba in whose direction we turn to throughout our lives. Really seeing it is such a transforming experience. Hearing the calls to prayer booming out of this mosque is the most spiritually exhilarating moment," said Mustafa.

His wife was delighted by the inner peace. "Last night, I called up home and had my parents listen to the prayers via my cell phone. They were crying at the other end. The real beauty of Islam is here in Makkah where Muslims from across the globe have converged," said Mirfat.

By SIRAJ WAHAB | ARAB NEWS

Nov 11, 2010