The Hajj, a blessed season

Have you been?

Not yet. But, as I said, it is the dream of every Muslim to perform Hajj.
I'll do the pilgrimage to Makka in the near future, if God almighty wills.

It sounds like a wonderful experience.

Doesn't it get very dangerous, though? I hope security and safety are better this year, because I'm sure I remember hearing that many people died the last time round.

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The Hajj

The sands, like stars, our puny measures taunt,
And Arab minds, fixed desert nights possess.
Simplistic Truth emerges hence to haunt
Our convolutions forged in urban wilderness.

Like scattered grains, dispersed on torpid breeze
They root awhile in lands of higher worth,
Their nurture taken, sieved from cultural disease
Life's mission calls - believers must rebirth!

Then donning white, like blood cells to the fray
They ooze as one in transcendental dance.
And euthanasics swoon as ecstasy gives way
To paradise, not death, as planned for in advance.

Yet sand stays coarse - abrasive to the flow,
But stars inspire true intellect to grow.

Lovely, Fresco. I read a book by Leon Uris called The Haj, but I can no longer remember it.

It's a beautiful thought, muslim1.

But the number of Muslims is increasing all over the world and, as I said before, it is the dream of everyone of them to go to the holy lands in Makka and Madina.
I agree that the authorities in the Arabian Peninsula should make additional efforts to secure the growing number of pilgrims so that they can achieve the journey of their lifetime in the way that pleases our Lord.

Mecca Building Collapses
RIYADH: The death toll in the collapse of a building housing Muslim pilgrims in the holy city of Mecca rose to 76, with search crews recovering more bodies from the debris, authorities said.

The Saudi Press Agency said late on Friday that rescue efforts were completed and all debris were removed at the site, where 62 people were injured in Thursday's accident. The agency said 24 of the injured remained hospitalised.

The building belonged to a hotel and had lodged dozens of Muslims in Makkah for the Haj pilgrimage, which begins next week.

The victims were of various nationalities, the Arab television channel Al-Arabiya reported.

Two buildings adjacent to the collapsed structure, itself located close to some of Islam's holiest mosques, were evacuated Friday, Al-Arabiya said.



Times of India

Today was the most important one of the Hajj season: The Day of Arafah (or Arafat).
Indeed, the culmination of the Hajj does not take place at Makka but at the plain of Arafat, fourteen miles east of Makka, where from noon to sunset the pilgrims stand on the Mount of Arafat seeking God's forgiveness and blessings for themselves as well as for all Muslims throughout the world. It was here, from a hill called the Mount of Mercy, that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him), during his farewell pilgrimage, preached his last sermon.

Standing on the plain of Arafat, Muslims experience the underlying unity and equality of a worldwide Muslim community that transcends national, racial, economic and sexual differences.

The Hajj is a reminder of the Grand Assembly on the Day of Judgement when people will stand equal before God, waiting for their Final Destiny, and where no superiority of race or stock can be claimed. It is also a reminder of the fact that only Makka in the whole world was honored by God to be the centre of monotheism since the time of Prophet Abraham (Peace be upon him), and that it will continue to be the centre of Islam, the religion of pure monotheism, for all time to come.

Muslim 1:

Why haven't you capitalized the name of God in your signature? Isn't it a sign of respect to capitalize the Lord's name?

Miller,



Thank you for your important question.

When we Muslims bear witness that "There is no god but Allah", we mean "There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah".
Allah is the Arabic word for God. My signature is identical to "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is His last and final Messenger".

I don't know Islamic custom but most Jews online don't write "god" in full writing instead "g-d" or "G-d"....


Why do YOU Miller an observant Jewess as per your OWN frequent statements online DO SO?????

"Standing on the plain of Arafat, Muslims experience the underlying unity and equality of a worldwide Muslim community that transcends national, racial, economic and sexual differences"

Come on Muslim1. You know very well this is an idealistic pipedream !

Sexual difference is perhaps THE major preoccupation of Islam ! In some places women were recently beaten for venturing out of their homes without their male minders. One news item reported young girls had perished in a hostel fire when the male fire fighters were forbidden to enter because the girls were inappropriately dressed !

And as for elimination of nationalism why are the Iranians constantly fighting with the Saudi's over the custodianship of the holy sites ?

What a a sleep deprived uniformly dressed swaying chanting group "experiences" is certainly not rationality. It may be "ecstasy".... but so they say were the Hitler rallies !

Thank you Muslim !, for your explanation as to why you write God as god.

I didn't know anything about the Mount of Mercy.... interesting.

Thanks for enlightening us, muslim1. And, good luck with getting on the pilgrimage yourself.

Well, it would seem it happened just as I thought it would. There's been a tragic accident at Mecca and 345 people have died and once again it concerns the exact same ritual, the Stoning of Satan.

Frankly, I'd have thought they'd have improved safety in that region after the last incident...

I guess there's no point in me pointing fingers at anybody. What's done is done. I just hope the authorities there learn their lesson.

My sincerest condolences to those who have lost their lives or to those who have lost family members.

I here ya Wolf

I'm wondering if someone is going to start a thread of christian prayers for the people who died.

To me, it's just a very sad and tragic waste of life.

May Allah have mercy on our brothers and sisters who passed away in Makka. O Allah, grant them the everlasting life Jannah (Paradise) Al Firdaus.
O Allah, grant their families patience, bless them in their calamity and replace them with something better than it.

There is no power and no strength save in Allah.
To Allah we belong and to Him we return.

muslim1, may I ask you a serious question please?

Let's say you suddenly found out that there was no Allah and no life after death.

Would you see these deaths as more tragic than you do now?