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25 October 2012 - 09 Thul-Hijjah 1433 H
This file photo shows the Kiswa, the black cover of the Ka’aba, being changed. Some 30 workers of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs will clothe the Ka’aba with a new cover made of pure silk at a cost of SR20 million after the dawn prayers Thursday. Traditionally, the Kiswa is changed on the day of Arafat.
video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-dCZlG-ATk&feature=player_em...
Thursday 25 October 2012
The Holy Kaaba in the heart of the Grand Mosque in Makkah is the center of attraction today when a new Kiswa (cover) is put on the holy structure soon after the Fajr prayer in the presence of top officials and a large number of Muslim faithful.
The Kiswa is an auspicious ceremony to reflect the greatness of the Holy Kaaba, to which Muslims all over the world turn in prayer at least five times a day.
There are differences of opinion on who put the first Kiswa on the Kaaba after it was built by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Ismail (peace be upon them).
Some scholars argue that the first Kiswa was made by the Prophet Ismail, but there is no evidence to support this.
Others affirm that the first Kiswa was made by Adnan bin Ad, a great-great-grandfather of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but this claim also lacks authentication. The first historically verifiable record of the draping of the Kaaba attributes the honor to Tabu Karab Aswad, king of Humayyur in Yemen.
According to Muhammad Abdullah Bajudah, director general of the Kaaba Kiswa Factory in Umm Al-Joud in Makkah, the Kiswa changing ceremony has been taking place on Dhul Hijjah 9, when the pilgrims assemble in the plain of Arafat at the peak of Haj pilgrimage.
“The ceremony starts after Fajr prayer and will continue until Asr prayer,” Bajudah said, adding that the old Kiswa would be kept in the factory’s warehouse. He estimated the total cost of the Kiswa at more than SR 20 million.
More than 240 people work in the factory’s different departments. It has the largest computerized tailoring machine in the world with a length of 16 m. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has ordered a study to develop the factory.
Skilled craftsmen use a combination of the latest technology, ancient looms and artistic calligraphy to produce a work of exotic beauty. Usually, the new cloth is to be ready two months before Haj. A Kiswa consumes about 700 kg of silk and 120 kg of golden and silver threads. It consists of 47 pieces of cloth, and each piece is 14 m long and 101 cm wide. The Kiswa is wrapped around the Kaaba and fixed to the ground with copper rings.
Traditionally, the pattern of Kiswa has not changed. The material is made up of silk, and a gold embroidered band is sewn about three fourth the distance from the bottom. The part covering the door, which stands 2.13 m above the ground on the northeast-side wall, is covered separately with richly embroidered Qur’anic verses, leaving an opening for the black stone.
In 1926, a factory was set up in Makkah by King Abdul Aziz to make the Kiswa. Initially, all craftsmen were brought from India.
It took more than 100 craftsmen the whole year to weave the cloth on ancient wooden handlooms and to embroider it in magnificent calligraphy. The present factory was opened on March 8, 1977, during the time of King Khaled.
http://www.arabnews.com/kiswa-marvelous-artistic-work
Friday 26 October 2012
In an atmosphere filled with spirituality and serenity, nearly 3 million pilgrims yesterday performed the most important rite of the Haj as they stood in prayer from dawn to dusk in the plains of Arafat, 15 kilometers east of Makkah. The ritual is commonly called as Wuqoof-e-Arafat.
A white sea of faithful surged to Mount Arafat as dawn broke on the second day of the five-day event. Waves of men in seamless white robes and veiled women in long dresses joined voices in a crescendo chanting “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik” (Here I am O God, answering your call).
Thousands of police were stationed along the routes to Arafat and helicopters hovered overhead. Many faithful carried umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun in temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius. Sprinklers intermittently sprayed them with water.
The pilgrimage proceeded without incident under the watchful eyes of thousands of police and troops. Police patrols organized traffic and the movement of pilgrims as helicopters hovered above.
Medical teams dealt with emergencies but doctors said the general health of pilgrims was fine with no contagious diseases reported.
The faithful spent the day praying for mercy and forgiveness.
“I really can’t describe the feeling of being here at Arafat for the first time. It is overwhelming,” said 63-year-old Rayees Nomani, from Lucknow, India. He was one among 170,000 pilgrims from India.
“I am praying for forgiveness and for the victory of Muslims all over the world. I wish to see the Ummah (Islamic nation) united and progressing,” said Nomani.
“O Allah, grant me and my loved ones good health, forgiveness and save us from hell,” Asif Kamal, a Pakistani pilgrim, prayed as he raised his hands and faced the sky. With tears in his eyes, he added: “Forgive me for my sins and have mercy on my soul.”
Tears rolled down the cheeks of pilgrims as they climbed Jabal Al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered his final sermon more than 14 centuries ago. The Jabal was flooded by pilgrims who sat or stood there for hours contemplating and praying.
Standing at Mount Arafat in prayer before sunset on 9th Dul Hijjah is the high point of the Haj.
“I pray God to help Muslims the world over, especially the Palestinians, Syrians and the Afghans, and grant them victory,” said 43-year-old Palestinian pilgrim Yacoub Shaltout.
“Words can’t describe how I feel,” a Ghanian pilgrim said. “Look at this crowd answering God’s call, more than 1,400 years after the Prophet, the Ummah is alive and well. This is awesome, just awesome.”
The pilgrims left Arafat after sunset, moving to Muzdalifa where they will spend the night following in the footsteps of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). They will also collect pebbles from Muzdalifa to stone Jamarat in Mina at dawn today in a ritual symbolizing the stoning of the devil.
More than 1.75 million pilgrims have come this year from some 150 countries. Another million came from within the Kingdom.
http://www.arabnews.com/three-millio...fat-haj-climax
26 October 2012 - 10 Thul-Hijjah 1433 H
A sea of humanity envelops Mount Arafat and the area around it Thursday as about three million pilgrims arrived on the plains of Arafat to pray and supplicate marking the high point of the five-day Haj. (Insets) Pilgrims engrossed in supplication. — SPA/Agencies
ARAFAT – About three million pilgrims flocked to the plains of Arafat Thursday to perform the main Haj rite. Men, women, and children from 189 countries streamed from dawn to Arafat, praying to Allah to forgive them and bestow His mercy on them. Many of them went early to find a place in Nimrah Mosque. They crowded into the 110,000-square-meter mosque and its surrounding areas. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region and Chairman of the Haj Central Committee, was in the front lines of pilgrims inside the mosque.
Many other pilgrims headed to Mount Arafat from the foot of which the Prophet (peace be upon him) delivered his farewell sermon. A preacher urged pilgrims not to climb the slippery stone staircase leading up the hill, bellowing over loudspeakers: “Neither the Prophet, nor his followers have ever climbed the hill. Please do not climb it.”
The pilgrims performed Dhuhr and Asr prayers – shortened to two rakas and combined following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Delivering the Arafat day sermon from Nimrah Mosque, Sheikh Abdulaziz Aal Al-Sheikh, Grand Mufti, urged the Muslim Ummah to unify ranks and fight schism.
Sedition, catastrophe, bloodshed and vandalism have spread in the Muslim world, which is sorrowful, he said.
“The leaders of the Muslim world should engage in dialogue and comply with Shariah in resolving differences,” said the Grand Mufti, warning Muslim leaders against falling prey to the schemes of their enemies, which seek to spark repugnant sectarianism and destabilize the security of the Ummah.
The only way out for the Ummah is to get together and join forces. Muslim nations should exchange expertise to build economic, business, political and scientific relations.
“O Muslims. This will achieve two benefits for Muslim nations. First, there will be a political advantage. A Muslim nation should run its own affairs without interference from outside. Second, there will be an economic advantage. Production will increase in Muslim countries and more job opportunities will be created. Moreover, the well-educated will stay and will not leave for non-Muslim countries.”
The Grand Mufti called upon decision makers to urge Muslims to spend their money on projects inside Muslim countries to bolster their economies and warn them against depositing their funds in non-Muslim countries. “This is how we reduce poverty, unemployment and backwardness.”
He reminded all people to fear Allah, be pious, and believe in the One and Only God. “Piety will lead you to the path of righteousness and spare the torment of the Day of Judgment. Be faithful to your religion so that you win Paradise in the Hereafter.”
Some people use flimsy excuses and fake slogans in an attempt to cast doubts about this religion and its established values, the Grand Mufti said. This is done in the name of freedom. They want to distort the identity of Muslim nations. The Prophet (pbuh) asked us to abide by his traditions when there is sedition and turbulence.
Salafism is not a new religion; it is a continuation of the methods the Prophet’s companions used to interpret the Holy Qur’an and Prophet’s Traditions, the Grand Mufti said.
Earlier, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal announced that the transportation plan from Mina to Arafat has been successful and smooth, thanks to the extensive arrangements made by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. He also said that the health condition of all pilgrims has been excellent and no life-threatening accident has occurred.
Prince Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz, Interior Minister and Chairman of the Haj Supreme Committee, and Prince Khaled had personally overseen the process of transporting pilgrims from Mina to Arafat.
“We’ve made all the necessary preparations to ensure that the transportation plan to Muzdalifah and back to Mina is successful,” said Prince Khaled.
He also announced a new train project linking the eastern side of the holy sites with the Grand Mosque and Al-Haramain Train.
Brig. Saad Al-Jibari, commander of traffic at Arafat, said the transportation plan from Mina to Arafat had been successful. He also said that this year there were large numbers of pilgrims who preferred to walk from Mina to Arafat using pedestrian pathways in view of new regulations which banned vehicles with a capacity of 25 passengers and less. Four pedestrian pathways and seven roads for vehicles and buses were used for transporting pilgrims.
The Ministry of Health announced that 300,965 pilgrims visited its hospitals and primary healthcare centers in the holy sites.
The Saudi Red Crescent Society announced that it received more than 1428 emergency calls, 20 percent more than the last year.
Col. Nasser Al-Nahari, commander of Civil Defense forces at the Jamarat Bridge, said all forces have been put on alert to receive pilgrims on the morning of Eid Al-Adha. Some 1300 officers will ensure that the ritual goes smoothly.
After sunset, the pilgrims started heading to Muzdalifah, where they collect stones to throw at the pillar of Al-Aqabah (largest Jamarat) Friday, which marks the first day of Eid Al-Adha. The symbolic stoning of the devil is followed by the ritual sacrifice of an animal.
During the remaining three days of Haj, the pilgrims continue the stoning ritual before performing the circumambulation of the Ka’aba.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20121026140832
Mina, Dhu-AlHijjah 10, 1433, Oct 26, 2012, SPA
The number of pilgrims from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and from abroad reached 3,161,573 during this year's Hajj, the Central Department of Statistics and Information said in a statement.
'The number of pilgrims from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was 1,408,641; while the number of pilgrims from abroad was 1,752,932. The vast majority of pilgrims from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are expatriates,' the statement said.
The statement pointed out that the Central Department of Statistics and Information used the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) to collect field data.
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