Makkah Moazzama, November 2: Hajj rituals will begin from Friday. Lakhs of pilgrims arrived here from the across the world will stream to a valley at Mina where they will spend the night and move on to Arafat where they will offer the qasar namaz of Zohr and Asr. The Hajj obligation will be accomplished with the stay at mount Arafat Wuquf-e-Arafat. Mufti Azam will address and supplication will be made for the Islamic world. To offer special supplication at Jabal-e-Rahmat the pilgrims will reach the mountain.
On 8th Zulhajja the valley of Mina will be echoed with the ‘Talbeeh’ “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik”. Mass religious devotion is being witnessed these days in Haram Shareef.
More than 30 lakh Hajj pilgrims have reached Makkah Moazzama so far and more local pilgrims are likely to arrive before the beginning of Hajj rituals.
Excellent arrangements have been made for the stay of pilgrims in the city of white tents. Medical teams are deployed with the fire-resistant tents.
On Sunday following stay at Mount Arafat pilgrims will reach Muzdalifa before Maghrib prayers and spend the night there wherein they will collect stones for stoning the devil. The next day will be (Rami Jamar) Stoning the Devil-Posts at Jamarat.
On Sunday pilgrims will offer sacrifice after stoning the devil-posts and shave their head or shorten hair and after removing the ihram they will head to perform the circumambulation of the Kaaba (Tawaf) and ziarat.
Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated on November 6 in Saudi Arabia.
Elaborate arrangements have been made by Prince Khalid Faisal and Saudi Arabia’s new crown prince Nayef to prevent any contingency.
Zaheeruddin Ali Khan