The Hajj: Day Four

Day Four
Muzdalifah to Mina
Eid today

(Mission of the day: Get to Mina from Muzdalifah, throw 7 pebbles at pillar (large one only), spend night in Mina)

I was rudely awoken up by a large group of people, who started talking noisily and packing up their stuff. It’s only 3am, and there still an hour and a half to go for the morning prayer. We are supposed to pray the prayer and then leave Muzdalifah. I was up now, and there were very slim chances of me getting to bed. The weather had become really cold though and I lay still for few more minutes. I could not wear a jacket, as all I had on was the two sheets of white unsewn cloths. Lying there, out in the open area, I could not tell if I was in 2006 or 1400 years ago. I felt a very strong connection to the people who were here 1400 years ago. What was it like in those days? Was the Hajj easier to perform or was it as challenging as it is today? I wonder how people were like back then? A loud honk from the black vip GMC brought me back to 2006.

In a way it was good I was up, because I managed to get to use the toilets rather quickly. I must say I was really glad I did not have to use the toilet from my behind. I was not in the mood to use my left hand to wipe my behind. I was very happy with releasing liquids only! I got tea and biscuits from the nearby coffee shop (of course, the prices were jacked up to make profits) and joined my parents who had now woken up. Soon, others were getting up, and we finally prayed the prayer and made a move back to our buses.

Watching the sin rise in the horizon reveled the entire scenario to me. I was very impressed with the people who chose to walk back to Mina. There were people who did not have the luxury to travel in cars or buses, and there were people for whom a special way was made for their vip treatment. I deeply appreciated the older men and women who walked back to their camps. Another three to four hours were spent on our ride back. I was mostly sleeping, but what little I was awake, I was in awe of watching everyone going back.

Today is Eid. We saw some slaughterhouses were mass sacrifices of sheeps and camels were being taken place. Since we were doing the Hajj Ifrad, we were not obligated to offer any sacrifice, but those who did the other two kinds of Hajj, were obligated to sacrifice a sheep or a camel. The sacrificial meat was then distributed to the poor people.

A major part of our mission today involved stoning the pillar. I read up on it and I was pleasantly surprised to know the history behind it. Jamaarat is the place where there are three pillars. These three pillars represent the three places where prophet Abraham was tempted by Satan to sacrifice his child. There is a small pillar, a medium pillar and a large pillar. We were only to stone the large pillar today.

My mom did not come with my dad and I, because the number of people there was incredible. Some men from our tent had done the stoning immediately, had their heads shaved and did their circumambulation in Makkah, which is required. Others, like us, chose to wait to go later in the afternoon to let the crowds die down. My father and I set afoot, and soon we were just two people in the midst of thousands and thousands of people walking towards the Jamaarat.

There are two levels from where we could stone the pillars. We went on the upper one, since the direction was one way, whereas on the ground floor the situation was such that people were entering and exiting from the same place. We passed the small pillar, and then the medium pillar, and finally arrived to the large pillar. Thankfully the crowd had died down and my father and I stood right at the front. I took out the seven pebbles I had collected for myself, and for my dad. With a pebble in my hand, I lunged it forward. With is I said, “Allah—akbar” (God is Great). I did this each time I threw the pebble. I saw people throwing their shoes, and one even threw his umbrella. People fail to understand that Satan does not live in this pillar, but that stoning the pillar is a very symbolic act. It is an act that we perform to symbolize our resistance to Satan’s temptations in our lives.

After the stoning, my father and I got the opportunity to go to Makkah from Mina to our friend’s house. We can take off our ihram today. Somehow I wanted to keep it on. I liked it so much; I wanted to wear it for longer. I was beginning to miss it already. When we got to Makkah, my dad and I had our hair cut from each side. A quick shower later, we were back in our normal clothes.

Coming back to our camp in Mina, many people had had their heads shaved. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that he prays once for those who cut their hair, and thrice for those who shave their heads, so naturally many shaved their heads. Even that cute kid had shaved his head. Our friends were also back in the camp, and we talked with them for a while over dinner. By 11pm or so, we were dead-tired and went to sleep.

I was beginning to feel so much at home. The simplicity I seek in life, I found it right here. I did not want to leave Mina. I was hoping that time would pass by extremely slow so I can make the most of my time here. I wanted to stay put and be here, because I felt connected to God.

Mansur