the Mina valley outside the holy city of Makkah. They came
by bus, car or on foot to camp in the tent city for Yaum Al-
Tarwiya on Tuesday’s first leg of the annual Haj pilgrimage.
The weather conditions were particularly harsh in the day
but Hajis were pleasantly surprised by light showers after
Maghreb. They stayed inside their tents beseeching Allah
and reciting the Holy Qur’an.
The pilgrims came chanting, “Labbaik Allahumma
Labbaik” (Here I am, Allah, answering Your call). They will
spend the night in 50,000 tents, in preparation for
Wednesday’s standing in prayer on Mount Arafat which is
the climax of the five-day ritual.
Thanks to massive safety and security arrangements, the 8-
km trek by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from Makkah
to Mina, an uninhabited valley enclosed by arid mountains,
was free of incident.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, who is chairman of the
Supreme Haj Committee, congratulated Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques King Salman on the successful arrival in
the Kingdom of 1.38 million pilgrims from 164 nations. The
number of Haj pilgrims is fewer than last year by 5,439.
In a message addressed to King Salman, the crown prince
said: “I am honored on this blessed day to express my
warmest greetings and congratulations to you on the
successful and safe arrival of pilgrims by air, land and sea
for Haj 2015. They have arrived in the holy land in peace
and security, thanks to Allah Almighty and your continuing
care for all services to them which create the means of
comfort and enable them to perform their Haj rituals easily
and safely.”
The crown prince prayed to Allah Almighty to preserve King
Salman “for this nation as a leader and leader of its
renaissance, and for the continuation of the blessings of
security and faith for this country.”
Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki
said the movement of pilgrims from Makkah into Mina was
orderly and went according to a well-executed plan.
He credited the smooth movement to extraordinary
coordination among all agencies and increased awareness
among Saudis and expatriates to abide by the rules and
regulations. Hatem Qazi of the Haj Ministry said 20,000
buses were pressed into service to transport the pilgrims
from Makkah into Mina.
Everyone had a word of praise for the excellent
arrangements.
“All our pilgrims were in Mina by 9 a.m. on Tuesday,” said
Indian Consul General B.S. Mubarak. “There were no
hiccups.”
Doctors at local hospitals said the intense weather was
taking a toll on elderly pilgrims. “Once they were inside their
tents, however, they were comfortable,” said Dr. Masood
Jilani, a doctor from Pakistan. “The sprinklers came on,
lowering the temeprature somewhat.”
Abida Khan, a 69-year-old woman from Pakistan, was in
tears when she landed in Mina. “I am here because our
beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, told us to do so. His
word is a command to us,” she told Arab News. “Ever since
I grew up, I have dreamed of coming here for Haj. In my
mind’s eye, I always saw the Holy Kaaba and Mina and
Madinah. Now that I am here, I cannot believe my eyes. The
dream has come true.”
Egyptian pilgrim Amani Abdullah felt like she was on top of
the world. “To see all these people from around the world
responding to one call and speaking in one voice to our one
Creator is an indescribable feeling,” she said.
Khaled Nabeel, a Jeddah-based Syrian expat, was a little
reluctant when Arab News approached him for his
comments. “The only thing we Syrians are praying for is
peace. We are hungry for peace. May Allah grant us and the
people of the world peace,” he said.
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