More than two million worshippers arrive in Mecca for hajj pilgrimage... with another million expected to join them in world's largest annual gathering of Muslims
- Religious journey to Grand Mosque in Saudi Arabia viewed as one of greatest acts of worship
- Saudi Arabian authorities ask pilgrims to put politics aside during hajj - but amid bitter divisions in Egypt, some Islamists refuse to keep quiet
In the searing heat, this was the scene at the Grand Mosque in Mecca today as millions of pilgrims arrived for the annual hajj - a religious journey that is viewed as one of the Muslim faith's greatest acts of worship.
The mosque, the focal point of Islam, was teeming with visitors wearing the simple white folds of cloth prescribed for hajj.
Almost two million people have so far arrived at the site in Saudi Arabia for the rites, which reach a peak on Monday - and another million are expected.
And with temperatures hitting 36c (97f), many congregated in the cooler shadow of the building's minarets.
This was the scene today as millions of pilgrims started to arrive at the Grand Mosque in Mecca for Islam's annual haj
Muslim worshippers wait before performing the afternoon prayer at the mosque in Saudi Arabia today
Wearing traditional cloth, people pray on a street near the Grand Mosque, which is the focal point of the faith
Haj must be performed at least once in their lifetime by all Muslims capable of making the expensive, difficult journey - a duty that applies equally to Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims at a time of tension between Islam's main sects.
Saudi Arabian authorities have asked pilgrims to put politics aside during the annual hajj, but amid bitter divisions in Egypt, some Islamists refuse to keep quiet.
'What's happening in Egypt now is a disgrace. The army is killing innocent Muslims in cold blood every day,' said Zaghloul Hassanien, the owner of an oil products company in the Nile Delta town of Mansoura, as he stood in a supermarket near the Grand Mosque.
Keenly aware of the potential for political tensions to flare into violence at a time of upheaval across the Middle East, the Saudi Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef asked pilgrims to leave disputes at home.
Keenly aware of the potential for political tensions to flare into violence at a time of upheaval across the Middle East, the Saudi Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef asked pilgrims to leave disputes at home
Haj must be performed at least once in their lifetime by all Muslims capable of making the expensive, difficult journey
A man with his prayer beads waits for the noon prayers near the Grand Mosque
Almost 2million people have so far arrived at the site in Saudi Arabia for the rites, which reach their peak on Monday
He said the kingdom had drafted 95,000 members of the security forces to maintain order.
Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia not only hosts the pilgrimage but is also increasingly involved in the conflicts across the region
The kingdom is embroiled in a region-wide contest for influence with Shi'ite Iran, with each side accusing the other of backing Syria's bloody civil war.
It has also given Egypt billions of dollars to help prop up the economy and support the generals who in July ousted a government led by Mohamed Mursi, a member of the Sunni Islamist movement the Muslim Brotherhood.
Saudi leaders see the organisation as a direct threat to their dynastic rule.
As demonstrations by Brotherhood supporters in Egypt are met by a crackdown by government forces, feelings are running high among pilgrims from the most populous Arab nation but they say they do not plan to cause unrest.
The religious duty applies equally to Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims at a time of tension between Islam's main sects
Muslim pilgrims visit a shop near the Grand Mosque. Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia not only hosts the pilgrimage but is also increasingly involved in the conflicts across the region
One fully veiled Egyptian woman said hajj was not a place for politics but, citing the hundreds of Brotherhood members killed in protests, she added that she would pray for God's vengeance to strike army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
'Before coming to haj, we agreed not to talk about politics to avoid any problems in this country,' said Mohammed Ramadan, 63, a retired government employee from the Egyptian Mediterranean city of Alexandria.
For other Egyptian pilgrims, Sisi represents a chance to restore the country's stability.
Palestinian students gather around a model that represents the Kaaba, a cubical building in Mecca, in a school in the West Bank city of Nablus
'In every prayer I say God bless Sisi, God give him the strength to protect us against these people that claim to be religious and who have no connection with Islam,' said Mohammed Mahmoud Ahmed, a 36-year-old pilgrim from Aswan.
But most Egyptians making their way into the holy city said their most fervent prayers were for peace.
'Egypt was never like this: Now within a family you have one brother that supports Mursi and another that supports the army and they kill each other over these differences,' said Mosaad Moahmed Hamed, a 28-year-old pilgrim from Mansoura.
'I am praying to God in these holy days that Egypt will be united again. We are tired of hearing about people being killed every day,' he said.
Good programming is 99% sweat and 1% coffee.
http://rehansheik.blogspot.com
If you forward this email, please delete the forward history, including my email address. Remember, erasing the history helps to prevent SPAMMERS from mining addresses and viruses from being propagated.
--
From:
[Pak-Friends] Group Member
Visit Group: http://groups.google.com/group/Karachi-786
Subscription: http://groups.google.com/group/karachi-786/subscribe
===========================================================
¸,.-~*'¨¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*'[PäK¤.¸.¤F®ï£ñD§]'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*'¨¯¨'*·~-.¸
===========================================================
All members are expected to follow these Simple Rules:
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
Be Careful in Islamic Discussions;
Bad language and insolence against Prophets (and / or their companions, Islamic Scholars, and saints) is an Instant ban.
Abuse of any kind (to the Group, or it's Members) shall not be tolerated.
SPAM, Advertisement, and Adult messages are NOT allowed.
This is not Dating / Love Group, avoid sending personnel messages to group members.
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Pak Friends" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to karachi-786+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to karachi-786@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/karachi-786.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
No comments:
Post a Comment