These are the days of Eid

Congratulations to all the hajjis this year, including my brother who is among them. My parents wanted to go too, but missed out due to a mixture of incompetence on the part of the group they were going with and the Saudi embassy issuing visas.

It's a familiar story. I'd love to see someone do a thorough analysis of the way that Hajj is organised, as clearly there is a lot left to be desired. There's the normal civil service bureaucracy, but then consider how bad the accountability and sense of impunity is in one run by a dictatorship. It's astounding that people can be denied performing their once in a liftime religious obligation without any rhyme or reason due to visas.

And that's just on this end. I've not been yet, but can well imagine organising a two-million-strong event is not easy. But in the decaying atmosphere that sums up the state of affairs in the Muslim world, there doesn't appear to be a "suggestions box" as to how things can be improved. As I wrote after the 300 deaths at Jamarat last year, in a healthy situation there would be a proper independent inquiry into what went wrong. People asked questions of and made recommendations to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the righteous Caliphs. This tradition should be renewed.

I've also heard that Eids are a rather drab affair over there. Couldn't the Saudi authorities put on some entertainment? We know from the life of the Prophet that a good time was had on these days. If they wanted to remain literalist about it, at least get some kids to do songs with drums and some Ethiopians in to perform acts with spears and shields at the Prophet's Mosque. However, live open air concert at Arafat featuring Sami Yusuf and Native Deen anyone?

Eid mubarak to all.

Comments

[True Life]

Asalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah

Eid Mubarak to you, too. May you and your family enjoy these joyous days.

Was Salam
muhtaj-e-dua

[F4P]

If you think about it, Eid is not really a celebration for the Hajjis. The 10th of Dhul-Hijjah is a very important, and very busy, day for them. Even if they wanted to celebrate Eid, they wouldn't have time.

Hajj and Eid are two separate things, emphasised by the fact that the first Hajj took place 7 years after the first Eid.

[Bint-eh Adam]

As F4P said - Eid is not for the Hujaj!

Those who go to Hajj stand on Mount Arafah on the 9th [they don't fast that day] and sleep at Muzdalifah that night [and some don't reach Muzdalifah until nearing midnight, especially those who walk there like some South African groups for example]. On the 10th they wake up having collected their stones from Muzdalifah and after Fajr make their way to the Jamarat. They then get back to their tents and need to be informed their Qurbani has been performed - only then do they get out of the state of Ihram!

We were still in Ihram until Zuhr prayer of the 10th!!! Some people may be until later. SO, really there is no 'Eid' celebrations as such. The only Eid I recall is wearing new clothes post Isha and doing the Tawaf al-Ifada and Sai back in Mecca!

By the time we had finished we needed to get back to Mina to spend Day 11 and 12 there!

Those who are unable to attend the Hajj fast on the 9th to 'connect' to those who have gone. And they celebrate Eid because the Hajjis have been taken out from the Hellfire and their sins cleansed - thus they rejoice in this for 3 days.

Don't mean to have a go at ya respected brother but seriously,

>>I've also heard that Eid is a rather drab affair for the hajjis

The Hajjis don't need an Eid - it's everyone else who does! LOL

Finally, I give credit where it's due and I would be a hypocrite if I said we ever encountered much trouble from the Saudis - if anything, we found them very kind and keen to help us at every opportunity. May God ALmighty Guide us all.

Duas :-) and er yeah - Eid Mubarak!

[Osama]

Thanks for the comments, I've corrected that now.

[Amad]

Apparently, no major catastrophic events this time at Hajj... no mass tramplings alhamdulilah. Despite all the red-tape, it seems that our Saudi brothers manage to get some stuff done, and I hear that the jamraat esp. had some massive renovations done to it. Good job Saudi, may Allah reward you for your efforts. Now, would you please consider a mono-rail to overcome the massive transportation problems?

As for Sami Yusuf, I have some musings on that subject on my blog. Eid is for remembrance of Allah and celebration and amusement in that spirit; not to make light of His rules. And Allah knows best.

Amad
Musings of a Muslim Mind

[Umar]

I just returned from my first Hajj. May Allah accept it. I thought the Saudis did an excellent job this time round and have done so in controlling the ever-increasing pilgrims over the years. I saw billboards of the Hajj Ministry askings pilgrims to give feedback and recommendations. My group gave me some trouble in terms of their organisation and I did get a taste of Saudi red-tape but on the whole I think they did a fantastic job. The Ministry of Health have doctors all over the place giving free check ups plus free presciption medicine. Work has already started on the Jamarat bridge, which once completed will have six levels plus an emergency underground route. It's important to remember that most of the problems at Hajj are caused by the pilgrims themselves; e.g. Pilgrims taking their luggage with them to the Jamarat causing problems, pilgrims sitting on route to the Jamarat -which lead to the stampede- and don't get me started on the shias.

[joe90]

I so enjoy reading these comments!

I don't wish to get any of you folk paranoid but here is an article from yesterdays 'The Sunday Slime'

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2558373,00.html>Terror watch on Mecca pilgrims
by
David Leppard
21 Jan 2007
THE intelligence agencies are monitoring every Muslim who travels from Britain to Mecca on pilgrimage in a wider effort to piece together intelligence on suspected Al-Qaeda terrorist activity.

Who knows if any of this is true as it is Racist Murdoch's anti-journalist rag -
or even if it is just the usual British Intelligence dirty tricks department up to their usual stunts, using one of their favourite sources to plant stories in the public domain?