The Ziyarat in Makkah

The Ziyarat in Makkah

The pilgrims setting out for offering their pilgrimage, either Umrah or the Hajj also visits the highly significant places in and around the Makkah and the Medinah. The Ziyarat or the significant places in the Makkah include the Muzdalifah. From the Valley of Muhassar, Muzdalifah stretches to the mountains of Mazamayn. It is 4 kilometers extended and covers an area of 12.25km2. Referring to Muzdalifah, Allah Almighty mentions in Surah Baqarah in the Quran:

“When you leave Arafat, then remember Allah at the Masharul Haram.” (‘The Sacred Monument’, referring to Muzdalifah according to Abdullah bin Umar [R.A])
During the Hajj farewell, the Prophet (PBUH) performed the Maghrib and Isha prayer together at Muzdalifah. He stayed at the mark where the present Masjid Masharul Haram is currently being towards the Qibla side. From there, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Although I am staying here, you may stay anywhere throughout Muzdalifah.”

The other place of Ziyarah is the Arafat Mount. The common meaning of the word Arafat is “to know”. After being taken out of Jannah and placed on Earth, it was here that Adam (R.A) and Hawa (R.A) met up. Standing on Arafat is a necessary part of the Hajj; whoever misses the standing on Arafat has missed Hajj, because the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Hajj is Arafat.”

The day of Arafah has many qualities, as was narrated in many Ahadith. Aisha (R.A) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “There is no day in which Allah sets free more souls from the fire of hell than on the day of Arafat. And on that day Allah draws near to the earth and by way of exhibiting His Pride remarks to the angels, ‘What is the desire of these (servants of mine)?” Umar (R.A) said: “On a Friday we know the day and the place in which that was revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) it was when he was standing on Arafat,”
On the right slope of Jabal-ur-Rehmah there once existed a masjid called Masid Sakhrah. It signified the mark where the Prophet (PBUH) after leading the Zuhr and Asar prayer faced towards the Qibla and engaged in Dua till evening. It was at this mark where the an important of the Quran was revealed.

Another milestone for the Pilgrims is the Mina. In the Quran Mina is referenced in Surah Baqarah: “Carry out the remembrance of Allah during the limited days (10th, 11th, 12th and 13th of Dhul Hijjah). There shall be no sin on the person who chooses to hasten (to leave Mina) during the two days (by leaving Mina on the 12th Dhul Hijjah), nor will there be any sin on him who wishes to delay (by leaving Mina on the 13th). For him, who possesses Taqwa, which means throughout the Hajj journey.”

The word Mina means ‘to flow’ as it is here that the blood of sacrificial animal flow during the day of Eid ul Adha. During the Farewell Pilgrimage the Muslims had brought with them 100 camels to be sacrificed. On the 10th Dhul Hijjah the Prophet (PBUH) stoned the Jamarat and went back to his camp in Mina where he sacrificed 63 of the camels. Ali (R.A) slaughtered the remaining 37 camels and the Prophet (PBUH) instructed that a part of each camel is cooked and served to him (PBUH) and his Companions.

After the camels had been sacrificed, the Prophet (PBUH) called for a barber to shave his head. Abu Bakar (R.A) remarked afterwards on the contrast between the Khalid bin Waleed before he embraced Islam and the Khalid, who now said, “O Messenger of Allah, they forelock! Give it to none but I, my father and my mother are the ransom!” And when the Prophet (PBUH) gave it to him he pressed it reverently against his eyes and lips. It is reported that Khalid bin Waleed (R.A) used to keep this hair in his headgear. In Mina there lies a cave known as the ‘Cave of Mursalaat’ as this was where the Prophet (PBUH) was when Surah Mursalaat was revealed to him.

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Two million faithful throng Holy Mosques

source: saudigazette.com.sa

Two million faithful throng Holy Mosques

Around two million Haj pilgrims and visitors thronged the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah to offer Friday prayers. All the floors and courtyards and King Abdullah Expansion Project in the Grand Mosque were full of worshipers and their rows spilled over to the courtyards, adjacent streets and terraces of buildings. In an unparalleled spiritual ambience that the annual pilgrimage witnessed, more than one million Haj pilgrims gathered at the Islam’s holiest shrine seeking the blessing and forgiveness from the Almighty Allah. In his Friday sermon, Sheikh Khaled Al-Ghamdi, imam and khateeb of the Grand Mosque, emphasized that absolute surrender to Allah and His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in tranquility and joy without any objection and boredom, is the main purpose of making Haj an obligatory ritual. In Madinah, where imam and khateeb Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Qassim delivered the Friday sermon, the worshipers included around 155,000 Haj pilgrims who arrived to visit the Prophet’s Mosque and greet the Prophet (pbuh) after completing their Haj rituals. — SPA

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source: saudigazette.com.sa

The keepers of the Kaaba key

 source: saudigazette.com.sa

The keepers of the Kaaba key

THE guardianship of the Kaaba is still inherited by the sons of Shaybah and their successors — a tradition that has been instituted by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) after the conquest of Makkah the eighth year after Hijrah. Following the Muslim victory, the Prophet entrusted the key of the city to Uthman Bin Abi Talha and deemed the caretaking of the Kaaba to be uniquely and eternally bestowed upon the line of the sons of Shaybah.

The prophet’s words were: “Take it, Oh Bani Talha, eternally up to the Day of Resurrection, and it will not be taken from you unless by an unjust, oppressive tyrant.” This explains why this tradition has been inherited by the sons of Shaybah and their successors till present times.

The first caretaker

Islamic researcher Mohi Eddin Al-Hashemi, who specializes in the two holy mosques, notes that the story of the guardianship of the Holy Kaaba had been first instituted during the times of the Prophet Ibrahim, who with his son Ismail (peace be upon them) were ordered by Allah to raise the foundations of the Kaaba, initiating the tradition of the guardianship of the Kaaba.

The latter includes the maintenance of all matters related to the Al-Musharrafah (Holy Kaaba) ranging from its opening and closing, to preserving its immaculacy as well as monitoring its visitors. Monitoring all affairs related to the Holy Kaaba also comprises the supervision of the mausoleum of the Prophet Ibrahim.

Al-Hashimi adds that the Prophet Ibrahim entrusted the guardianship of the Kaaba to his son Ismail, who continued it until his passing. Afterward, the tradition was taken over from the sons of Ismail against their will by the tribe of Jarham (Banu Jarhma). Later on, it came also to be forcibly passed over to the tribe of Khuzaah (Banu Khuzaah), but its possession was regained by Qusai Bin Kilab Bin Murrah, who was the third great grandfather of the Prophet and a descendent of Ismail, the first to serve as the Kaaba’s caretaker.

Subsequently all matters related to the latter were entrusted to Qusai Bin Kilab. The latter had three sons namely Abd-Al-Dar the eldest (great-great grandfather of Shaybah Bin Hashim, Abd Manaf (great-great grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad) and Abd-Al-Uzza. Abd Manaf was highly honored among the tribes for his wisdom and sound discernment during his lifetime, which prompted Qusai to entrust the caretaking of the Kaaba to Abd Manaf. However, shortly before Qusai’s death as a way of honoring his eldest Abd-Al-Dar, he entrusted to him all his rights and powers including the caretaking of Kaaba.

As stated by Mohi Eddin Al-Hashimi, the caretaking of the Kaaba is inherited by the eldest son of each family and it was passed until it transferred to Uthman Bin Talha who lived during the Prophet’s times. As reported by Uthman Bin Talha on the day of victory of Islam over Makkah in the eighth year of Hijrah, the Messenger of Allah entered the city. When the Muslims were about to enter the Kaaba they found it locked. They asked who was keeping the key and they found out it was with Uthman Bin Talha. The latter was a non-believer so upon knowing about the arrival of the Prophet in Makkah, he locked the door of the holy sanctuary.

As the Prophet entered Makkah, its people accepted Islam, but Uthman was hiding. The Prophet ordered Ali Bin Abi Talib to take the key from Uthman.

Ali went to find Uthman and asked for the key but Uthman did not give it to him. Ali then snatched the key from him for the Prophet to enter the Kaaba. They opened the door and the Prophet entered the Kaaba where he prayed two rakaas.

At that time, Abbas Bin Abd Al-Muttalib, an uncle of the Prophet, was there and requested that the key must be kept with the family and then Gabriel came down with a verse, which revealed inside the Kaaba.

The Shaybah family are the keepers of the Keys, and they are the keepers because Allah desired so by revealing the only verse that was revealed inside the Kaaba. “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are belong to .....” ( 4:58).

Soon as that verse was revealed, the Prophet ordered Ali to return the key to Uthman Bin Talha and excuse themselves. Ali then went to Uthman and gave back the key and presented their apologies for the wrong he had done to him by forcibly taking the key. The latter shocked Uthman, who could not believe Ali was giving back the key to him as instructed by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the conqueror of Makkah. Ali explained to him that a verse was revealed for him in which Allah instructed the Prophet to return the trust to whom it belongs to.

Al-Hashemi points out that the guardianship of the Kaaba remained with Bani Shaybah, which is bestowed upon the elders of the family until today.

The functions of the ancient caretaker were to open and lock the door of the Kaaba and to oversee its maintenance, assisting in the washing, the cleaning and supervision of the station of Abraham.

At the present time, the guardianship belongs to the sons of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zine Al Abidine Bin Abdul-Maati Al-Shaibi, who kept the honor for 43 years. When Sheikh Mohammed passed away in 1253 AH, his eldest son Abdul Kader inherited the guardianship after him, then his brothers Solomon, Ahmed and Abdullah.

Al-Hashemi says the guardianship was transferred to the next generation to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Bin Ali Bin Mohammed Bin Zine Al Abidine Al Shaibi, who died in 1351 AH after witnessing the unification of the Kingdom.

Then Mohammed Bin Mohammed Saleh Al-Shaibi became the caretaker of the Kaaba. Upon falling ill, he transferred the guardianship to Sheikh Abdullah Bin Abdul Qadir Al-Shaibi, who was succeeded by his sons Amin, Taha and then Assem.

Their cousin Talha Bin Hassan Al-Shaybi received the guardianship followed by Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Bin Qadir Al-Shaybi who died in the month of Dhul Hijjah in 1431 AH. The guardianship moved to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Bin Taha Al-Shaybi who served the Kaaba for four years. His reign witnessed the change of the Kaaba’s lock by the order of King Abdullah.

Prince Khaled Al-Faisal handed Sheikh Abdul Qadir the lock on behalf of the King on the occasion of the cleaning of the Kaaba. He witnessed the installation of a lock for the inner repentance door of the Kaaba. When Sheikh Abdul Qadir died after a long battle with disease, his cousin Dr. Saleh Bin Zain Al-Abidine Al-Shaybi became the caretaker.

At present, the functions of the caretaker were limited to the opening and closing of the Kaaba. The Royal Court and the Ministry of the Interior and emergency forces coordinate with him if there are any state guests.

The Kaaba is cleaned annually on the 15th of Muharram each year. After the issuance of a Royal Order, the Emirate of Makkah coordinates with the caretaker about the arrangements.

In addition, the head caretaker receives the new cladding of the Kaaba on the first of Dhul Hijjah to be installed on the day of Arafat by the tailors and specialists of the King Abdul Aziz Complex for cladding.

The ceremony of handing over the cladding of the Kaaba takes place at the King Abdul Aziz Complex and is held in the presence of the head of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs alongside the director of the Complex and a large gathering of officials.

source: saudigazette.com.sa

Hajjis in white robes reach Mina

arabnews.com

Hajjis in white robes reach Mina

MAKKAH: Hundreds of thousands of Muslims began the annual Hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday, donning traditional white garments and heading to the tent city of Mina outside Makkah in an itinerary retracing the route Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) took 14 centuries ago.

Over 2 million worshippers, from nearly every country, have arrived in the Kingdom for the five-day ritual, which is a once-in-a-lifetime religious duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it.

Some prayed at the Grand Mosque before heading to the Mina area or toward Mount Arafat, east of Makkah, where Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had delivered his final sermon to followers.

They walked or took buses, with traffic police using loudspeakers to try to direct crowds speaking a medley of languages. They were dressed in simple white robes, marking a state of ihram, or ritual purity.

Moroccan pilgrim Rida Al-Belaqili, waiting to board a bus to Arafat, struggled to find words to describe his feelings, Reuters reported.

“We are meeting people from every country and every nationality. There is a sort of unity,” he said. “I hope this will recharge Muslims’ faith and spirituality. I ask God to grant me and all Muslims forgiveness.”

Eid Al-Adha, or feast of sacrifice, begins on Friday, when pilgrims begin three days of casting stones at walls in a symbolic renunciation of the devil.

source: arabnews.com

Hajj 2017: Tent City of Mina

Tent City of Mina

In this album are images of the Tent City of Mina, which is all set to receive more than two million Muslims performing Hajj 2017 starting Wednesday, August 30, 2017.

Made of fire-resistant materials, the air-conditioned tents are spread over an area of 2.5 million square meters, divided into several camps and bordered by walls linked to each other by coordinated corridors, which include public services. In the center of the camp are a series of toilets and ablutions. (SPA photos)

source: arabnews.com