Here are videos, old and new, that together show Muslims during all parts of the hajj. A note: you will want see the faces of the Muslims and listen to the dua at Arafah.
Salat at hajj 2008
Tawaf around the Kaaba
Safa and Marwah
A dua at Arafat.
Muzdelifah.
At the Jamarat, stoning Shaitan
Hajj this year is going on as construction continues to expand Masjid al-Haram.
December 13, 2008 at 4:17 pm |
As Salaamu Alaikum. Congratulations on a very informative blog. What I have to say may not go down well, but it is something that may not have been considered the the Saudis.
It is undeniable that the Hajj is the most intimate interaction between Muslims and Allah. Yet the world media, with the blessings of the so-called ‘Custodians of the Two Musjids’, have cast that intimacy into the public domain. Viewers have been treated to scenes of sobbing men and women, who have had their ‘me-time’ with their Creator spied upon by the telephoto lenses of high-tech equipment. And, amongst others, scenes at the stoning of the symbolic Shaitaan with determination etched on their faces – one on-line newspaper used the word ‘grimace’.
How long this has been going on is anyone’s guess, but what I saw this year left me cursing the Saudis for allowing such close-up images from even being captured, let alone broadcast. The Haramain and Hajj have long been out-of-bounds for non-Muslims. Yet the Saudis have circumvented that ban by taking the Haramain and Hajj to the non-Muslims.
Despite the fact that English is the most widely spoken language in the world, the coverage by Iqra TV would easily create an impression that Islam is for Arabic-speakers. The presence of cameras and reporters amongst pilgrims distracted many, as was evident by their display of ‘nafs’ by waving and trying to get on tapes of BBC and CNN as well.
With the demands of Hajj, one cannot but wonder at the quality of the niyyat and supplications of those making despatches to TV and radio stations worldwide. And those using cellphones to ‘keep in touch’.
I suppose some Fatwah will justify these actions. But, intrinsically, the admission of non-Muslims to traditionally out-of-bounds areas and the violation of intimate moments of pilgrims beseeching Allah are both wrong.
Strangely, with all the technology employed by the Saudis, they have failed to install an adequate public address system. The failure necessitates the employment of a ‘cryer’ to pronounce Takbir, Sajda, Qiyam, Jalsa, etc after the Imam during Salaah. Shame!
Durban, South Africa
8 December 2008 (9 Dhul-Hijjah 1429)