Haj: Religious Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina and other Holy Places in Saudi Arabia

Background

Haj is one of the five fundamental religious obligations of Islam for those Muslims who are able and can afford the cost of undertaking the journey. I have been considering undertaking this journey for some time. I was waiting for a year when the Haj would coincide with my University vacation, preferably during a period when it would not be too hot for me climatically. In fact, I had planned to go on the Haj during the Easter vacation of 1997. However, it turned out that the vacation period did not exactly coincide with the Haj period. Eventually, I arranged to set out on the journey the following Spring. I joined a local Pakistani group based at Nottingham. In fact the size of the group rose to about 80 people (or slightly more than 80), the pilgrims joining it from Manchester, Birmingham and London as well as Nottingham.

The Journey

Our journey from Nottingham by coach started on Tuesday 10th March 1998 at about 4.45am. The coach called at the Central Birmingham Mosque to collect more pilgrims. After performing ablution, again at the Birmingham Mosque, we resumed our journey for Heathrow Airport. On the coach, we began to recite Talbiya [Labbaika Allahumma labbaik. Labbaika la Sharika laka labbaik. Innal-hamda wan-ni’ mata laka wal mulk. Lasharika laka. Translated into English it reads: I respond to Thy call O’ Allah. I respond to Thy call and I am obedient to Thy orders. Thou hast no partners. I respond to Thy call. All praises and blessings are for Thee. All the sovereignty is for Thee. Thou hast no partners with Thee.]

At Heathrow Airport, we performed ablution and put on Ihram (two pieces of long white cloth and a pair of sandals). The pilgrims are required to wear Ihram before entering a radius around the Holy City of Mecca. This area is called Miquat. Since the plane carrying the pilgrims which lands at Jeddah Airport have to fly over parts of that area, the pilgrims are in fact asked to wear Ihram well before the planes approach Jeddah Airport (in fact for the planes coming from the west well before they approach the Red Sea). We travelled by a plane of Saudi Arabian Airline. The plane flew southward from Heathrow, across the English channel and France and then turned eastward over the Mediterranean till we reached the Egyptian airspace to the west of the Nile. The plane flew first southward along the west side of the Nile and then turned in the direction of the south east over the Aswan. As it proceeded over the airspace, a computer-simulated picture of the topography of the landscape below appeared on the screen together with the weather information and temperature both on the ground and in the airspace around the plane. The recorded temperature over southern Egypt (between Luxor and Aswan) was approximately 41 degrees centigrade while that at the height of the plane in the atmosphere was nearly –51 degrees centigrade. My mind reflected on the contrast and glorified Allah for ordering things in such a way that a small fraction of the sunlight that falls on the Earth is transformed into energy that sustains life on this planet. Before the plane reached the Red Sea after Luxor, we were warned that we were approaching the Miquat so that we should wear the Ihram. In fact, we were already in Ihram from Heathrow Airport.

Arrival at Jeddah

We arrived at Jeddah just after the sunset. It took about two and a half hours to pass through the immigration control and customs. Still I thought that we were lucky enough to do that. In fact, I thought that being the early pilgrims, we were well received. However, we were told that we had to have our passports stamped additionally. That required filling in forms by one of the officials. As he had to process literally hundreds of forms, we were in fact delayed in the Airport till about 4.00am. This was really very tiring in view of the fact that we had almost passed a sleepless night the day before. Two sleepless nights in succession can be very tiring. As we boarded the coach for the Holy City of Mecca I sat near the front of the coach because I tend to suffer from car sickness. Two persons, one adult and a boy of about twelve of the Far Eastern origin (it appeared that they were from Thailand) joined our coach and sat at the back of the vehicle.

From Jeddah to Mecca

The coach set out on the journey just before 4am. I felt sleepy on the coach. At the dawn break the coach arrived at a large pilgrim centre. We were asked by the leader of our group to get off the coach, perform ablution etc., do our morning prayer and then return to the coach to resume the journey to Mecca. Accordingly I left the coach, performed the prayer and returned to the vehicle. At the bus stop there were many water taps with Zam Zam water which we were free to take and drink. I took some water and drank. I had seen similar water taps at Jeddah Airport but didn’t realise that we were free to take and drink this water. As we boarded the coach, the two men from Thailand who were sitting at the back complained that they had left their wallet with 4000 Ryals on their seat and that that had gone missing. The Saudi religious officials came and searched the vehicle but nothing was found. Eventually we were all ordered out of the vehicle into an air-conditioned waiting room. Although outside it grew quite hot, inside the air-conditioned room I found it rather cold in Ihram costume. After a while we were each given a bottle of Zam Zam water. Normally a bottle of Zam Zam water would delight me. However, I took it as a bad sign on this occasion to indicate that we were indefinitely detained till this matter was sorted out.

During the Haj I suffered from a number of traumas. This was to be the first one. I said to myself that this was probably the once in a life time experience for me. And this happened to a group of which I was a member. I felt very depressed. I was also apprehensive that if someone was found guilty of theft, he or she would face the punishment of amputation of the hands as a penalty for theft. Fortunately further searches revealed that the wallet containing the money was on the floor beneath the seat of the coach. After that, the religious officials appeared to us and said “Allah sends misfortune to test us and Allah removes them by His Grace. And Allah has removed the misfortune from you on this occasion.” I was immensely relieved, to say the least. We were offered tins of fruit juice after that. I accepted a tin of mango juice with pleasure. It was really a splendid drink far better in quality and original flavour than that found in the western market. After that we were allowed to proceed to Mecca. Along the route to Mecca I observed for the first time in daylight the Saudi landscape which appeared to be dry, barren and progressively got hilly. Occasionally there were some shrubs and grasses. It rains very rarely in that part of Saudi Arabia. Perhaps once in ten years. The available plants seemed to be starved of moisture. I presume the moisture appears in the air above the landscape when the ground temperature alternates between hot and cold air. The contact between the cold and warm air during the night produces the moisture which has caused the growth of these plants and shrubs.

Arrival at Mecca

So we arrived at the Holy City of Mecca on 10th March 1998 in the early afternoon. We were housed in a hotel called ‘Darl Al Safi No. 1’ (Al Mala Street opposite the central post office, behind Gararah police station). The accommodation was reasonably comfortable. The rooms were air-conditioned. I was in a room with four other gentlemen – five altogether, sleeping on a mattress on the floor. Other rooms were shared amongst seven or eight people. Since we were on a spiritual mission, no one complained about the inadequacy of material comfort except that one toilet cum sink cum shower room had to be shared among the residents of three such rooms. At times those waiting for these facilities had to stand in the queue.

Very soon after our arrival we were asked to be ready (by performing ablution and perhaps taking a shower) to join in the procession for our first visit to the KABA Mosque (known as Masjidul Haram = Sacred Mosque). The KABA Mosque at the centre of which stands the cubed-shaped structure known as KIBLA to which Muslims from every part of the world turn their heads in prayer was about five minutes walk from our hotel. Very soon we joined the procession to KABA with the leader of the group at the head reciting Talbiya and in Ihram. We had been in Ihram at all times since we put these on at Heathrow Airport and we must have it on at all times until we complete our first Umrah.

First Visit to KIBLA

 

Black Stone	Holy Mosque	Al Harem Mecca
click images to enlarge

This is scheduled to be the first part of the Haj known as Umrah. It involves circumambulation (going around) around the KIBLA [the cube-shaped structure originally built by Abraham (peace be upon him) about four thousand years ago] anti-clockwise seven times reciting various Arabic expressions praising Allah, plus running and jogging between the Safa and Marwa hills seven times. This is virtually the repetition of what Hazira, Abraham’s (peace be upon him) second wife did in search of water when Abraham (peace be upon him) banished her together with his second son Ishmael. They were left in the desolate valley of Mecca when Sarah, his first wife, became jealous of Hazira. At some point when they ran out of water, Ishmael began to cry due to thirst. Hazira saw a mirage at the Safa hill which appeared to her to be water. Having appeared at Safa she realised that this was no water. She turned back towards the hill in the other direction and saw a mirage at Marwa and ran there to find that there was no water there either. When she looked back at Safa she saw the mirage and ran back towards the hill. She ran seven times between these two hills in search of water. These two hills and the space between them are now part of the KABA Mosque.

This is what the pilgrims do seven times, praying and reciting the praises of Allah. It is called SAI. Eventually Hazira returned to Ishmael who while crying out of thirst hit the ground with his heels at a spot not very far from where the KIBLA stands. As Ishmael hit the ground a spring appeared at that spot with water flowing out of it. The water was flowing in such a volume that Hazira was terrified apprehending that the world could be drowned. She screamed “Zam Zam” meaning “stop, stop”. The flow stopped, but the water remained under the ground. It became a well named as the Zam Zam Well which still provides a nourishing and refreshing drink for the pilgrims. According to Hadith [ Sahih Al-Bukhari.vol. 4, Hadith No.583 ( published by Kitab Bhavan,New Delhi-110002,India )] Ishmael's mother saw an angel at the place of Zam Zam digging the earth with his heel ( or his wing) till water flowed from that place.The angel said to her ' Don't be afraid of being neglected, for this is the House of Allah which will be built by this boy ( i.e. Ishmael ) and his father, and Allah never neglects His people'. The Hadith No. 584 of the same publication states that the angel referred to in the Hadith No. 583 was in fact angel Gabriel. From the above one should not conclude that Abraham (peace be upon him ) cut off his connection with his second family consisting of Hazira and Ishmael. On the contrary, he was engaged in the most important activities of his life acting together with his second family. The most outstanding of these works was the building of the KABA. Abraham (peace be upon him) built the KABA together with Ishmael. This is reflected in his prayer as recorded in the Holy Koran, chapter xiv, verses: 35-41 which read as follows:

35. “Remember Abraham said: ‘O my Lord, make this city (Mecca) one of peace and security; And preserve me and my sons from worshipping idols.’”

36. “O my Lord ,they have indeed led astray many among mankind. He then who follows my (ways) is of me,and he that disobeys me – but Thou art indeed oft-Forgiving,Most Merciful”.

37.”O our Lord , I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy Sacred House ( the KIBLA); in order ,O our Lord ,that they may establish regular prayer. So fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them; and feed them with fruits ; so that they may give thanks”.

38 “ O our Lord, truly Thou dost know what we conceal and what we reveal. For nothing whatever is hidden from Allah, whether on earth or in heaven”.

39 “ Praise be to Allah Who hath granted unto me in old age Ishmael and Issac. For truly my Lord is He, the Hearer of Prayer.”

40 “O my Lord, make me one who establish regular Prayer. And also (raise such) among my offspring. O our Lord and accept Thou my Prayer.”

41 “ O our Lord, cover us with Thy Forgiveness-me, my parents and (all) Believers, on the Day when the Reckoning will be established.”

The KABA stands at the centre of the valley of Mecca, surrounded by hills. The Holy Koran describes the area as the ‘blessed valley’. The Holy Prophet Mohammed’s (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) mystical journey known as Miraj via the sacred Mosque in Jerusalem (Bait-ul Maqdis in Jerusalem) and the seven heavens to the very presence of Allah in the course of one night started from the Holy Mosque of KABA.

With reference to this mystical journey (Miraj) the Holy Koran states,

“Glorified be He (Allah) who carried His slave [Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)] for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Haram (the sacred Mosque of Kaba in Mecca) to Al-Masjid-al-Aqsa (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him [Muhammed,( peace and blessing of Allah be upon him)] of Our signs. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.” (Chapter 17, Verse 1)

[A detailed account of the mystical journey appears in the Hadith (the technical name for practices and preaching of the Holy Prophet, Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). This miraculous event occurred about a year before the Hijrah – the Holy Prophet’s migration from Mecca to Medina in September 622, which marked the beginning of the Islamic Calendar. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘I was near the House of Kaba in a state between sleep and wakefulness when I heard someone saying: He is the third among the two persons. [The person saying this was Angel Gabriel.] He came to me and took me with him. Then a golden basin containing the water of Zam Zam was brought to me and my heart was opened. My heart was extracted and washed with the water of Zam Zam. Then it was restored in its original position, after which it was filled with faith and wisdom. I was then brought a white animal which is called Al-Burak, bigger than a donkey and smaller than a mule. Its stride was as long as the eye could reach. I was mounted on it and then we went forth until we arrived in Al-Masjid-al-Aqsa in Jerusalem where I led the prayer attended by other prophets:”

“Then I was carried on it, and Gabriel set out with me till we reached the nearest heaven. [ THE VISIBLE UNIVERSE WITH STARS AND HEAVENLY BODIES SEEMS TO LIE BENEATH THE NEAREST OF THE SEVEN HEAVENS.THUS THE HOLY KORAN STATES " WHO HAS CREATED THE SEVEN HEAVENS ONE ABOVE ANOTHER (chapter 67,verse 3)? AND INDEED WE ( i.e. ALLAH) HAVE ADORNED THE NEAREST HEAVEN WITH LAMPS ( chapter 67, verse 5). OUR GALAXY, THE MILKY WAY IS THOUGHT TO CONTAIN 400 BILLION STARS IN A UNIVERSE OF SOME 100 BILLION GALAXIES.]. When he asked for the gate of that heaven to be opened, a voice (presumably that of the gatekeeper or warden of the heaven) asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel answered, ‘Gabriel.’ He was asked again, ‘Who is accompanying you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Muhammed’. The voice asked once more, ‘Has he been invited here?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Yes.’ Then the voice said, ‘He is welcome. What an excellent visit his is!’ The gate was opened, and when I went over the first heaven, I saw Adam (peace be upon him) there. Gabriel said to me, ‘This is your father. Pay him your greetings.’ So I greeted him and he returned the greetings and said, ‘You are welcome, O pious son and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me until we reached the second heaven. Gabriel asked for the gate to be opened and the same questions and answers were exchanged. When I went into the second heaven, there I saw Yahya (i.e. John) and Isa (i.e. Jesus) (peace be upon them). Gabriel said to me, ‘These are John and Jesus (peace be upon them); pay them your greetings’. So I greeted them and both of them returned my greetings and said, ‘You are welcome O pious brother and pious Prophet’. Then Gabriel ascended with me to the third heaven and asked for the gate to be opened, and the same questions and answers were exchanged. The gate was opened and when I went into to the third heaven, there I saw Joseph (peace be upon him). Gabriel said to me, ‘This is Joseph. Pay him your greetings.’ So I greeted him and he returned my greetings. He said, ‘You are welcome O pious brother and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the fourth heaven and asked for the gate to be opened. The same questions and answers were exchanged and the gate was opened. When I went into to the fourth heaven, there I saw Idris (peace be upon him). Gabriel said to me, ‘This is Idris. Pay him your greetings.’ So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me and said, ‘You are welcome O pious brother and pious Prophet’. Gabriel then ascended with me to the fifth heaven and asked for its gates to be opened, and the same questions and answers were exchanged. So when I went into the fifth heaven, there I saw Harun (i.e. Aaron) (peace be upon him). Gabriel said to me, ‘This is Aaron, pay your greetings.’ I greeted him and he returned the greetings and said, ‘You are welcome, O pious brother and pious Prophet.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the sixth heaven and asked for its gate to be opened. The same questions and answers were exchanged. When I went into the sixth heaven, there I saw Moses (peace be upon him). Gabriel said to me, ‘This is Moses, pay him your greetings’. So I greeted him and he returned my greetings and said, ‘You are welcome O pious brother and pious Prophet.’ When I left him (i.e Moses), he wept. Someone asked him, ‘What makes you weep?’ Moses (peace be upon him) said, ‘I weep because after me there has been sent as Prophet a young man whose followers will enter paradise in greater numbers than my followers.’ Then Gabriel ascended with me to the seventh heaven and asked for its gate to be opened, and the same questions and answers were exchanged. When I went into the seventh heaven, there I saw Abraham (peace be upon him). Gabriel said to me, ‘This is your father, pay your greetings to him.’ So I greeted him and he returned the greetings to me, and said, ‘You are welcome O pious son and pious Prophet.’ Then I was made to ascend to Sidrat-ul-Muntaha (i.e. the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary) Behold! Its fruits were like the jars of Hajr (i.e. a place near Medina) and its leaves were as big as the ears of elephants. Gabriel said, ‘This is the Lote Tree of the utmost boundary.’ Behold! There ran four rivers, two hidden and two visible. I asked, ‘What are these two kinds of river, O Gabriel?’ He replied, ‘As for the hidden rivers, they are two rivers in paradise, and the visible rivers are the Nile and Euphrates.’ Then Al-Bait-ul-Mamur [(i.e. the Sacred House. This is the House of Allah over the seventh heaven parallel to Kibla at Mecca ,continuously visited by the angles. When the Holy Prophet Mohammed ( peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked angel Gabriel about it on his ascension to the seventh heaven during the Miraj he said "This is Al-Bait-ul-Mamur i.e. Allah's House where 70,000 angels perform prayers daily. And when they leave, they never return to it. Always a fresh batch of angels comes into it daily: Sahih Al-Bukhari, op.cit. vol.4,Hadith No.429)] was shown to me and a container full of wine and another full of milk and a third full of honey were brought to me. I took the milk. Gabriel remarked, ‘This is the Islamic religion which you and your followers are following.’ Then prayers were enjoined on me by Allah. There were fifty prayers a day. When we returned, I passed by Moses (peace be upon him) who asked me, ‘What have you been ordered to do?’ I replied, ‘I have been ordered to offer fifty prayers a day.’ Moses (peace be upon him) said, ‘Your followers will not be able to bear the burden of fifty prayers a day, and by Allah, I have tested people before you, and have tried my level best with the children of Israel in vain. Go back to your Lord and seek a reduction to lessen the burden of your followers.’ So I went back, and Allah reduced ten prayers for me. Then again I came back to Moses (peace be upon him) but, he repeated the same suggestion as he had done before. Then again I went back to Allah and He reduced ten more prayers. When I came back to Moses (peace be upon him), he repeated his suggestion. I went back to Allah and He ordered me to observe ten prayers a day. When I came back to Moses (peace be upon him), he repeated the same advice, so I went back to Allah and was ordered to observe five prayers a day. When I came back to Moses (peace be upon him), he said, ‘What have you been ordered?’ I replied, ‘I have been ordered to observe five prayers a day’. He said, ‘Your followers might have difficulty with five prayers a day and no doubt I have experience of the people before you. I have tried my level best with the children of Israel. So go back to your Lord again and ask for a further reduction to lessen the burden for your followers. I said, ‘I have requested so much of my Lord that I feel ashamed to make any further requests, but I am satisfied now and surrender to Allah’s order.’ When I left, I heard a voice saying, ‘I have issued my order and lessened the burden of my worshippers. (Sahih Muslim, op cit Vol 1A, Hadith No. 164 at p. 118; Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol 5, Hadith No. 227, pp. 143-148.).]

[An impression of the physical features of Moses and Jesus Christ (peace be upon them) as observed by the Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) during this mystical night journey (Miraj) was given in a Hadith. The Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was reported to have said, “On the night of my journey, I passed by Moses (peace be upon him). He was a man with light brown complexion, tall and well built, whilst Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) was a man of medium stature with white and red complexion, and curly hair.” (Sahih Muslim Vol 1A, Hadith No. 165 RI, at p. 119.)]

First Duration of Ten Days in Mecca

 

Moqam e Ibrahim	Sa'ai Safa-Marwa
click images to enlarge

After the performance of Umrah we stayed in Mecca for about ten days. We arrived at Mecca a bit earlier in the period of Haj. The KABA Mosque was not that crowded at that time. At the peak time of the Haj, two – three million arrived at Mecca. It is virtually impossible to move about in the KABA area of Mecca. So earlier on we used to visit the KABA Mosque regularly for our daily prayers. I used to go very often with an elderly gentleman named Mr Khan who originally came from Peshawar in Pakistan but now lives at Nottingham. I met him first at Jeddah Airport during our waiting period while our passports were being processed. When we visited the KABA Mosque next time after the Umrah I wanted to have a walk about the Mosque. Mr Khan and I went to the first floor of the grand Mosque and had an overall view of the Mosque, the view of the city in the vicinity and of the KIBLA. The KABA Mosque looked simply beautiful. I reflected on the duration of the KIBLA as follows:

In fact, the Muslims believe that Adam and Eve met on this site on the earth after being cast out from the heaven. The site developed as a place of worship but the site was destroyed by the flood at the time of Noah. Then it was built by Abraham (peace be upon him) again about four thousand years ago. The prophecy in the Hadith (the traditions of the Holy Prophet) states that KIBLA will last till the period before the end of the world. This shows that nothing has lasted as long as the KABA. The temple of Jerusalem, the tower of Babylon and anything, you name it, was erected, lasted for a duration and then crumbled into dust leaving behind a grey laughter of time. It is only the KIBLA that has stood the test of time and will last almost to the end of the world.

The Zam Zam Well

One afternoon, while we were in the KABA Mosque Mr Khan met a friend who offered to show us the Zam Zam Well. While we were climbing down a staircase towards a hall leading to the Zam Zam Well, I noticed that some people were shouting at us. Then I looked up and saw a notice in Arabic which begins with the word ‘Nesaye’ meaning ‘women’. I told Mr Khan and his friend that this was probably the entrance for the women. So we went to the next staircase for the next entrance. As we were leaving the first entrance someone touched me from behind and ran his hand across my back. I thought that that was the Arabs’ way of thanking me for persuading my friends not to proceed towards the women’s entrance.

As we came to the well, we saw that some people were praying there, while others were simply watching the well. The well is covered with glass, ends of glass being welded into golden frames. As I stood near the Zam Zam Well, I thanked Allah for providing this delicious drink for the family of Abraham and those who have come here since then including myself and those who will be coming in future. I use the expression delicious drink in relation to the Zam Zam water because the quality of this water is far superior to that of any other water. If you have drank Zam Zam water you would not want to drink any other water including normal bottled water supplied commercially, if you have access to the former. The Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said of the Zam Zam water “This is savoury food. Drink it”. Having thanked Allah for the provision of this drink, I proceeded to the sinks of which there are many near the well. There are tin cups tied to the sinks with metal chains. I drank a cup full of water and poured down some water on my feet. I used to suffer from the Athletes’ foot disease. In fact, I had suffered for nearly thirty years having tried many creams unsuccessfully. Since that experience, I no longer have that problem. That morning and at lunchtime I had a rather heavy breakfast and meal (Pakistani roti and meat curry). My stomach was uncomfortably full. I felt that I had difficulty in breathing properly. Ten minutes after I drank the Zam Zam water, that problem disappeared completely. I have heard from others that those suffering from gastric ulcers, arthritis and rheumatic pain have found the Zam Zam water helpful.

Personal Comment on the Zam Zam Water

The water that is available on land on the earth is thought to have come from what is called the hydrological cycle. That is, that part of water which evaporates from the sea, form clouds in the atmosphere and falls on land in the form of precipitation i.e. rain, snow, ice, moisture, mist, fog etc. This is absorbed into the soil and forms ground water. The source of water of lakes and rivers is also this precipitation. The ground water could be formed in other ways drawing also from this precipitation. Trees and plants hold water coming from the precipitation and pass it onto the soil. In the deserts ground water could come in a variety of ways. Occasional rainfall is absorbed by the soil. If there is rainfall on a hill or on a higher ground, e.g. as on the south-west coast of Saudi Arabia, the water that is absorbed into the soil will flow underground and reappear at a lower level in the form of an oasis. If there is a mountain with snowfall at its peak, the water from the melting of snow would flow downwards, at times underground, and reappear in the oasis. A high mountain with rainfall or snowfall would also provide the source of a river. If the river flows through a desert it would recharge not only the water of riverbed but also the ground water of the river basin on both sides of the river. All this water originating from the precipitation will eventually return to the sea where again it will evaporate into the atmosphere under the impact of the sun’s heat. And the cycle will begin again. This is why the process is called the hydrological cycle.

It is thought that there is no other source of water other than the hydrological cycle. However, it is difficult to explain the origin of the Zam Zam water (which is a ground water) in terms of the hydrological cycle. The conditions for the precipitation that I have described above do not seem to be present in Mecca or even in the areas adjacent to Mecca. It might rain once in ten years briefly and the amount of that precipitation cannot be sufficient to provide ground water for the Zam Zam Well. Two – three million pilgrims visit Mecca every year during the Haj. Pilgrims also visit Mecca all year round including the fasting month of Ramadan. During the Haj I used to drink the Zam Zam water when I entered the KABA Mosque, when I came out and in between. Practically all the pilgrims drink the water in this way. There are thousands of water containers in the Mosque with cups provided for those who might wish to drink water. Many pilgrims draw water from these containers in big cans for use overnight. Many (if not all, which I do not know) hotels have their water tanks filled with the Zam Zam water for use by their residents. Similarly Zam Zam water is supplied to the Holy Prophet’s Mosque in Medina (which is about a mile in length and three quarters of a mile in width). The Zam Zam water is also supplied to other pilgrim centres in Saudi Arabia and at Jeddah Airport. Lorries bring the Zam Zam water to Mina, a pilgrim site for the Haj. Most pilgrims returning home take with them large plastic cans filled with the Zam Zam water. Bottled Zam Zam water is distributed systematically by officials to the pilgrims at Jeddah Aiport at the end of the pilgrimage when they return home. At other times, it is distributed at the discretion of the officials.

In other words there is a massive withdrawal of water from the Zam Zam Well throughout the year and particularly during the Haj. Such a volume of withdrawal of water from any other well in the world would cause such wells to run dry. Or else, its water would turn saline.

But withdrawal from the Zam Zam Well does not affect the quality or the level of its water. The quality of Zam Zam water is, as I have already pointed out, far superior to that of other water. What is the origin of the Zam Zam water, one might ask. The hydrological cycle does not appear to be its origin. The Holy Koran (Chapter Yasin, verse 81) states referring to Allah “but His command, when He intendeth a thing, is only that He saith unto it: Be and it is.” In other words, the Zam Zam water might have been produced by a special command of Allah. If that is the case, then no amount of withdrawal is likely to affect its quality or level of supply. If Saudi Arabia were to decide at some stage to supply the rest of the world with an unlimited amount of Zam Zam water (the Zam Zam water is for free distribution only. It is not for sale) even that should not affect its quality or quantity.

Participation of Women in The Haj

The number of women taking part in the Haj is increasing. In 1998 my personal estimate was that the women formed thirty-five to forty percent of the total number of the pilgrims. While in Medina, where things are better administered, it presents no problem, in Mecca it is creating tensions between orthodox men and the women pilgrims. The women are increasingly taking more space and sometimes they take their seats in and between the men’s rows of seats. The orthodox men resent this. On one occasion I was sitting at prayer time in a row near the KIBLA. In front of me, there was an empty space where a number of women took their seats. An orthodox Turk began to shout at them and asked them to leave the KABA Mosque altogether and take their seats on the outside perimeter. One woman was leaving but I asked her to stay on where she was and requested the Turk to keep quiet. He gave me an angry look. I thought that his behaviour was rude and contrary to the tradition of the Holy Prophet who permitted women to take full part in the Haj. It is also contrary to the teachings of the Holy Koran which enjoin on the pilgrims not to engage in wrangling during the Haj. But he started shouting again. This time Mr Khan who was sitting on my left shouted back at him and asked him to move away from that spot. To my relief he did move away. I am not sure as to how the Saudi authorities would have dealt with the matter. In fact this occurs quite often.

I have offered some suggestions for improvement in this and other matters in a separate paper which is enclosed in this work.

Visit to Medina

Mosque Nabvi
Prophet's Mosque
click images to enlarge

After about ten days or so in Mecca our group set out on a journey to Medina by coach overnight. We arrived at the city fairly soon after the sunrise. Medina has hills and valleys around it. Compared with Mecca, Medina has greenery within it. There are lush and green date gardens. In fact Medina seems to produce the world’s best quality dates. It seems that Medina gets a fair amount of rainfall, although I am not sure how regular that rainfall is. Our hotel was fairly close to the Holy Prophet’s Mosque. As our coach approached the area something immediately struck my attention. There appeared to be an empty space at the city centre, of about ,a square mile in size enclosed by walls but one could see through the gaps of brick formation in the wall. My mind began to ask, “What is this place for?” It appeared to be a large cemetery. Having settled down in the hotel (where the accommodation was more comfortable, each person having a separate bed rather that a mattress on the floor) we proceeded to the Holy Prophet’s Mosque. The city seemed to be full of pilgrims, men and women, of different nationalities. The Holy Prophet’s Mosque is probably the largest in the world, nearly a mile in length and three quarters of a mile in width and superbly decorated. The floor is marbled both inside the Mosque and outside within the parameter. Rows after rows of columns supporting the ceilings are furnished with splendidly decorated chandeliers with round-shaped golden bars (I was told by someone that these are eighteen carat gold bars). Things seemed to be better administered in Medina than in Mecca. A part of the Mosque is assigned to the women who enter and leave the Mosque in a procession. As the women’s procession appears one person stands at the head of it with a flag and another person at the end. As the procession appears men give way to the women. The social atmosphere is also better. People greet each other with a smile. One feels the impact of being inside the Holy Prophet’s Mosque. One senses the atmosphere of peace, tranquillity and serenity. If a distressed person were brought inside the Mosque, within five minutes peace and tranquillity will return to his mind. The part of the Mosque where the Holy Prophet Mohammed’s (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) grave is located has above the ceiling a green dome. Mr Khan and I went to that part of the Mosque and performed our first prayer there. That happened to be the prayer time. That is also the most crowded part of the Mosque. It is quite difficult to visit the Holy Prophet’s shrine. But we managed to pass by the shrine. As we passed by it, we said “As salatu wa salamu alaika ya rasullah; as salatu wa salaimu alaika ya habilbullah; as salatu wa salamu alaika ya nabiullah” (peace and blessings be upon you O’ Prophet of Allah, O’ the beloved of Allah, O’ the messenger of Allah).

I paid three visits to the Holy Prophet’s shrine. The first one was that as I have described above. The second was a very pleasant one. On that occasion the shrine was less crowded. I was able to come very close to the door of the grave almost within the touching distance. There are three graves next to each other. If one is facing the graves, the one on the right hand side is that of Abu Baker, the first Kaliph of Islam (may Allah be pleased with him). The grave in the middle is that of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The grave on the left is that of Omar (the second of Kaliph of Islam) (may Allah be pleased with him). Two religious officials were standing on a bench in front of the doors to the graves. I asked one of them’which grave is whose.’ He identified the graves. Then I asked, “Is there any other grave there?” He answered “No, there is no other grave here.” As he answered my questions, he smiled happily. I thanked him and said “As Salamu Alaikum (peace be upon you).” Then I left quickly to make room for others.

My third visit to the shrine was a difficult one, I should say, a risky one. One morning after breakfast I took a walk about the shops nearby and then felt thirsty. I knew that there was the Zam Zam water inside the Holy Prophet’s Mosque. This water is supplied in this Mosque in the same way as it is provided in the KABA Mosque in Mecca. If I had access to the Zam Zam water I would not drink any other water, bottled or otherwise. So I went inside the Mosque, drank water and then thought that this was the time between the daily prayers (about 10am). Therefore, the Holy Prophet’s shrine was likely to be less crowded. So I decided to visit the Holy Prophet’s shrine and pay him my respects. But as I arrived at that part of the Mosque I realised that I was mistaken. There was no question of my turning back then. The crowd was coming down behind my like a mountain glacier. I decided to follow the crowd. In fact I had no choice. But there were also people sitting on the ground there praying . The previous day, I had been told that a crowd fell on those sitting and praying there, and a number of people had died on that spot. As I was proceeding, I fell on someone being pushed from behind. At that moment I sought Allah’s help and protection. It appeared that my prayer was answered. The man before me was a well-built Turk. I put my left hand on his shoulder and the right hand on the shoulder of the person sitting on the floor near my feet and managed to stand up. I then followed the crowd ahead. As I came near the shrine, I saw a white complexioned religious official standing there and saying “Haram, haram” meaning “forbidden, forbidden.” On another occasion I heard an official saying “Sherk, sherk” (polytheism, polytheism). The Wahabi (the puritanical sect of Islam who are in power in Saudi Arabia) religious officials feel that the pilgrims by their excessive devotional zeal (as for example by kissing the site and weeping etc.) are raising the Holy Prophet to the status of Jesus Christ as perceived by the Christians. They feel that this is incompatible with the monotheism of Islam.

I said to him from a distance (I do not think that he heard me) “Brother, I have no problem with you. I accept your position as theologically correct.” Most pilgrims visit the Holy Prophet’s Mosque because they have heard of a Hadith to the effect that “whoever will have prayed at least forty times in my Mosque will be entitled to my intercession on the Day of Judgment. I will come under an obligation to intercede on his behalf on that Day.” But the Holy Koran states that only he to whom permission will be granted by Allah will be able to intercede on behalf of others. The Hadith makes it clear that that permission will be given only to the Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) [Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol.6, Hadith No.3 (published by Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi 110002, India)]. For this reason, I have never directly addressed the Holy Prophet with any request; nor did I request him to intercede on my behalf. Instead I prayed to Allah to say “O’ Allah, please grant permission to the Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to intercede on my behalf on the Day of Judgment.” In fact all my request in relation to the Holy Prophet including my wish to see him (who lived about fourteen hundred years ago) have been addressed to Allah. These prayers of mine have been answered by Allah.

[The Islamic belief is that at death, body and soul are separated. Body returns to the state of matter or 'dust' from which it came while soul continues it's existence. At this stage the soul might remain in heavenly bliss or suffer punishment depending on the record in life of the dead person. On the Day of Judgement the soul and body will be re-created and re-united. At that point each person will face Judgement. It is only after the Day of Judgement that each person will proceed to his or her eternal destiny i.e. to heaven/paradise or hell. The Day of Judgment will come after the end of the world and the universe. The Holy Koran,the Muslim Holy Book states that the end of the universe will occur "When the sky is cleft asunder and,when the planets are dispersed,when the oceans rise ( chapter :LXXXII,verses :1,2,3),when the sun is overthrown and when the stars fall ,when the mountains vanish (chapter:LXXXI, verses:1,2,3) and the sun and the moon are united ( chapter: LXXV, verse 9)"].

[The Islamic belief as to the reward or punishment in life after death depending on the record in life of the dead person might raise a theological/philosophical question in the minds of the Western intelligentia. (See, for instance the book entitled "The Islamic Space", by William Corlette & John Moore, published by Hamish Hamilton Ltd. in 1979, chapter vii). The question is: how to reconcile the freedom of will/action of a person in life with predestination of such a person as to what will happen to him both in this life and in the life after death. The main thrust of the teachings of the Holy Koran (the Islamic Holy Book) and Hadith (containing the teachings and practices of Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is that every person must have the correct faith i.e. belief in one God, do good deeds and avoid bad deeds i.e. sins. Such a person is promised an immense reward in the next world. Failure to do so is liable to incur dire punishment. This implies a freedom to choose in life between correct faith and good deeds on the one hand and wrong faith (e.g. polytheism) and bad deeds on the other. However, Islamic belief seems to include faith in the predestination of what will happen to all human beings both in this life and in the hereafter. Thus Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said that after 120 days of the pregnancy of a woman, an angel is sent by Allah to her. The angel who breathes life into the baby the mother is carrying is commanded to write down four things as to the destiny of that baby, viz. his life span, his actions in life, his livelihood and whether he will be happy or unhappy. In life, one of such persons behaves like the people of paradise until there is but an arm's length of distance between him and paradise. Then what was written by the angel as to his destiny overtakes him and he behaves like the people of Hell-fire and enters it (after his death). Another person behaves like the people of Hell-fire until there is but an arm's length of distance between him and Hell-fire. Then what was written by the angel about his destiny overtakes him and he behaves like the people of paradise. Then he enters paradise after his death (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 9, Hadith No. 546, pp. 411-412). In another Hadith Umar (the second Khalif) stated that one day while we were sitting in the company of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) angel Gabriel came (in the shape of a man who was identified by the Holy Prophet) and asked him to explain (a) Islam, (b) Iman (faith), (c) Ihsan (right actions), (d) Signs of the Hour (Signs of the end of the World). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained these all. On Iman (faith) he said: Iman is to believe in Allah (One God), His angels, His Books (revealed Books including the Holy Koran), His Messengers, the Day of Resurrection and to believe in Al-Qader (Divine Preordainment i.e. Preordained Destiny), both the good and the evil thereof. The angel Gabriel stated that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had spoken correctly on these matters including Iman (Sahih Muslim, vol.1A, Hadith No.8, p. 5)
This shows that the belief in predestination forms part of the Islamic faith. If someone does not believe in the predestination of Man's fate, he is not a believer in the Islamic faith. The question is: how to reconcile freedom of will/action with the predestination of one's fate.
In the perception of this author, the answer to this question ought to be pursued along the following lines. First, while we, humans and God's created beings are subject not only to the limitations of the three dimensional world (i.e. of length, width and height) but also to those of the fourth dimension (space & time) Allah is sovereign over all things and is not subject to any limitation. The Holy Koran states "Blessed be He (i.e. Allah) in whose hand is sovereignty and He is able to do all things" (chapter 67, verse 1). Thus while the humans cannot travel back in time to the past or to the future (except at the speed of time), Allah is able to see at the time of pregnancy of the mother the lifetime of the person conceived and judge his fate, observing how he or she will have behaved in life. Secondly, while the precise relationship between the preordainment of fate and freedom of will/action is one of mystery, it seems that the former does not entirely eliminate the role of individual human beings in terms of his motivation, actions and prayer in shaping his destiny. Thus Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in the course of a funeral "There is no-one amongst you whose seat in paradise or Hell has not been allotted...” A person said: "Allah's Messenger, should we not then depend upon our destiny and abandon our deeds?" (Sahih Muslim, vol.1 V.B, p. 210, Hadith No. 2647). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said "No, but carry on and do your deeds, for everybody finds it easy to do such deeds (as will lead him to his place) ". The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then cited the verses 5-10 of chapter 92 of the Holy Koran stating "As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears him ... We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness)" (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 8, Hadith No. 602, p. 392). In another Hadith, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said "Take refuge with Allah from the difficulties of severe calamities, from having an evil end and a bad fate..." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol.8, Hadith No.613, p. 400). This suggests that prayer and efforts on the part of individual human beings can change his destiny from bad to good. Thirdly, the above approach is further re-enforced by the exhortation in the teachings of the Holy Koran and Hadith for repentance on the part of the human beings. Thus the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said "Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant (Man) than with one of you finding the lost camel in the waterless desert. (Allah said) ‘When he draws near Me by the span of his hand, I draw near him by the length of a cubit and when he draws near Me by the length of a cubit, I draw near by the length of a fathom and when he draws near Me walking I draw close to him hurriedly" (Sahih Muslim, vol. IVB, Hadith No. 2675R7, p. 257).
The combination of preordainment of destiny with the individuals' faith, efforts and prayer amounts to saying that man should pray with hope. Allah has asked us to pray with hope. Anyone who does not have the hope that his prayer would be answered by Allah for his salvation is not a believer.]

[An indication of the type of punishment and /or heavenly bliss to which the souls of the dead persons could be exposed after death but before the Day of Judgment is given in the following Hadith.

One morning the Holy Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Last night two persons (two angels) came to me in a dream [The Muslims believe that the dreams of the prophets are a true reflection of reality] and woke me up and said to me ‘proceed’. I set out with them and we came across a man lying down, and behold, another man was standing over his head, holding a big rock. Behold, he was throwing the rock at the man’s head, injuring it. The rock rolled away and the thrower followed it and took it back. By the time he reached the man his head returned to the normal state. The thrower did the same as he had done before. I said to my companions, ‘Subhan Allah ! (Allah be glorified). Who are these two persons?’ They said, ‘proceed’. So we proceeded and came to a man lying flat on his back and another man standing back on his head with an iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook on one side of the man’s mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back of the neck and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of his face and did just as he had done with the other side. He had hardly completed this side when the other side returned to its normal state. Then he returned to it to repeat what he had done before. I said to my two companions, ‘Subhan Allah! (Allah be glorified.) Who are these two persons? They said to me ‘proceed’. So we proceeded and came across something like a Tannur (a kind of baking oven, a pit usually clay-lined for baking bread). In that oven there was much noise and many voices. We looked into it and found naked men and women, and behold, a flame of fire was reaching to them from underneath, and when it reached their genital organs, they cried loudly. I asked my two companions, ‘Who are these?’ They said to me, ‘proceed!’ And so we proceeded and came to a river which was red like blood. And behold, in the river there was a man swimming, and on the bank there was a man who had collected many stones. Behold, while the other man was swimming, he went near him. The former opened his mouth; the latter on the bank threw a stone into his mouth, whereupon he went swimming again. He returned and every time the performance was repeated. I asked my two companions, ‘Who are these two persons?’ They replied, ‘Proceed! Proceed!’ And we proceeded till we came to a man with a repulsive appearance – the most repulsive appearance you ever saw a man having! Beside him there was a fire and he was kindling it and running around it. I asked my companions, ‘Who is this man?’ They said to me, ‘Proceed! Proceed!’ So we proceeded till we reached a garden of deep green dense vegetation, having all sorts of spring colours. In the midst of the garden, there was a very tall man and I could hardly see his head because of his great height, and around him there were children in such a large number as I have never seen. I said to my companions, ‘Who is this person?’ They replied, ‘Proceed! Proceed!” So we proceeded till we came to a majestic huge garden, greater and better than anything I have ever seen! My two companions said to me, ‘Go up.’ And I went up. We ascended till we reached a city built of gold and silver bricks. We went to its gates and asked the gatekeeper to open the gate. It was opened and we entered the city. There we found men with one side of their bodies as handsome as the most handsome person you have ever seen. On the other side, as ugly as the ugliest person you have ever seen. My two companions ordered those men to throw themselves into the river. Behold, there was a river flowing across the city, and its water was like milk in whiteness. Those men went and threw themselves in it and then returned to us after the ugliness of their bodies had disappeared. They became in the best of shape. My two companions (angels) said to me, ‘this place is the Eden Paradise and that is your place.’ I looked up, and behold, there I saw a palace like a white cloud! My two companions said to me, ‘That palace is your place.’ I said to them, ‘may Allah bless you both! Let me enter it!’ They replied, as for now, you will not enter it. But you shall enter it one day. I said to them, ‘I have seen many wonders tonight. What does it all mean?’ They replied, ‘we will inform you. As for the first man you saw, whose head was being injured with the rock, he is the symbol of the one who studies the Koran and then neither recites it, nor acts on its teachings and sleeps, neglecting the enjoined prayers. As for the man you came upon whose sides of mouth, nostrils and eyes were torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world. Those naked men and women whom you saw in a construction resembling an oven are the adulterers and the adulteresses, and the man whom you saw swimming in the river and given a stone to swallow, is the eater of usury (Riba) and the bad looking man whom you saw near the fire kindling it and going round it is Malik, the gatekeeper of Hell and tall man whom you saw in the garden is Abraham (peace be upon him) and the children around him are those children who die with Al-Fitra (the Islamic Faith).’ The narrator added: Some Muslims asked the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), ‘O Allah’s messenger, what about the children of pagans who might have adopted the Islamic faith?” The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied, ‘And those too.’ The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then said, “My two companions added, ‘the men you saw half handsome and half ugly were those persons who had mixed an act that was good with another act which was bad, but Allah forgave them.’”(Sahih Al-Bukhari op.cit. Vol.9,Hadith No.171)]

SUICIDE BOMBERS AND THE CONCEPT OF JIHAD/HOLY WAR

The purpose of this section is to explore the question as to how those who commit suicide by bombing, claiming to be engaged in 'Jihad/Holy War' will be treated when they die, according to the Islamic faith. The first proposition is that SUICIDE IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN IN ISLAM. Thus it is stated in Hadith on the authority of Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah [i.e. the Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)] said “He who killed himself with steel (weapon) would be the eternal denizen of the Fire of Hell. He would have that weapon in his hand and would be thrusting that in his stomach for ever. He who drank poison and killed himself would sip that in the Fire of Hell where he is doomed for ever and ever; and he who killed himself by falling from the top of a mountain (or from a bridge over a river or sea) would constantly fall into the Fire of Hell and would live there for ever and ever" (Sahih Muslim, vol.1A, p.72, Hadith No.109. See also Hadith Nos. 109R1, 110, 110R1, 110R2, 111, 112, 113, 113R1, at pp. 71-74 of the same volume).

If a person engaged in war or struggle that does not qualify as Jihad/Holy War resorts to suicide bombing and kills himself or herself his or her act is liable to be judged by Allah as one of pure suicide. On the authority of this Hadith such a person would be blowing himself up by explosives eternally in the Fire of Hell in the next world and would not be eligible for the Mercy/Rahmat of Allah. However, those who resort to such actions would claim to be engaged in Jihad/Holy War and would expect to be treated as martyrs, rewarded accordingly and not punished. If the struggle/war in which such a person is engaged is classified by Allah as Jihad/Holy War then the person or persons killed in such actions would be treated as martyrs who would receive eternal life ( The Holy Koran, chapter 2, verses 154 & 169), would rejoice in glory (op.cit. chapter 3, verses 170-171), receive forgiveness and Mercy/Rahmat of Allah (op.cit. chapter 3, verses 157-158) and would be entitled to the best provision in Heaven (op.cit.chapter 12, verses 58-59). Such a person would desire to return to this life and be killed again and again in Jihad/Holy war for the merit of martyrdom that he has seen (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol.1, pp.32-33, Hadith No.35; Sahih Muslim, vol.111A, pp.275-276, Hadith Nos. 1877-1885).

However, the most crucial question is whether the struggle/war in which that person commits suicide by detonating a bomb will be classed as Jihad/Holy War. That raises the question as to what is Jihad/Holy War? The question requires an analysis of the relevant verses of the Holy Koran and of Hadith - something that no one has done. As a result there is confusion and / or misunderstanding about the concept of Jihad/Holy War in the minds of some or possibly of many of the Muslims. MANY MUSLIMS DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF JIHAD/HOLY WAR IN ISLAM. Some of them (including some of the countries) have on their agenda, the development of nuclear or even chemical and biological weapons. As a result someone bombing a wedding reception or an underground train carrying women, children, elderly and civilians going to work or Muslims praying at a mosque, thinks that he or she is engaged in Jihad/Holy War and expects to be treated as a martyr by Allah. Such a person has not even the faintest idea that his or her bombing might be an act of suicide pure and simple (for which the appropriate punishment has been articulated by the Hadith quoted above). The person does not realise that DIRE CONSEQUENCES ARE LIKELY TO FOLLOW FOR HIM OR HER FOR COMMITTING SUCH AN ACT FROM THIS MISTAKE WHEN HE OR SHE WILL DIE.

WHAT IS JIHAD/HOLY WAR?

As stated above, the answer to this question has to be ascertained by a reading of the relevant verses of the Holy Koran. Thus Allah says in the Holy Koran
"... whoso fights in the cause of Allah and is killed or gets victory, we shall bestow on him a great reward" (chapter 4, verse 74).
"And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the cause of Allah and for those weak, ill-treated and oppressed among men, women and children whose cry is:' Our Lord. Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors and raise for us from You one who will protect and raise for us from You one who will help" (chapter 4, verse 75).

If we reflect on the plight of the Muslims in Bosnia in the 1990s under attack from the Serb militia (who massacred the men, raped the women, pillaged their homes and starved them in concentration camps) in the context of these verses, their meaning will become both relevant and clear to us.

WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS THAT MUST BE FULFILLED FOR A STRUGGLE/WAR TO QUALIFY AS JIHAD/HOLY WAR?

It is the understanding of this author that there are three conditions that must be met for a struggle/war to count as Jihad/Holy War. They are as follows:

1. The first condition is that the struggle/war must have a just cause. Verses 74 and 75 of the Holy Koran quoted above make that clear. Anyone who fought for the defence of the oppressed Muslims under Serb attacks in Bosnia in the 1990s had a just cause to fight. Further authority for the proposition concerning the requirement of 'just cause' is provided by verses 39 and 40 of chapter 22 of the Holy Koran. Verse 68 of chapter 25 forbids inter alia killing of such persons as Allah has forbidden except for 'just cause'. Verse 32 of chapter 5 explains whose killings are forbidden by stating "... if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder nor for spreading of mischief in the earth , it would be as if he had killed all mankind..."

2. The second condition is that the struggle/war must not target non-combatant civilians, women, children and the elderly. The second condition seems to follow from the first. Verse 33 of chapter 17 of the Holy Koran states “And do not kill anyone whose killings Allah has forbidden except for a just cause..." The Hadith provides for the same by saying “To murder a human being is one of the great sins" (Sahih Al Bukhari, vol.9, Hadith No.10). The Holy Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prohibited the killing of women and children in the course of war (Sahih Al- Bukhari, vol.1, Hadith Nos.257 and 258).
Another aspect of the matter is that suicide bombers in Iraq (who are presumably Muslims) very often target the civilians. Islam's Holy Prophet condemned such acts by saying that killing of one Muslim by another is an act of Kafir (unbeliever). A Muslim committing such an act becomes an unbeliever ( Sahih Muslim,vol.1A, pp. 50-51, Hadith No. 64).

3. The third condition is that force used in the war/struggle must not be disproportionate or excessive. This condition would preclude the use of weapons of mass destruction such as chemical or biological weapons or nuclear bombs.
In verse 190 of chapter 2, the Holy Koran states " And fight in the way of Allah those who fight you but transgress not the limits . Truly Allah likes not the transgressors". The limits of war mentioned in this verse have been articulated above in the verses quoted there. When Islam's Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) deputed any of his companions on military missions he used to say to him " Give glad tidings (to the people of the land subject to the military campaigns), do not create in their minds aversions (towards Islam), show them leniency and do not be hard upon them"(Sahih Muslim, vol. 111A, p.164. Hadith Nos. 1732 & 1733).
In the modern context the third condition stipulating the prohibition of disproportionate force should preclude the use of weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear weapons and /or chemical and biological weapons. SUCH WEAPONS BY THEIR VERY NATURE ARE LIKELY TO BREACH THE SECOND AND THIRD CONDITIONS IN THEIR IMPACT ON THE CIVILIAN POPULATION.

In order to explain the applicability of these three conditions and to clarify the concept of Jihad/Holy War we might ask ourselves the question: if the British and the Americans were Muslims, could they have justified their war against The Third Reich in the Second World War as 'Jihad/Holy War'. In order to proceed with this question it needs to be emphasised that all three conditions have to be met in order to make that war (or any other war for that matter) 'Jihad/Holy War'. Breach of any one of these three conditions would mean that their war against Hitler’s regime could not be classified as 'Jihad/Holy War'. We will now proceed to ask ourselves each one of those questions.

The first question is: did the Allied Powers have a just cause to fight the Nazi regime in Germany? In view of the doings of The Third Reich both within Germany and outside translated into the charges of the Nuremberg Trial in 1946 as (i) crime against humanity, (ii) crime against peace and (iii) crimes of war) the answer must be in the affirmative. The second question is: did the Allied powers target the civilians. The answer to this question is, as a matter of fact, 'yes'. In February 1942 the Head of the British Royal Air Force abandoned the policy of 'strategic bombing' i.e. of bombing specific targets and adopted instead the policy of 'carpet bombing' i.e. that of bombing everything and every one. The effect of that type of bombing on the German cities including Dresden (which was bombed on 13 and 14 February 1945 resutling in civilian casualties estimated to be as high as 135,000) is well-known. Consequently he breached the second condition. The fact that Germany had bombed the civilians in the cities in Britain could not have given Britain the justification for bombing the civilians in Germany in Islamic law. The third question is: did the Allied powers use disproportionate force in the conduct of war. The answer seems to be in the affirmative (a) owing to the fact that the Americans used nuclear weapons against Japan and (b) by the effect of their bombing on German cities such as Dresden and other cities. Therefore it appears that the Allied Powers complied with the first condition but breached the second and the third condition. Since it is necessary to meet each one of those conditions they failed to pass the test. Consequently they could not have justified their war against Germany and Japan as 'Jihad/Holy War'.

To conclude, for the reasons given above, if the suicide bombers breach any one of three conditions necessary to render a war/struggle into 'Jihad/Holy War', their deaths are likely to be treated as acts of pure suicide for which the appropriate penalty has been specified in the hadith quoted above (i.e. Sahih Muslim, vol.1A, at p. 72, Hadith No. 109 and other Hadiths referred to).

Then I passed by the shrine of the Holy Prophet saying “O’Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.”

Jannatul Baki

One morning after the morning prayer I walked in the direction of what appeared to be a large cemetery (about a square mile in size what we saw when we first arrived in Medina). There were many people there, some inside and some outside it trying to get in. Some, particularly women, were praying and even weeping but the women were being somewhat rudely turned way by the officials and the police. At the entrance I was stopped by an official who searched my bag. I asked him about the place. He said “Baki.” There appeared to be long rows of graves with a footpath between them. I asked one or two people about this place. They answered in Arabic or possibly Persian. I saw long lines of pilgrims along the footpaths, notably the Turks, Malaysians and Indonesians (who used to wear some sort of uniform and were therefore distinguishable from others). The police were trying to turn them back. By that time I had determined that it was a cemetery. So I decided to offer prayer for the dead (Kabar Ziarat). Towards the end of the prayer someone pushed me from behind saying “move on”. That was a policeman who was turning back the people at a distance from me. But by that time, he had caught up with me as well. When I left the cemetery I found out that this was the cemetery with the early Muslims’ graves. It is known as ‘Jannatul Baki’. It is believed that those buried there will go to heaven. But then it dawned on me that this cemetery contained the most tragic chapter of the Islamic history. I know something about it that most people do not know. The Islamic scholars might know it. I have read from Sahih Al-Bukhari (a few years ago I had acquired a complete set of Sahih Al Bukhari (nine volumes); recently I have also acquired Sahih Muslim Hadith (eight volumes) ) that after the battle of Karbala in 680, a full-scale civil war broke out among the Muslims. In this war the population of Medina declared their loyalty to the family of the Holy Prophet by his first wife, Khadiza (may Allah be pleased with her). His later wife Ayisha (may Allah be pleased with her) joined Yazid and his father Mawiya,the enemies of the family of the Holy Prophet by his his first wife. Having won the battle of Karbala Yazid and Mawiya moved to Medina and put to swords all the close companions of the Holy Prophet including those who had sworn allegiance to him at Hudaybia, the year before the Muslim conquest of Mecca. I thought that these martyrs were all buried in Jannatul Baki. I had learned from Hadith Al-Bukari that the Holy Prophet knew during his lifetime, not only that this tragedy of the civil war would occur, but also precisely how it would occur including the role of his later wife Ayisha (may Allah be pleased with her) against the family of his first wife Khadiza (may Allah be pleased with her). This must have been the most traumatic experience of his life. I felt that I personally shared this trauma of the Holy Prophet. In fact, this was my second trauma on this Haj.

In Surah Ad-Duha (The Morning Hours), Allah revealed to the Holy Prophet,

“1. By the morning hours; 2. And by the night when it is stillest; 3. Thy Lord hath not forsaken thee nor doth He hate thee; 4. And verily the latter portion will be better for thee than the former; 5. And verily thy Lord will give unto thee so that thou will be content.”

When I observed that millions were coming to visit the Mosque (which is the most magnificent Mosque in the world) and the shrine (which was also his home during his lifetime) of the Holy Prophet and invoking the blessings of Allah for him, I felt that Allah has fulfilled His promise as in Surah Ad-Duha, but at a price. And that price has been heavy.

A Visit to The Site of The Battle of Uhud

My third traumatic experience was in relation to the visit to the site of the battle of Uhud which is near Medina. During our stay in Medina, our group paid a visit to this site. We were shown the spot where the Holy Prophet stood in the battle and where he suffered personal injury. It seems that the Holy Prophet displayed a strong sense of leadership and the qualities of a general in command of an army. He stood in front of two small hills with a narrow passage between them. Ahead lay a long valley. Presumably the enemy forces came through that valley. Beyond that lies the hill of Uhud which encloses a small plain from three sides. The Holy Prophet presumably ordered the attack against the enemy in the valley before him but a group of archers with bows and arrows were placed to protect the rear, particularly the narrow passage between the two hills behind him. The Muslims pushed the enemy into the small plain enclosed on three sides by Mount Uhud. There is a graphic account of this battle in Hadith Al-Bukari. It is on that plain that Hamza, the uncle of the Holy Prophet died having been shot by an arrow fired by an African slave of one of the enemy leaders. When the archers defending the rear saw that the enemy was on the run, they left their defending position and went for the loot. The Holy Prophet begged them to stay in their position and defend it but they did not listen. On the enemy side there was a general named Khalid bin Walid who subsequently embraced Islam and became the greatest general in the Islamic history. He saw weakness in the Muslims’ defences and launched an attack. The enemy came to the Holy Prophet through the narrow passage between the two hills. One of them struck on his head with an Arab offensive weapon. He was bleeding profusely. The Muslim women who were nearby tried to stop the bleeding initially unsuccessfully. Eventually they put some ash on the wound which stopped the bleeding.

When I visited these sites I was overwhelmed with a sense of sorrow and pain. My heart was crying out saying “why do human beings fight with each other. Why can’t they love each other and live in peace.” This was the third trauma that I suffered from. After the visit we returned to Medina. I purchased some dates and dry fruits from a place nearby.

The Spiritual Significance of the Mountain of Uhud

A spiritual significance seems to be attached to this mountain near Medina, the second Holy City of Islam. Thus a Hadith [the technical name for the record of the activities and teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) narrated by Anas Bin Malik] states that when Allah’s messenger (ie. the Holy Prophet) appeared before the mountain of Uhud, he said, “This is a mountain that loves us and is loved by us.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 5, Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi, 110002, India, p. 282.)

Another Hadith reported by Abu Tharr states that once he was walking with the Holy Prophet on the stony ground of Medina overlooking the mountain Uhud. At some point, the Holy Prophet asked him (i.e. Abu Tharr) to wait at a spot until he (i.e. the Holy Prophet) would return. The Holy Prophet walked on his own until he disappeared from the site of Abu Tharr. After a while, Abu Tharr heard a loud bang. He thought that the Holy Prophet might have met some mishap, but he felt that he had to wait at that spot and could not go to look for him. After a long while, the Holy Prophet returned. But as he was returning, the Holy Prophet was having a conversation with someone whom Abu Tharr could not see. When the Holy Prophet arrived, Abu Tharr asked him about the person with whom he was having a conversation. The Holy Prophet replied, “That was Angel Gabriel, who met me by the side of the stony ground and said, ‘Give glad tidings to your followers that he, who died without associating any partner with Allah, would enter Paradise.’ I said, ‘Gabriel, even if he committed theft and fornication?’. Then he said, ‘yes’. I again said, ‘Even if he committed theft and fornication?’, Gabriel said ‘yes, and even if he drank alcoholic drinks.’” (Sahih Muslim, translated by Abdul Hamid Siddiqi, volume 11A, pp. 87-88, Ashraf Islamic Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan.)

The content of this Hadith is corroborated by Hadith no. 579 at p. 431 of Sahih-Al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi, 110002, India, translated by Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan. In that Hadith the Holy Prophet said “Gabriel came to me and gave me the glad tidings that anyone who died without worshipping anything besides Allah ,would enter Paradise. I asked Gabriel ‘Even if he committed theft and even if he committed illegal sexual intercourse ,? He said ‘Yes , even if he committed theft and even if he committed illegal sexual intercourse’”

The above incident is also narrated in a Hadith of Sahih-Al-Bukhari, where Angel Gabriel said to the Holy Prophet “anyone who believes in and recites the statement ‘La Ilaha Illallah’ (translated: ‘There is no god but Allah’ i.e. there is only one God) will be protected from hell fire. Allah will not send such a person to hell.”

Stay in Medina

During the stay in Medina we visited a number of other historic mosques including the Quba Mosque where the Holy Prophet offered his first prayer when he arrived at Medina; and another mosque where the divine revelations came to him instructing the Muslims to pray in the direction of the KIBLA in Mecca. Previously the Muslims used to turn their heads in prayer towards the Mosque built on the Dome of Rock in Jerusalem. Overall the stay in Medina was quite pleasant.

I used to think that I was somewhat different from the rest of the mankind in that while others were concerned with their own family, children and descendants, I was equally concerned about the well-being of my ancestors, including my parents as well as my family and descendants. This is also the reason why I pray for the ancestors and the parents of the Holy Prophet as well as his family descendant and himself. One afternoon I came out of the Holy Prophet’s Mosque after prayer and noticed that a large number of people were watching something. The object turned out to be about a dozen people from Mongolia including possibly some women. I also joined the watchers. The Mongolian men looked like Chengis Khan, Halaku Khan and Kublai Khan (the Mongol warriors who in 1258 turned Baghdad into a virtual graveyard) with short moustaches and six or seven long beards extending from one cheek to the other. I said “O’ Allah have I travelled back through the time tunnel to the Middle Ages. Please take me back to the end of the twentieth century where my family is. I have not seen them for a fortnight and I miss them very much.” Then I recovered, so to say,to realise that I was still at the close of the twentieth century. On reflection I thought that I was being told bluntly “you’re not different from others.”

There are many jewellery shops in the Medina as there are in Mecca. I looked for some jewellery for my wife. But I was also thinking of someone else. My second daughter, who had got married just over a year ago, was expecting a baby. I knew that this would be a girl. I wanted to buy something for her as well. I felt that I was carrying her in my arms. As it turned out in real life, I am doing just that. In the end, I bought some jewellery for both of them for two hundred pounds. I also purchased souvenirs for the other members of the family in addition to a sizeable amount of dates for taking home. In Medina dates are, I am inclined to think, the finest in the world. Out of my love for the Holy Prophet I spent most of my money in Medina with a view to contributing to the local economy.

The Haj draws pilgrims from all over the world – a miniature humanity of races and nationalities. I heard of some figures: sixty four thousand Turks, twenty five thousand Malaysians, one hundred and twenty thousand Indonesians, thirty four thousand Bangladeshis and so on. I noticed a group of people who tend to be distinguishable by their physical features. They are mostly white and handsome. Men wear exceedingly white turbans which are slung across their back up to half way. Their women are also beautiful. I thought that if one of them were to sit beside me at prayer time, I would ask him as to where they came from. But no such opportunity arose. They may well have come from the countries of the Caucasus where the people are mostly Muslims or from the Balkans. After about ten days of stay in Medina, we left for Mecca by coach over night. All in all, the time spent in Medina was the most pleasant of the Haj period and in a way the most memorable. Notwithstanding the traumas I experienced I recall the time with great nostalgia and the occasions of the visits to the Holy Prophet’s grave as the most memorable event.

Arrival from Medina to Mecca

Next morning we arrived at Mecca. I went to the KABA Mosque to perform my afternoon prayers. Mecca was getting increasingly crowded. After the Asar prayer (the late afternoon prayer) I realised that I had caught a bad flu. In fact I felt that “I had had it.” As I returned to my hotel room I went to bed and could not get up from bed for days. I had no appetite for food. I went virtually without food. My room-mates were worried about me. The deputy leader of the group brought some tablets for me. I found them useful. My room-mates offered me some food from time to time. I was virtually confined to a bed for five days. One day (I think it was a Friday) I got up and wanted to pray at the KABA Mosque. The KABA area of Mecca was so crowded by this time that it was almost impossible to walk through the crowd. But I thought I might be able to find space on the first floor of the Grand Mosque that is used for SAI (running between Safa and Marwa). All these are now part of the Grand Mosque of the KABA. As I arrived near the KABA Mosque, the whole area presented a scene of a vast ocean of humanity. There was not even an inch of empty space anywhere. It was not possible even to proceed to the entrance of the SAI on the first floor. One can perform SAI and TAWAF not only on the ground floor of the Mosque but also on different floors above i.e. at different levels including the roof of the building of the Grand Mosque.

The whole KABA area was intensely hot and the air above it was polluted. The air literally stinks. That is not only because too many people were breathing into an enclosed area, but also because many people had fallen ill like me and were sneezing and coughing. The KABA area can also be quite hot. Although the marble floor all around is cool, the air above gets hot. That is presumably because the KABA is in a deep valley surrounded by hills on all sides. In only one direction (that is, in the direction of Al-Mala Street, where our hotel was located) there is a passage out of the valley, but even that rises at a higher plain from the KABA. I suppose if one is looking at the KABA from the air, the area would probably look like a giant hole and the KABA would be at the centre at its deepest point. If one is looking upwards around the KABA, the hills rise to their height by several hundred or possibly thousands of feet. The wind which probably blows from the north-west to the south-west does not tend to descend to the depth of the valley to the location of the KABA. That is why the air tends to get quite hot. The situation might have been made worse by the building of blocks of hotels and offices around the KABA. This has made it more difficult for the wind to descend to the depth of the valley where the KABA is located. Of course, any place under the continuous Arabian sun will be hot and an enclosed area (enclosed by the hills around with no airflow) would be still hotter.

As I had no access to the KABA Mosque for prayer on that occasion I decided to return to my hotel. I saw a number of other people including some women from the Far East also returning. As I returned I said “O’Allah if I were in the Sun here, I would not last very long.” When I returned to my room, I performed my prayer there. I said in course of my prayer “As I see it, there are three problems here, viz. overcrowding, overheating, and air pollution of the KABA area of Mecca. It is not within my power to do anything about it. In fact I have no idea as to what the solution could be. But perhaps I can do one small thing to help the pilgrims. I came to Mecca earlier in the period of Haj when the KABA was not that crowded. Consequently I had the opportunity to perform prayers at the KABA Mosque. So I will not go to the KABA Mosque for my daily prayers. ( One needs to go the KABA Mosque for the performance of the Haj rituals. In my case, I had already performed what was required at that point of time). I will do my daily prayers at a mosque nearby (there is in fact a mosque very close to our hotel). That is how I will offer my place to another pilgrim who might have come later in the period. I feel immensely sad (in fact I was in distress) to see the suffering of the pilgrims in this intensely hot climate. I know that this is what has happened throughout the centuries. And also the Haj follows the lunar months. The lunar months rotate round the calendar year. Consequently the Haj had been performed at the height of the summer i.e. in July and August when things have been much worse. And this is only the spring (the beginning of April).However, now it is happening before my eyes. I cannot bear to watch the suffering of the immense mass of people before my eyes.” Then I wept in distress and fell asleep. I slept through the evening and through much of the night and woke up at about 2.30am. I was still not very well. That is the time when the pilgrims get up to get ready for the Tahajjud prayer (a special prayer performed during the last third part of the night). The pilgrims try to go to the KABA Mosque where the Tahajjud prayer starts at about 3.30am after Azan (call to the prayer) for that prayer. The Holy Prophet’s Mosque in Medina is another mosque where Azan is given for the Tahajjud prayer.

The Holy Koran recites the statements of Allah on the Tahajjud prayer to say,

“And during a part of the night forsake sleep by prayer, beyond what is incumbent on thee; may be thy Lord will raise thee to a position of great glory” (Chapter 17; verse 79).

I also got up at about that time, had a shower and offered my Fajar prayer (morning prayer) in my room. After that I was going out to a nearby Pakistani restaurant for breakfast. As I was leaving the hotel, I saw a young man sitting outside the door. He was in the next seat to mine on the plane when I was coming to Saudi Arabia. At Jeddah Airport he lent me some Saudi money which I returned when I reached Mecca. I heard that while he was at prayer at the Holy Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, someone ran away with his wallet. I knew that he had come to the Haj with his wife and mother or mother-in-law. I thought that he might be running short of money. So I asked him if he would accept from me twenty pounds towards his expenses. I wish I could offer him more. But having spent most of my money in Medina, I was running short of money myself. But he declined my offer saying that he had not lost all his money. He had money elsewhere. If he ran short of money he would approach me, he said. I said “Please do ask me if you need money.” As we were talking I felt that some water fell on me. I said to the gentleman “Water fell on me.” He said that the same thing had happened to him. I thought that someone had dropped water from the adjacent block of flats high above. I said to myself, “it is disgusting that people drop unclean water on those down below.” Then I said goodbye to him. I proceeded towards the restaurant. Then some more water fell on me, and moments later more followed. I looked up and found that the sky was overcast with clouds and that it was raining. It was drizzling, not a heavy rain.

I thought that this was the mercy from the Lord. I said, “O’ Allah I thank Thee from the innermost core of my heart for sending us Thy Mercy. I wish to see a prolonged cloud cover, lowering of the temperature and removal of the air pollution from the KABA area of Mecca.” Then the weather turned cold and into a typical English spring with cloud and drizzle. I had heard that in Mecca it rains once in ten years. The pattern of rainfall in the Arabian Peninsula seems to be that when it does rain it comes in a matter of minutes as a heavy downpour lasting for a very short period of time. But on this occasion it was only drizzling. For a brief while it might have turned into a normal rain. This weather lasted for several days, but it really turned cold. I said, “O’ Allah, the majority of pilgrims come from the sub-tropical part of the world. It might be too cold for them.” Then the cloud gave way for sunshine but afterwards, the cloud returned repeatedly. Eventually, the normal sunshine returned but the temperature remained on the cool side. One day I came out of my hotel at about 11.30am. On that day there was no cloud .The sun rises in Mecca at about 5.15am. Therefore there was continuous sunshine for about six hours. By that time, normally, the temperature would rise to what feels like nearly boiling or burning point. But as I came out into the sun, I found that it was not hot at all. It was more pleasurable to be in the sun than in the shade. A gentle breeze was blowing. I knew from my experience that a gentle breeze alone was not sufficient to keep the temperature down in the continuous sunshine. I went to the KABA Mosque and found that a gentle breeze was blowing in and around the KIBLA and air pollution had disappeared altogether. In other words, the wind that tends to fly over the valley without descending had descended to the furthest point below, in and around the KABA. In fact from that time onwards whenever I went to the KABA Mosque I found that a gentle breeze was blowing in and around the KIBLA. The atmosphere was cool and there was no air pollution. This weather persisted until the very last day of my stay in Mecca during the Haj. I do not know what happened after I had left. This was a miracle. Subhan Allah (Allah be glorified). I expressed my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Allah for answering my prayer with his mercy. One of my room-mates said that during the course of those days “this year there is a pilgrim amongst us to whom Allah listens. He has prayed for us.” I kept quiet when I heard that and did not say anything. Subsequently I reflected on the matter. I thought about the difficult conditions of the pilgrims at the peak of the Haj. I had not the faintest idea at to how to bring about some relief to the problem, but the event proved that Allah knoweth how to help and hath the power to send relief no matter how difficult the situation is. I did not know how to help but Allah knew it and did help. This is an illustration of a very frequently stated proposition in the Koran “Allah hath the knowledge and power over all things.”

From the above account one should not conclude that I am one of the chosen few to whom Allah always grants his wishes. Perhaps this is because I do not always know what is good for me and for others. An illustration of that occurred during my Haj in Mecca subsequently. This happened on a Friday during the closing days of the Haj.

Although I had promised myself not to go to the KABA Mosque to perform my daily prayers there, I felt tempted to do so on this Friday for the Juma Prayer (congregational prayer that replaces the daily prayer of the early afternoon on Fridays). This was probably my last Friday in Mecca. I knew that it would probably be impossible to find a space there. I thought that I might be lucky to find a place on the first floor of the Grand Mosque where SAI was done. Because of the immensely crowded situation during the Haj, I experienced at times difficult or risky situations while walking towards the KABA (due to the risk of being suffocated or crushed to death). Whenever that happened, I said, “O’ Allah, I seek Thy help and protection in this and all other situations. Thou hast the power over all things.” My prayer was generally answered. On this occasion I said the same thing. As I arrived near the KABA I could not even reach the entrance area. I said to myself, “Allah has not granted my wish this time. Allah knoweth best what I know not [as to why my wish was not granted. There might be a reason for this refusal].” I returned to the mosque near my hotel. But that mosque was also full. I went to my room to collect a sleeping mat that I had purchased for use at Mina where I was staying in a tent. The idea was that I would have to pray on the pavement next to the mosque. By the time I came to the pavement, a lot of people were there to pray on that spot next to the mosque. Prayer mats were spread out there already. I joined them. We were under a shade. But very soon the sun moved and the shade disappeared. We were sitting in the sun. I put the sleeping mat on my head as a cover. Then I realised that the persons on my left and right were quite uncomfortable in the sun. I unfolded the mat and shared with others its shade. In that way I completed the prayer and returned to my hotel room where I met my room-mates who had been to the KABA Mosque. They told me that at the very place of the Mosque that I had tried to enter many people had died being crushed to death by the oncoming crowd. It is then that I realised that the refusal by Allah to grant my wish was in fact a blessing in disguise.

I had a glimpse of what might have happened in that tragedy, earlier on. Previously one day, Mr Khan had persuaded me to go to that spot in the KABA Mosque (after I had resolved not to go to the KABA for daily prayers in order to make room for other pilgrims. He said, “you’ll be sitting at an empty space not in other people’s seats.”) . After I went through the entrance the crowd began to surge from behind like a glacier coming down a mountain hill. I had no choice but to rush ahead for my own survival. Then I discovered to my horror that there were people sitting under the feet of those who were walking forward. In fact, near my feet I heard the groans of women sitting on the floor (whom neither I nor anyone else walking could see). When I realised that I could crush someone to death under my feet I was so terrified as to let out a scream. Eventually I reached a place where I could sit for prayer (I was pushed and carried to that spot – that would be the more accurate way of describing it) but I realised the gravity of the situation in which one could find oneself.

Journey to and Stay at Mina

[The Haj ritual consists of the following: 1) wearing of Ihram on the way to Mecca; after this, the pilgrims’ obligations including devotion to Allah and prohibitions of certain things including abstinence from sex, misbehaviour etc. come into operation; 2) Tawaf (going round) seven times around KIBLA; 3) SAI between Safa and Mawra, shaving of hair and changing to normal clothes; 4) visit to the valley of Mina (about six miles north of Mecca); 5) journey from Mina to the plain and hill of Arafat (known as the Mount of Mercy) further five miles to the north of Mecca; 6) journey from Arafat to Muzdalifa where Magreb (evening prayer), Isha (after evening prayer) and Fajar (morning prayer) are combined because the Holy Prophet offered a long prayer here; 7) Eid day, return to Mina, sacrifice of animals (Kurbani), symbolic stoning of satan, throwing seven stones, shaving of hair and change from Ihram to normal clothes. These rituals relate to the story of Abraham ( peace be upon him). 8) Tawaf around the KIBLA; 9) return to Mina and stoning of satan again; 10) stoning of satan the following day and then returning to Mecca. These have to be performed within a prescribed time limit. If the time lapses before performing these rituals, certain penalties follow. 11) Pilgrims also perform final farewell Tawaf around the KIBLA before departing for home.]

Prior to the journey from Mecca to Mina, we had to wear Ihram again. I did not fully recover from my previous illness. Then just before setting out from Mecca I developed dysentery. This was a disaster as there were not enough toilet facilities at Mina which would be a vast tent city during the Haj. I went to a chemist shop and asked for some medication. They gave me some capsules and asked me to take it immediately. When we arrived at Mina, and settled down in a tent, I took anther capsule before going to sleep. We slept on a Chinese made mat which I had purchased in Mecca. I was not feeling very well. That evening I joined Mr Khan to go to the wash place. There were a number of toilets and water taps shared by many thousands of people. I joined a queue for the toilet while Mr Khan went to a water tap for ablution. I told him that I was not feeling very well and asked him whether he could keep and eye on me in case anything happened. I did not know what had happened to me after that. I woke up in the morning when I heard that people were doing their morning prayer. It seems that I suddenly fainted while waiting for the toilet. The excitement drew the attention of Mr Khan who called another member of our group and carried me to our tent. It looks as though I regained my consciousness the following morning. Then I got up, went to the toilet (which also had shower facilities), washed myself and performed ablution. On my return to the tent I performed my morning prayer and stayed in bed (on the mat). I had no energy to get up and do anything. Before we set out from Mecca to Mina, our hotel attendant had offered to do the stoning of satan ritual for me if I would pay the amount of money that he wanted as I was not well. (It is permissible to deputise someone to do a part of the ritual in case of illness.) While in Mecca I was still hoping to perform the ritual myself, but after the first morning at Mina, it became clear that there was no way I could have done that myself. So I asked him to do it for me. I was living on dates and water. There were not enough restaurants around although it was possible to buy food there. But I had no energy to get up and go anywhere. Occasionally I asked the hotel attendant to get me some food. During the days at Mina, my living was similar to that of the Holy Prophet, his family and his companions about fourteen hundred years ago. They had to live for days on dates and water at times.

Later that day, the leader of our group asked me to go to a hospital nearby. He sent someone to accompany me. I spent a few hours at the hospital. One black doctor and two nurses put me on drip. I had dehydrated. The nurses were wearing veils (Borkha) from head to toe. Even their faces were covered. They could see you through the eye holes through the veil, but you could not see them at all. They appeared to be kind and dutiful. I found the treatment helpful. After a few hours after they had finished I said goodbye to them, saying, “Assalamu Alaikum (peace be upon you)” and expressed my thanks and appreciation for their kind attention and treatment. They were very happy. The doctor was so pleased that I felt that I had not made any other person happier than him in my life. I was very pleased about that. Perhaps most people do not say’ thank you’ to them after treatment. My dealings were probably exceptional to them.

Arafat and Muzdalifa

 

Arafat

click image to enlarge

After a few days at Mina we proceeded by coach to the plain and hill of Arafat. We spent a day there in a tent. Some of us went to the hill of Arafit. Owing to my health condition I was not able to go to the hill but spent the day on the plain in a tent, joining others in prayers. In the evening we proceeded by coach to Muzdalifa. We got off the coach and three of us settled down on my mat. I had with me a seventy-two year old man who walked with the help of a supporting walking stick. We combined three daily prayers into one in the early hours of the morning and set out by coach back to Mina. But the road was so congested that the coach was moving at a snail’s pace. After a while the coach stopped. The driver said that the road was blocked. It was no longer possible to drive along. So we had to walk a mile to get to Mina. This was like a disaster to me. I was not well and was carrying my luggage. When I got off the coach I found myself among a sea of humanity, not knowing which way to go. A gentleman from my group asked me to follow him. So the seventy-two year old man and myself began to follow him. Suddenly a large procession of black Muslims appeared on our route and pushed us aside. We found ourselves scattered in all directions. I lost the two companions. The matter was made worse by the heat of the day. The sun had appeared and beat down mercilessly. The sweat was pouring down my face as though I had had a shower. I did not know which way to go. I remembered our tent number and the gate number (one of the gates to the Mina tent city). I looked at the local gate number and proceeded arithmetically downwards. I began to wonder if I would be able to make it to our tent. But I thought that if I were to collapse here that would be the end of me. No-one would or could take me to the tent. So I must try my best to keep going. Then I arrived under a bridge (probably called the King Khalid Bridge). I stopped under its shade to take a drink. People were sitting on a wall under the bridge. As I took out my water bottle an Arab woman said, “you have water with you, can you please give me some water.” I remembered that I had the Zam Zam water in my bag. I said, “yes sister (this is the Arab way of addressing an unknown woman) I can give you some water. In fact I can give you some Zam Zam water.” So I gave her half of the Zam Zam water that I had with me. Then I moved on, watching all the time the gate numbers. But at some point the road split into two. And that confused me. I chose the right hand side road. But as I proceeded along, I found that I had overreached my gate number. Either I had missed my gate number along the route, or else it lay on the left hand side of the split road. I stopped near a wall and there was shade. Next to me stood a young man attending his footpath stall. I asked him for direction. His said, “I do not speak English. I come from the U.P. in India and can only speak Urdu.” I said, “do you come from Allahabad? I have some connection, in fact a special connection with Allahabad.” He said, “yes, I come from a place quite near Allahabad. What is your connection with Allahabad?” We were speaking two different languages but we could understand each other. I said, “I am the author of three books. My second book was published by the Law Book Company based at Allahabad.” He was interested in conversation with me and smiled as he spoke. He said, “I wish I could walk with you. But I have to attend my goods here at the stall. If you walk back along this road, you should come across your gate.” I walked back but could not find it. Afterwards I stopped at another footpath stall and asked a black youth for help. He took pity on me and asked another youth to look after his goods and accompanied me quite a distance in the direction of my tent. Then he left saying, “I’m sorry, I cannot go any further.” I thanked him for his help, but could not find my way to the tent. I looked around and saw a tent with policemen in it. I approached them for help, they were all lying on mats resting. One of them said, “go first right, then left, then right and then carry on going. You’ll find it.” But one of them stood up and said, “I’ll help you.” He led me for a while when I saw a man from our tent. I rushed towards him and asked for his help. I did not have time to thank the policeman who had helped me. But he was a good man and I meant to thank him. When we returned to our tent, I requested the leader of our group to send a search party for the seventy-two year old man who I had lost on the way. I was apprehensive about him. But my request was declined. However, to my delight, the old man turned up afterwards.

Later in the day it was announced that animals had been sacrificed (slaughtered and the meat distributed to the needy and the poor) on our behalf. The payment that we had made for the pilgrimage to the Haj agent included the price of an animal (sheep, goat, camel, cow or bull etc.) to be sacrificed. So I had an animal which was sacrificed on my behalf for that occasion. Then we shaved our hair again. In fact a Bangladeshi gentleman from another group in the tent gave me a short hair cut. We changed back from Ihram to our normal clothes. The symbolic stoning of the devil was done on my behalf by our hotel attendant for a payment (owing to my ill heath). There was one more ritual that I had to do myself, that is, after returning from Muzdalifa, I had to perform Tawaf (going around the KIBLA in Mecca). Owning to my ill heath I could not perform it on the same day when most people went to Mecca doing that. But I had to do that within the next forty-eight hours. So I returned to Mecca earlier during the last day at Mina and performed Tawaf on time. Failing to perform Tawaf on time, I was told, results in a penalty, that is, that one’s wife becomes unlawful to oneself. So I was pleased to have been able to perform Tawaf on time.

Final days in Mecca

When I returned from the KIBLA, having performed Tawaf and Sai, I met my room-mates at the hotel who had by then returned from Mina. They informed me that on that day in the course of the ritual of ‘stoning the devil’ nearly five hundred (according reports circulating in Mecca, although the foreign reports mention the figure of 200 – 250) people had died at Mina. Too many people had converged on the same site and the same time and crushed themselves to death. This is the ceremony that I personally could not perform owing to my ill health and had deputised the hotel attendant to perform on my behalf. On reflection I realised that in normal health I would have gone there myself to perform that ritual and could have been among those dead. Therefore my ill-health and the fact that I had fainted at Mina had been a blessing in disguise. I thanked Allah for protecting my life during the pilgrimage. Since my return to England after the Haj, I have written a paper with my suggestions and recommendations for the improvement of facilities for the pilgrims and for reducing the risks of the kind involved in this accident. The paper has been submitted to the authorities in Saudi Arabia. It is enclosed with this work.

We were at Mecca another few days. The only remaining ritual was to perform the farewell Tawaf and Sai at the KABA Mosque. That is to say goodbye to the KABA having performed a once-in-a-lifetime compulsory Haj unless Allah brings us back for optional Umrah. This I performed in the morning of 12th April 1998.

During every Tawaf around the KIBLA my main prayer was as follows “O’ Allah bestow success on my works and render them into good deeds and Neki (an Arabic word meaning a record of good deeds) in Thy sight, good for those concerned (i.e. the peoples of the world) and good for my family and myself. O’ Allah I pray to Thee that those concerned (i.e. the peoples of the world) receive benefits from my works both during my lifetime and for a very long time after I will have returned unto Thee (i.e.after my death). O’ Allah bestow on myself and my family including my son Omar whatever success and achievement Thou deemest appropriate, as Thou hast the power and knowledge as to what is desirable and what is preferable. I pray to Thee for the well-being of the mankind (including of course the Muslims of the world) particularly around the turn of this century as I am apprehensive as to what might happen to the mankind during that period. O’ Allah I seek Thy mercy, Thy Rahmat (Arabic word meaning kindness and grace), Thy protection, Thy help, Thy forgiveness, Thy favour, Thy preferment and Thy guidance along the straight path, the path of those whom Thou hast favoured, not the path of those who earn Thine anger, nor of those who go astray, both in this world and in the next world, including the Day of Judgment and thereafter eternally for myself and the members of my family. O’Allah admit us into Thy Rahmat (meaning kindness and grace) and grant us a place in heaven in the Jannaltul Ferdaus (the highest and best of the seven heavens) eternally – Amen.”

Departure Home

We left Mecca for home about 10pm on Sunday 12th April 1998 and reached Jeddah Airport during the early hours of the morning. The plane left Jeddah Airport in the morning of Monday 13th April 1998 and arrived at Heathrow Airport at about 1pm. As the plane circled over London in order to land at Heathrow, I said, “O’ Allah bless this land and its people.” Having cleared through the customs and immigration controls and I was delighted to meet my wife and children waiting for me. It was really a moment of grate joy and pleasure to meet them. For one thing, I was away over a month and missed them very much. Besides, I was not entirely sure if I would survive to see them again. That afternoon we reached home by the grace of Allah. My health suffered a great deal during this period. Physically I am of somewhat delicate constitution. During this period I lost weight considerably. Furthermore, since my first illness in Mecca, I developed a heavy cough which persisted for weeks. It took me nearly a month to recover fully. Fortunately I had another fortnight of the Easter vacation left before the start of the summer term at the university. This provided a valuable period of rest and recuperation.

Concluding Observations

The Haj was for me a profoundly religious and spiritual experience, but the process of acquiring that experience seems to involve trials, tribulations and tests which can be, at times, quite severe. The Lord seems to have designed it that way. I thank Allah for His mercy, grace and help in enabling me to complete the process in becoming a Haji (one who has performed the Haj). I pray to Allah to bestow on me and my family his Rahmat, protection and guidance along the straight path, the path of those whom He has favoured at all times – Amen.

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