The Mina Disaster

Today's catastrophic stampede near the Jamarat pillars at Mina during one of the culminating rituals of the hajj has killed at least 717 pilgrims in one of the worst in a string of periodic mass stampedes accompanying the pilgrimage. There are already recriminations and accusations, with Iran (which had over 40 nationals killed) blaming, through its media, the Saudi government. Coming less than two weeks after the crane disaster at the Grand Mosque, it's a blow to Saudi Arabia in its role as protector of the hajj, and I'm sure the Iranian accusation will not be the last. (And some Saudi media have blamed "Africans," so the rush to judgment is not all one-sided.)

Let's mourn and bury the dead and hold off the blame wars until more is understood.

Egypt and Arabia, Last Night, from the ISS

Egypt and the Red Sea area from the International Space Station last night, posted by Astronaut Scott Kelly on Facebook.  No doubt that Egypt is still the Gift of the Nile as it has been since Herodotus, but look at how bright Mecca and Jidda are on the first full night if hajj.

And how dark Syria is, compared with Israel and Lebanon.

Live-Streaming the Hajj ...

As previously noted, all the Abrahamic religions have a busy week. The Meccan hajj began today and the ‘Eid comes later this week; Yom Kippur starts at sundown, and Pope Francis just landed here in Washington to begin his US tour.

As always, Meccan TV is live-streaming the hajj via YouTube. These will probably not work once the hajj ends, but for now here are two channels:

Crane Collapse in Mecca 10 Days Before Hajj

The collapse of a construction crane a the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) in Mecca just 10 days before this year's hajj is likely to spur concerns about pilgrim safety, given the huge construction efforts underway in and around the Mosque. At least 87 dead are reporting and the number may grow.

The massive construction projects have been controversial both within and outside of the Kingdom, involving as they do massive expansion and modernization of the holy sites as well as ambitious projects such as the world's largest hotel, which will dominate he skyline of the Holy City.

Pilgrim safety has frequently been an issue in the past given the huge crowds assembled. It is unclear how much damage was done to the structure of the Mosque itself.

Standing at ‘Arafat

Mount ‘Arafat

Today is the 9th of Dhu'-l-Hijja, the day of the hajj when the pilgrims assemble at the foot of Mount ‘Arafat east of Mecca, and stand in the plain for the afternoon, commemorating the Prophet Muhammad's "Farewell Sermon," given on the mountain during his final pilgrimage to Mecca. As the pilgrims return toward Mecca at sundown there are still several ceremonies remaining. The next day, 10th of Dhu'l-Hijja is the day of the traditional animal sacrifice, marked around the world by the Feast of sacrifice, known as the ‘Id al-‘Adha in Arabic and as Kurban Bairam or other names in other Muslim countries.

Wikipedia diagram of hajj sites

So far this year's hajj seems relatively free of problems despite heightened concerns over security and also over communicable disease concerns ranging from MERS to Ebola.

Live-Streaming from the Hajj

The hajj is under way. Live streaming (sorry there's a commercial before it starts) from Mecca: 

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

You can see some of the expansion work on the Mosque itself, part of huge and at times controversial development projects Mecca has been undergoing.

The Day of ‘Arafat

Today is the Day of ‘Arafat, when the pilgrims camp on the plain at the foot of Mount ‘Arafat near Mecca (a light rail system runs there now), to commemorate the Prophet's "Farewell Sermon" at that place on his last pilgrimage to Mecca. It is considered an essential part of the Hajj.

This evening, as the pilgrims leave ‘Arafat, the ‘Eid al-‘Adha begins.

Once again, the live feed::

Watching the Hajj Online

As has been the case for the past couple of years, it's possible for Muslims, and for us non-Muslims who will never see the Hajj in person, to watch the pilgrimage ceremonies live online. Several Saudi and other channels are broadcasting. Here's a YouTube embed of Saudi Channel 1's coverage, though it's evening there as I post this in the afternoon here:

The Hajj Begins Today

And proclaim unto mankind the pilgrimage. They will come unto thee on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every deep ravine,
That they may witness things that are of benefit to them, and mention the name of Allah on appointed days over the beast of cattle that He hath bestowed upon them. Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor unfortunate.
Then let them make an end of their unkemptness and pay their vows and go around the ancient House.
—Qur'an, Sura 22 (Al-Hajj) 27-29

Today is the 8th of Dhu'l-Hijja 1433 in the Muslim calendar, and at Mecca it is the first official day of the Hajj. It is traditionally known as Yawm al-Tarwiyya, the day of "watering," because in earlier times the pilgrims, after the initial rituals in Mecca, stocked up on water for the encampment at Mina, which then had no water supplies.

The Hajj remains the largest religious ritual held at a single time for a single purpose,prior to the opening of this year's Hajj at least 1.7 million pilgrims had already arrived. Hajj Mabrur (May your Hajj be accepted) to the pilgrims.

An Old Hajj Tradition: The Mahmal

The Kiswa in 1910, when still made in Egypt

As we approach this year's hajj, I thought it might be time for one of my historical asides, this time on a longstanding (just about 1,000 years) tradition, discontinued half a century or more ago. (Sources conflict on the dating.) For many centuries (some say starting from the Fatimids in the 960s, others the Ayyubids a little later, until the 20th century, Egypt each year provided a new kiswa, the large cloth covering that covers the Ka‘aba in Mecca,which was sent in a caravan to Mecca from Cairo. The cloth was mounted atop of a camel and a procession left Cairo with considerable pomp and circumstance annually, on its way to Mecca; the palanquin on the main camel was known as the mahmal; it symbolized the power of the Egyptian Sultans and later the Ottoman Sultan, and originally carried the kiswa.


In the 20th century, Saudi Arabia began manufacturing the Kiswa locally, and the mahmal caravan tradition ended. Here are a few pictures of the mahmal procession, and a British Museum video clip from their Hajj exhibition.

Hajj Mubarak

The Hajj begins today, with some 2.5 million pilgrims already present in Mecca. Hajj greetings to the pilgrims, and to all my Muslim readers.

More Rain in Mecca

Following Wednesday's rains during the Hajj, the second year in a row during which Mecca faced rain during the pilgrimage, heavy downpours struck again yesterday, as pilgrims were leaving Mina. This time at 3 pm, as the Hajj was approaching its end.

As noted Wednesday, this isn't likely when the Hajj advances into the summer months; most of Mecca's rare rain falls in November. But it makes this year's pilgrimage, like last year's, memorable, though the flooding last year appears to have been more dangerous.

As Hajj Ends, Rain Falls in Mecca ... Again

On the second day of stoning the devil, as the Hajj draws to an end, the skies have opened and it has rained in Mecca and Mina. Many hajjis are seeing it as a sign from heaven that their sacrifices have been acceptable. And curiously, last year heavy rains and flooding hit Mecca at the beginning of the Hajj.

Average precipitation in Mecca is just over an inch a year, which would seem to suggest something unusual is happening for it to rain two years running, but then again, more than half of that inch of rain falls in November, and since the feast moves around the calendar, and has been in November the past two years, perhaps it's natural. Or global warming.

‘Id Mubarak: The Feast of ‘Id al-‘Adha

‘Id Mubarak to my Muslim readers. ‘Id al-‘Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice or Greater ‘Id (also Qurban Bayram and many other names in many languages), begins today. The major festival of the Muslim year (the other major feast being the ‘Id that ends Ramadan), it coincides with the sacrifice carried out in Mecca in conjunction with the Hajj.

Last year, the ‘Id overlapped with the American Thanksgiving holiday, so my greetings were offered without much background. But since this blog is intended to educate as well as entertain, I'd like to take a little more time with it this year.

The Feast of Sacrifice is generally seen as the most important religious feast, hence the fact that it is often called the ‘Id al-Kabir or "Greater ‘Id," and it coincides with the central ritual of Islam, the fifth pillar of Islam, the hajj. Animals are sacrificed (the meat then distributed to the poor) in a ritual of great antiquity, one Muslims themselves say partially predates Islam itself.

What most non-Muslims probably do not know is the fact that, like the hajj itself, the ‘Id commemorates a story known to Jews and Christians as well: God's demand that Abraham sacrifice his son, only to relent and substitute an animal sacrifice when Abraham had demonstrated his obedience even in such a horrific task. The Qur'an and Islamic tradition say the son was Isma‘il (Ishmael in the Bible) rather than Isaac (Ishaq in the Qur'an) as in the Book of Genesis, but the story and its moral is virtually identical.

Now, these days Abraham, venerated by Judaism (Avraham), Christianity (Abraham), and Islam (Ibrahim) is often more of a source of conflict among the three faiths which claim him than a unifying factor, but he is a shared Patriarch of all three "Abrahamic" faiths: Our Father Abraham to Jews, the "first Muslim" and "friend of God" to Muslims, and a familiar patriarch to Christians, though he is not quite so central for them. Whether you consider Abraham a historical figure, a mythic culture hero, a Bronze Age myth or some combination of these, he is a potent symbol, and as I have noted, his tomb in Hebron is second only to the Temple Mount/Haram in Jerusalem as a disputed holy place.

The story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, whether Isaac or Ishmael, strikes most modern people as something incomprehensible, but his absolute obedience is central to the symbolic message of the story: his profound obedience is what led God to proclaim his covenant with Abraham.

The hajj itself is profoundly linked to the Abraham story: the running between Safa and Marwa, part of the ritual, reflects Hagar's search for water for the infant Isma‘il, rewarded by the discovery of the well Zamzam, the water of which is drunk by every hajji, and the sacrifice of an animal today represents the sacrifice of Abraham. The Ka‘aba itself is said to have been first built by Abraham.

Despite the profound divisions Abraham's legacy sometimes creates today, the Abrahamic core of this particular feast could potentially, in some alternate universe, make it a potential meeting place for the three "Abrahamic" faiths.

Interestingly, Arab News, a Saudi English-language daily whose readership includes not only Westerners but many South Asians, including non-Muslims, takes this sort of "ecumenical" tack in its editorial today, seeking to link the interfaith dialogue promoted by King ‘Abdullah with the Abrahamic common ground the feast invokes. If such sentiments could prevail year round and not just on holidays, the region might be a better place.

‘Id Mubarak wa Sa‘id.

Hajj 1431: The Day of ‘Arafat

Yesterday an estimated two million or more Muslims gathered at the locale in Mecca known as Mina; today they proceed to Mount ‘Arafat, as they continue the ancient (in fact, pre-Islamic even by Muslim accounts) rituals of the hajj. Muslims around the world are preparing to celebrate the Feast of Sacrifice (‘Id al-‘Adha)simultaneous with the concluding rituals of the hajj.

King ‘Abdullah is said to be suffering from a slipped disc; Interior Minister Prince Nayif is accordingly overseeing this year's hajj.

The hajj is most likely the largest annual gathering of human beings at one time for a common purpose. More as it continues.

As Hajj Approaches, Mecca's New Metro Awaited

We've mentioned Mecca's planned new Metro system before. With the hajj coming up in the next few days, it's still being reported that the Metro will be open, partially, in time for the Hajj pilgrims to ride it.

I'll have more as appropriate, and will cover the hajj more fully next week.

World's Biggest Clock to be Started this Week; Saudis Dream of Replacing GMT

The world's biggest clock, which stands atop the under-construction world's second tallest building, is to be tested during this first week of Ramadan. The complex, which will include an enormous hotel to cater to Meccan pilgrims, stands near the Masjid al-Haram in the heart of Mecca. While the size and scale ranks it with the sort of architectural wretched excess we associate with the Burj Dubai (excuse me, Burj Khalifa), the Saudis have other ambitions for the big clock: they'd like to see Mecca time replace Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time), at least in the Muslim world.

First, the size: as this Daily Telegraph comparison notes, it's some six times higher and the clock face diameter is six times bigger than Big Ben, which it otherwise loosely resembles in form. (Before the trivia commenters jump in: I know that "Big Ben" properly refers to the bell, not the clock, but apparently the Daily Telegraph doesn't.) The clock face will be covered in Italian mosaic tiles, 13,000 of them made from gold, and so on. The overall complex will contain hotels (one in the clock tower), a shopping mall, two helipads, prayer areas for 30,000, etc. Here's Wikipedia on the overall complex, being built by the Bin Laden group (yes, those Ben Ladens, but the ones who have denounced Usama: I'm sure some conspiracy theorists will pick up on this anyway).

Now, the GMT issue. Here are articles in English from Arab News, the Saudi Gazette, and, again, the Daily Telegraph on the issue. As the latter puts it:

According to Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian cleric known around the Muslim world for his popular television show "Sharia and Life", Mecca has a greater claim to being the prime meridian because it is "in perfect alignment with the magnetic north."

This claim that the holy city is a "zero magnetism zone" has won support from some Arab scientists like Abdel-Baset al-Sayyed of the Egyptian National Research Centre who says that there is no magnetic force in Mecca.

"That's why if someone travels to Mecca or lives there, he lives longer, is healthier and is less affected by the earth's gravity," he said. "You get charged with energy."

Western scientists have challenged such assertions, noting that the Magnetic North Pole is in actual fact on a line of longitude that passes through Canada, the United States, Mexico and Antarctica.

Actually, that last paragraph overlooks the fact that magnetic North shifts about over time, and even the Saudi Gazette article refers to "scientific" evidence in quotes. The idea that Greenwich Mean Time (officially Universal Time today) is a colonial-era invention (some Americans once urged a prime meridian through Washungton) is a reasonable argument, provided you don't mind throwing out every navigational chart and map published in the last century and a half, and of course really messing up the GPS in the Saudis' own limos, since GPS cooirdinates are all based on the prime eridian. Of course, if the Saudis want to cite both longitude based on the Prime Meridian and longitude based on Mecca, as they cite both Hijri and Western dates on their newspapers, they're free to do so.

Mecca's New Metro Will Be Open for Hajj

Mecca's new 18 kilometer-long Metro, now nearing completion, will be partially operational in time for this year's Hajj. Here's a summary about the project. It's clearly designed to facilitate pilgrims making hajj and &lsquolumra, and is an elevated line.

A "Knowledge City" in Medina Where Non-Muslims Are Accepted

The Muslim Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina are traditionally known as the Haramayn, the two sanctuaries, and as such they are prohibited ground, haram, for non-Muslims, a restriction which I believe is attributed to the second Caliph, ‘Umar. (Smaller haram areas are the Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem and the Haram al-Khalil in Hebron.)

But as Medina has grown some of its suburbs are outside the traditionally defined haram boundaries, and so, for the first time, a new "Knowledge City" suburb of Medina will be open to residence by non-Muslims, in part because it is meant as an opening to the world for learning about Islam.

The Hajj in the Age of H1N1

I haven't yet posted anything about this year's Hajj, but the month of Dhu'l-Hijja (literally, the month "of the hajj") begins today and the Saudis have announced that the crescent moon was seen last night and thus the Day of ‘Arafat — the second and central day of the hajj — will fall on Thursday, December 26: the same day as Thanksgiving in the US. The ‘Id al-‘Adha celebrated by Muslims worldwide will also occur over the US Thanksgiving weekend this year. (I'd better write my holiday posts ahead of time: my family won't let me blog during Thanksgiving dinner.)

The hajj is often billed as the largest gathering of human beings in one place, at one time, for a single purpose, on earth, and I can't think of what other claimant to that title there might be. Up to three million people assemble in Mecca for the days of the hajj; though Muslims may make the lesser pilgrimage (‘umra) to Mecca at any time, the hajj only occurs once a year, and is considered a pillar of Islam: incumbent on the believer once in his or her lifetime, if possible. All those millions perform the same ritual on the same days at the same time.

There are always the usual security concerns about the hajj: about large scale movements of crowds that have led to trampling deaths on several occasions; political actions by other pilgrims (Iran was long a major problem on that score), and so on: but this year there's the added factor of the H1N1 virus. The Saudi media has stopped using the term "Swine Flu" so far as I can see (it would be pretty inappropriate in this context, anyway). But concern over a mass outbreak due to the large crowds gathered for the hajj has been under discussion for some time. As far back as the first stirrings of the virus last spring, Egyptian clerics were suggesting suspending the hajj or other drastic measures. The Saudis seem determined to encourage people to make the pilgrimage, while discouraging those who might be especially vulnerable and, of course, seeking to screen out any infected pilgrims at the point of entry.

For details in English language media, I can refer you to a CNN report, a Saudi Gazette article about the Army of health professionals checking arriving pilgrims at Jidda Airport, a somewhat overlapping Arab News story about precautions taken by the Health Ministry, etc.

As the hajj approaches I'll no doubt have more to say.