Pilgrims On the Way to Mina

Thousands of pilgrims began their slow and steady walk to the city of Mina on Saturday night, starting the five-day journey. By Sunday afternoon, the pilgrims will be in their tents. Here they will spend the day in meditation and then move to the plains of Arafat on Monday for the most important rites of Hajj. The day of Arafah is an important day for the Muslims.

In Makkah, pilgrims packed into the hundreds of buses and head to Mina. Some of them who are able, walked the distance.

The preparation and logistics for the pilgrims are all set in place. In addition to the numerous transport systems, the new Mashair Railway will start it maiden journey. The railway is expected to reduce the congestion on the roads of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah.

Thousands of eateries have been set up to help the hungry pilgrims. Bakeries are prepared to bake 10 million loaves a day! Several health centers have also been set up to serve the pilgrims. Hundred Civil Defense teams and paramedics are available in case of any emergency. The set up is also equipped with 200 motobikes.

All these preparations will help the guests this year to have a pleasant experience. The weather, too, is not too hot. The moderate temperature is an added blessing to the pilgrims.

The Civil Defense has also made arrangements in the event of rain and flash floods. “We’ve made special plans based on detailed studies analyzing the possible dangers that could be caused by the geography of Mina, which is surrounded by mountains on all sides,” said Brig. Gen. Fhaid Al-Faidi, head of the Civil Defense in Mina.

The issue of pollution is also looked into. A special team equipped with devices, is set up to monitor the pollution level at Mina’s 12 tunnels. Tunnels will be closed if the air quality is found to be not suitable.

Al-Faidi called on pilgrims to follow instructions and said the Civil Defense is working closely with Tawafa establishments. “We’re receiving constant weather forecasts about rain. We’ve also got a note of key areas where rain could cause serious issues. There’s also a team of divers at our disposal, along with boats and other flood-related rescue equipment — these are located in the north side of Mina where flooding could be a problem if it rains,” he said.

Traffic moved fast down the highway from Jeddah. The four checkpoints on the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway are fully manned but caused no delay. In Mina, traffic congestion is being kept to a minimum by keeping small vehicles away.

Arab News report said “If spirituality and peace could ever be personified then it is here — the tent city in Mina surrounded by Jabal Al-Noor (Mountain of Light) and other hills, an abode of millions of pilgrims who are all set to sacrifice their self to the will of God”.

The valley of Mina is filled with the chants of “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik” (O God, here I am answering your call). A surreal moment for the pilgrims! Pilgrims at Mina, in the fireproof tent, will be either resting after a long tiring journey from Jeddah and Makkah (about 5 hours) or be busy with prayers or reading Quran never wanting to lose the precious moments.

On Monday morning, the pilgrims will move toward Mount Arafat where the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) delivered his last sermon more than 14 centuries ago. They will spend the night at Muzdalifah and then return to Mina. They will throw stones at Jamrat Al-Aqaba representing the devil and sacrifice animals to mark the Eid Al-Adha, which starts Tuesday and will spend the final two days in Mina to take part in the symbolic stoning of the devil.

Hajj Sites All Geared Up!

Makkah prepares itself for its annual pilgrims. As with every year, the air of excitement blankets the holy city and sites.

The preparations for Hajj in the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah were inspected by Makkah governor, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal. He is confident this year’s annual pilgrimage would be much better than those in previous years in terms of services. Of course the railway plays a new role this time. Apart from ease of pilgrim movements, it will also hugely reduce road congestion and save time. The new railway will have a capacity to transport 72,000 pilgrims an hour.

Another feature of this year's Hajj is the nonstop transport system which will be used this year to transport 780,000 pilgrims from from all over the world. The system will transport 44,000 pilgrims between the holy places within an hour.
“It will reduce the time for reaching Muzdalifah from Arafat from five hours to 20 minutes,” an official statement said. Further developments are planned so that it will transport three million pilgrims in the future.

This year for the first time an air ambulance service has been set up near the Jamrat. Prince Khaled inspected the fourth floor of the high-tech Jamrat Bridge, the last phase of which was completed, in Mina including the helipad to take pilgrims suffering from chronic diseases to specialized hospitals using the Saudi Red Crescent Authority’s air ambulances. New Red Crescent helipads in Mawiya, Wadi Qadid, Shumaisy and Al-Laith would benefit pilgrims this year.

The Prince has urged all goverments to mobilize all their resources to serve the pilgrims and make the pilgrimmage a success.

The other projects done for this year was also the rainwater drainage system. The expansion work at the King Abdulaziz Airport’s Haj Terminal was also completed before the Haj season. This is helping the pilgrims enjoy quick services at the airport.

The Civil Defense department has installed about 500 CCTV cameras in Makkah and the holy places to monitor the movement of pilgrims 24 hours a day.

All this changes this year will ensure a safe and secure environment for the pilgrims.

Insha'allah, all pilgrims will able to complete the rites in full safety and enjoyment.

King Abdullah - The Third Most Poweful Person in the World

Congratulations to King Abdullah!

This title goes to show King Abdullah's role in world peace process. His actions being recognized the world over is testimony to his commitment and dedication to make the world a better place.

According to the America's leading business magazine, Forbes, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia ranks third as the most powerful person in the world only after Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama. Forbes described Hu as the "paramount political leader of more people than anyone else on the planet," and Obama was described as the "commander in chief of (the) world's largest, deadliest military, leader of the world's largest (in spending) and most dynamic economy and holds the unofficial title of 'Leader of the Free World.'"

Saudi King Abdullah was ranked third for being the head of the nation that “contains the world’s largest crude oil reserves and two holiest sites in Islam.”

"This an accomplishment for Saudi Arabia, for King Abdullah and the Islamic and Arab world. It is because of King Abdullah that Saudi Arabia's words and its peace vision is heard and respected, not just in Islamic and Western countries but also throughout the world,” said Shoura Council member Zain Al Abideen in Arab News report.

“Nearly all countries consult the Kingdom on important and pressing matters, and Saudi Arabia has gained everyone's respect with its abilities to help in these matters, especially the global economic crises and its aftermath", he added.

King Abdullah, the father of the nation, truly deserves this honor. Being the oldest reigning leader, he is known for introducing a series of reforms and at the same time being on par with conservative religious establishment. He was ranked third for being the head of the nation that "contains the world's largest crude oil reserves (and) the two holiest sites in Islam", reports Arab News.

King Abdullah, moved a suprising six places from the ninth position in 2009 to be the third. US President, Obama was the first last year.

2010 list saw some new names; British Prime Minister David Cameron, ranked seventh, and head of the Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi, who ranked ninth. Both joined the Forbes list for the first time. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, ranked sixth and Pope Benedict XVI, ranked fifth. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, fourth in 2010 was third in 2009, and Chairman of Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke, eighth in this year's list was fourth in 2009.

Another Arab leader, UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan ranked 56 for controlling “97.8 billion barrels of proved oil reserves” while Chilean President Sebastian Piñera ranked 51 after he “led country through aftermath of brutal earthquake, mining rescue, and put economy on track for growth.”

Mexican businessman of Lebanese origin Carlos Slim Helu, the richest man in the world, dropped from sixth to 21st place and co-founder of Google Sergey Brin from fifth to 22nd. Some are no longer in the top 10 list. They include Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corp. who ranked seventh in 2009 and moved down to 13th in 2010. Bill Gates kept his last year’s 10th place. Last in the list was Australian Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, who specialized in unraveling classified information that shook the world. He ranked at 68.

Last month, the annual King Faisal prize for services to Islam was awarded to King Abdullah. Mabrook!