As Islam is becoming more visible worldwide and in the United States,
many non-Muslims remain puzzled by its contradictory manifestations.
A case in point is the recent hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, to be performed
by every able-bodied Muslim at least once in his/her life.
Adapting the Jewish and Christian tradition of the pilgrimage to its
creed, Islam developed it in a big way. The hajj, the annual trek of
some two million Muslims from all over the world to the Ka'ba in Mecca
and to nearby Mount Arafat remains a most striking display of religious
obedience and discipline. Perplexing, however, is the fact that this
year again the worshipping masses got out of control at one point in
the prescribed activities.
Considering the spiritually uplifting purpose of the hajj, how is it
possible that this act of communal worship can suddenly turn into havoc?
The first destination of the pilgrimage is the Grand Mosque in Mecca
whose courtyard holds the Ka'ba, a cubical building about fifty feet
high, with a sacred black stone embedded in a corner. Muslims believe
that the Ka'ba was built by Ibrahim (Abraham), the first Muslim according
to the Qur'an, and his son Ismail (Ishmael).
Reciting passages from the Qur'an, the pilgrims--the hajji, in Arabic--circle
the Ka'ba seven times while trying to touch or kiss the black stone
at least once. Having done that, they then rush several times back and
forth between two hills near the Ka'ba and drink from the holy well
of Zamzam. This ritual commemorates the search for water in the desert
by Ismail's mother Hagar.
On the next day, the hajji walk from Mecca through a mountain pass into
the plain of Arafat and spend the night in prayer and meditation at
a place called Mina. In the morning they continue to the hill of Arafat
where they stand from noon until sunset listening to sermons commemorating
Muhammad's farewell message. After sunset, the pilgrims walk to the
plain of Muzdalifa to gather pebbles for the ritual stoning of the devil,
symbolized by three giant pillars at the spot where he is said to have
appeared to Ibrahim.
It was during that ritual when again this year the crowds were pushing
toward the circle around the pillars, scores falling over each other
and being crushed in the ensuing stampede: 251 hajji were trampled to
death and a similar number injured, even though security personnel regained
control within half an hour. The most catastrophic hajj ever occurred
in 1990 when 1,426 pilgrims died. In 1997, a fire in Mina raced through
the sprawling and overcrowded tent city killing more than 340 and injuring
1,500.
Many Muslims believe those who die during a hajj are cleansed from sin
and are thus favored by God. Apparently unfazed by the disaster, the
crowds resumed the stoning ritual soon afterwards. Before this year's
hajj, the Saudi authorities expressed satisfaction that they had taken
all precautions necessary. They provided tens of thousands of fireproof
tents and staggered the flow of the masses through the most congested
paths.
In his sermon, the imam of the Grand Mosque called upon Muslims to exercise
more restraint: "Those who deviate from moderation and try to incite
violence against their rulers are seeking discord and anarchy through
destruction, terrorism, bombings and shedding the blood of Muslims and
those under the protection of the state." Obviously, his words
reflected the fear that has gripped Saudi Arabia since the terrorist
suicide attacks in Riyadh and the discovery of more terrorist hideouts.
Whatever the contradictions between faith and reality, for over a thousand
years the hajj has remained a unique communal "standing together
before God." A Saudi woman described the "aura of anticipation"
before the exhausting five-day ritual: "Tomorrow everyone will
get a chance to have their sins forgiven and have their prayers answered,
and they want to get it right."