HOLY SITES: It was a day of joyous celebration as millions of pilgrims Tuesday celebrated the day of Eid Al-Adha – the feast of sacrifice – in recognition of Prophet Ibrahim's (peace be upon him) total faith in Allah Almighty. Pilgrims had traveled after midnight from Muzdalifah to Mina to perform the ritual of stoning of the devil, after which they left for Makkah for Tawaf (circumambulation of the Holy Ka'ba) and Sa'i (movement between the hillocks of As-Safa and Al-Marwa). They then headed back to Mina to continue their pelting of the devil ritual over the three days of Tashreeq.Official Haj statistics On Tuesday, the General Statistics Department announced that there were officially over 2.7 million pilgrims on Haj this year, according to a report run by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). A total of over 1.7 million pilgrims came from abroad and the remaining 989,789 were from the Kingdom, most of them residents. Prince Naif, Second Deputy Premier, Interior Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, thanked Almighty Allah Tuesday for the smooth movement of pilgrims from Arafat to Muzdalifah and prayed they are able to perform the remaining Haj rituals “with ease and comfort and return to their countries safely”. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, praised King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and other government officials for the successful Haj so far. In a statement to SPA, Prince Khaled said everything was achieved in record time “due to the integrated and comprehensive framework of excellent services”.Eid Al-Adha sermons Millions of worshippers gathered at the Two Holy Mosques to perform Eid Al-Adha prayers. In Makkah, the worshippers were led by Sheikh Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, Imam and Khateeb of the Grand Mosque, who explained in his sermon that this was a day on which Allah Almighty bestows His forgiveness and mercy on His worshippers. Al-Sudais said that “one of the great Islamic rites on this glorious day is the sacrificial ritual” which comes from the time of Prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) and which was followed and practiced by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Al-Sudais said that in this era of globalization, there were many threats to world security and world peace. He said Islam was a religion of moderation and if practiced correctly creates a “balanced society that takes into consideration both the needs of the individual and the community”. He said the embodiment of this balance was in the person of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). He said Islam has created an economic system which cherishes both individual and public ownership and creates checks and balances to ensure the two do not overlap or create “conflicts of interest”. The same can be said of the political system in Islam, said Al-Sudais. In Madina, in the presence of Prince Abdulaziz Bin Majed Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Madina, Muslims performed Eid Al-Adha prayers in the Prophet's Mosque. The prayers were led by Sheikh Salah Al-Bedair, Imam and Khateeb, who praised God Almighty for His blessings bestowed on Muslims, congratulating all Muslims around the world on the advent of Eid Al-Adha and especially those who performed the Haj rituals in “tranquility, security and safety”. In his sermon, Al-Bedair urged all Muslims to commit themselves to the teachings of the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) and to be careful of deviant ideas or faiths. He also called on Muslims to educate the ignorant, guide those who have questionable faith, promote virtue and prevent vice. He urged Muslims to pay Zakat, visit the sick and feed the hungry. Al-Bedair also warned Muslims about giving or taking bribes. He urged those who are addicted to smoking, alcohol and drugs to abandon these habits. In concluding his sermon, he called on all Muslims to display tolerance, compassion and be servants of Almighty Allah.Journey to Al-Jamarat The stoning of the devil ritual at the massive Al-Jamarat Bridge started without any incident in the early hours of Tuesday. While some walked and used buses, others took the Mashair Train, which took five minutes from the first to the third station. By 10 A.M. there were hundreds of thousands of pilgrims heading to complete the ritual. Hundreds of security officers were stationed on the route to guide pilgrims. Many pilgrims had their children in tow, intent on teaching them this part of the holy pilgrimage. After stoning Al-Jamarat, Sanafa, a female pilgrim from Pakistan, said she was amazed at the project. “I am very happy to have been able to stone the Jamarat so easily. I want to thank the Saudi government for this great project,” she said. After the pilgrims finished the stoning ritual they left for cutting or trimming their hair. To aid sickly and elderly pilgrims, the authorities provided more than 124 free electric ‘golf' carts to take them to the Al-Jamarat Bridge. Some pilgrims complained, however, that there were few drivers to transport them.
