Iran Press- Arafat is a specific place on earth, and a specific day of the year. On the day of Arafeh , the gates of divine mercy open to the peoples of the world.
The plain of Arafat, is a special land blessed by the Almighty -- a land which possesses many qualities and characteristics, and a unique history.
No sin has been committed on the plain of Arafat , and on this land, all the Prophets of God (peace be upon them) and all 'honest and pious people of pure heart' have worshipped the one and only Lord, the Almighty.
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In Hajj , our attention is to God
Arafat is a flat plain, a desert, situated about 24 kilometres north of Mecca, and a prominent mountain, known as the 'mountain of mercy' , is located on this plain.
The day of Arafeh -- A time to remember Allah
A brief history of Arafat:
Arafat is the place were Prophet Adam (peaec be upon him ) admitted to his sin and guilt , and was forgiven and bledssed by Allah. For this reason, this land has become known as 'Arafat'. All the Prophets of God have visited this land, and been blessed by Allah , and declared their servitude to Allah. Also the Prophet of Islam's younger grandson, the Chief of Martyrs, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) , when visiting this place with a group of his close relatives and companions, weeped and cried to Allah, offering a prayer and supplication.
The rituals of the day of Arafeh:
If the Hajj pilgrims, on the 9th day of the month of Zil Hajjeh, a day known as Hajj Arafeh (pilgrimage of Arafeh ), do not fully grasp or fully understand the significance of this place, their Hajj will be left incomplete , and they will have to complete the Hajj the following year.
The massive crowd of pilgrims leaves the city of Mecca in the early afternoon, with their heads shaved (uncovered ) and not wearing their usual clothes, but covering themselves with two simple white cloths, and making their way to the plain of Arafat. As the pilgrims leave Mecca, they chant the supplication: "Labbayk, Allahumma labbayk, labbayk la sharika laka labbayk, Innal Hamda wan nimata laka wal mulk, la sharika lak, labbayk". This can be translated as: “Here I am, O Lord, here I am, you indeed have no partner, here I am. No Doubt, all praise and bounties are yours, and so is the absolute Domain. You indeed have no partners, here I am”
This divine supplication can be heard throughput Mecca, on 9th of Zil Hajjeh, as the pilgrims move out towards the plain of Arafat. Thus in early to mid afternoon, all the pilgrims gather in the desert of Arafat.
Meanwhile, the pilgrim of Haj said, In Mecca, We feel relaxed because our attention is to God.
In an exclusive interview with Iran press, added He, When you feel God, all your attention is to him.
He also said,Getting close to God makes us want whatever we need.
Hajj is an annual pilgrimage to Mecca and is associated with the life of Islamic prophet Muhammad.
Mecca was the birthplace of Muhammad and is regarded as the holiest city in Islam.
The tradition involved thousands of Muslims travelling to Mecca for the week of the Hajj in order to undertake a series of rituals. It is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be undertaken at least once in their lives, for all those fit and able.
In Hajj,The pilgrims shave their heads, perform an animal sacrifice and celebrate Eid al-Adha. The reason for the animal sacrifice is to represent the task Ibrahim was asked to undertake by Allah.
Ibrahim - also known as Abraham - had to sacrifice his son to prove his obedience to God, but upon taking a blade to his son Allah provided a goat to be sacrificed instead.In commemoration of this, animals are sacrificed and the meat split into three parts. One third is donated to those who are needy, the second third to relatives, friends and neighbours and the remainder is shared by the family.
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