Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah Volume Ii Part 23

"Finally, the Sunnat of pilgrimage are many in number. Of these I enumerate but a few. 'Hajj' should precede 'Umrah.' The 'Talbiyat' should be frequently e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed. The 'Tawaf al-Kudum' must be performed on arrival at Meccah, before proceeding to Mount Arafat.[FN#11] The two-bow prayer should follow

[p.284] Tawaf. A whole night should be pa.s.sed at Muzdalifah and Muna.[FN#12] The circ.u.mambulation of farewell must not be forgotten,[FN#13] and the pilgrim should avoid all sewn clothes, even slippers."

Section I.-Of Ihram.

"Before doffing his laical garment, the pilgrim performs a total ablution, shaves, and perfumes himself. He then puts on a 'Rida' and an 'Izar,[FN#14]' both new, clean, and of a white colour: after which he performs a two-bow prayer (the 'Sunnat' of Al-Ihram), with a sotto-voce Niyat, specifying which rite he intends.[FN#15]

"When Muhrim (i.e. in Ihram), the Moslem is forbidden (unless in case of sickness, necessity, over-heat, or unendurable cold, when a victim must expiate the transgression),-

"1. To cover his head with aught which may be deemed a covering, as a cap or turband; but he may carry an umbrella, dive under water, stand in the shade, and even place his hands upon his head. A woman may wear sewn clothes, white or light blue (not black), but her face-veil should be kept at a distance from her face.

"2. To wear anything sewn or with seams, as shirt, trowsers, or slippers; anything knotted or woven, as chain-armour; but the pilgrim may use, for instance, a torn-up shirt or trowsers bound round his loins or thrown over his shoulders, he may knot his 'Izar,' and tie it with a cord, and he may gird his waist.

"3. To knot the Rida, or shoulder-cloth.[FN#16]

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"4. To deviate from absolute chast.i.ty, even kissing being forbidden to the Muhrim. Marriage cannot be contracted during the pilgrimage season.

"5. To use perfumes, oil, curling the locks, or removing the nails and hair by paring, cutting, plucking, or burning. The nails may be employed to remove pediculi from the hair and clothes, but with care, that no pile fall off.

"6. To hunt wild animals, or to kill those which were such originally.

But he may destroy the 'five noxious,'-a kite, a crow, a rat, a scorpion, and a dog given to biting. He must not cut down a tree,[FN#17] or pluck up a self-growing plant; but he is permitted to reap and to cut gra.s.s.

"It is meritorious for the pilgrim often to raise the 'Talbiyat' cry (for which see p. 140 ante).

"'Labbayk' Allahumma Labbayk'!

La Sharika laka Labbayk'!

Inna 'l hamda wa 'l ni'amata laka w'al mulk!

La Sharika laka, Labbayk.'[FN#18]

"When a.s.suming the pilgrim-garb, and before entering Meccah, 'Ghusl,' or total ablution, should be performed; but if water be not procurable, the Tayammum, or sand ablution, suffices. The pilgrim should enter the Holy City by day and on foot. When his glance falls upon the Ka'abah he should say, 'O Allah, increase this (Thy) house in degree, and greatness, and honour, and awfulness, and increase all those who have honoured it and glorified it, the Hajis and the Mutamirs (Umrah-performers), with degree, and greatness, and honour, and dignity!' Entering the outer Bab al-Salam, he must exclaim, "O Allah, Thou art the Safety, and from Thee is the Safety!" And then pa.s.sing into the Mosque, he should repair to the 'Black Stone,' touch it with his right hand, kiss it, and commence his circ.u.mambulation.[FN#19]

[p.286]"Now, the victims of Al-Ihram are five in number, viz.:-

"1. The 'Victim of Requisites,' when a pilgrim accidentally or willingly omits to perform a requisite, such as the a.s.sumption of the pilgrim garb at the proper place. This victim is a sheep, sacrificed at the id al-Kurban (in addition to the usual offering),[FN#20] or, in lieu of it, ten days' fast-three of them in the Hajj season (viz. on the 6th, 7th, and 8th days of Zu'l Hijjah) and seven after returning home.

"2. The 'Victim of Luxuries,' (Turfah), such as shaving the head or using perfumes. This is a sheep, or a three days' fast, or alms, consisting of three sa'a measures of grain, distributed among six paupers.

"3. The 'Victim of suddenly returning to Laical Life'; that is to say, before the proper time. It is also a sheep, after the sacrifice of which the pilgrim shaves his head.

"4. The 'Victim of killing Game.' If the animal slain be one for which the tame equivalents be procurable (a camel for an ostrich, a cow for a wild a.s.s or cow, and a goat for a gazelle), the pilgrim should sacrifice it, or distribute its value, or purchase with it grain for the poor, or fast one day for each 'Mudd' measure. If the equivalent be not procurable, the offender must buy its value of grain for alms-deeds, or fast a day for every measure.

"5. The 'Victim of Incontinence.' This offering is either a male or a female camel[FN#21]; these failing, a cow or seven sheep, or the value of a camel in grain distributed to the poor, or a day's fast for each measure."

Section II.-Of Tawaf, or Circ.u.mambulation.

"Of this ceremony there are five Wajibat, or requisites, viz.:-Concealing 'the shame,[FN#22]' as in prayer. Ceremonial purity of body, garments, and place. Circ.u.mambulation inside the Mosque. Seven circuits of the house.

Commencement of circuit from the Black Stone. Circ.u.mambulating the house with the left shoulder presented to it. Circuiting the house outside its Shazarwan, or marble bas.e.m.e.nt.[FN#23] And, lastly, the

[p.287] Niyat, or intention of Tawaf, specifying whether it be for Hajj or for Umrah.

"Of the same ceremony the princ.i.p.al Sunnat, or practices, are to walk on foot; to touch, kiss, and place his forehead upon the Black Stone, if possible after each circuit to place the hand upon the Rukn al-Yamani (South corner), but not to kiss it; to pray during each circuit for what is best for man (pardon of sins); to quote lengthily from the Koran,[FN#24] and to often say, 'Subhan Allah!' and to mention none but Allah; to walk slowly, during the first three circuits, and trotting the last four,[FN#25] all the while maintaining a humble and contrite demeanour, with downcast eyes.

"The following are the prayers which have descended to us by tradition:- "When touching the Black Stone the pilgrim says,[FN#26] after Niyat, 'In the name of Allah, and Allah is omnipotent! O Allah (I do this) in Thy belief and in verification of Thy book, and in faithfulness to Thy covenant, and in pursuance of the example of Thy Prophet Mohammed-may Allah bless Him and preserve!'

"Opposite the door of the house: 'O Allah, verily the House is Thy House, and the Sanctuary thy Sanctuary, and the Safeguard Thy Safeguard, and this is the place of the Fugitive to flee from h.e.l.l-fire!'

"Arrived at the Rukn al-Iraki (North corner): 'O Allah, verily I take refuge with Thee from Polytheism (Shirk), and Disobedience, and Hypocrisy, and Evil Conversation, and Evil Thoughts concerning Family (Ahl, 'a wife'), and Property, and Progeny!'

"Parallel with the Mizab, or rain-spout: 'O Allah, shadow me in Thy Shadow that day when there is no shade but Thy Shadow, and cause me to drink from the Cup of Thy Prophet Mohammed-may Allah bless Him and preserve!-that pleasant Draught after which is no thirst to all eternity, O Lord of Honour and Glory!'

RESUME

[p.288]"At the corners Al-Shami and Al-Yamani (West and South angles): 'O Allah, make it an Acceptable Pilgrimage, and the Forgiveness of Sins, and a Laudable Endeavour, and a Pleasant Action in Thy Sight, and a Store that perisheth not, O Thou Glorious! O Thou Pardoner!'[FN#27]

"And between the Southern and Eastern corners: 'O Lord, grant to us in this World Prosperity, and in the next World Prosperity, and save us from the Punishment of Fire!'

"After the sevenfold circ.u.mambulation the pilgrim should recite a two-bow prayer, the 'Sunnat of Tawaf,' behind the Makam Ibrahim. If unable to pray there, he may take any other part of the Mosque. These devotions are performed silently by day and aloud by night. And after prayer the pilgrim should return to the Black Stone, and kiss it."

Section III.-Of Sai, or Course between Mounts Safa and Marwah.

"After performing Tawaf, the pilgrim should issue from the gate 'Al-Safa' (or another, if necessary), and ascend the steps of Mount Safa, about a man's height from the street.[FN#28] There he raises the cry Takbir, and implores pardon for his sins. He then descends, and turns towards Mount Marwah at a slow pace. Arrived within six cubits of the Mil al-Akhzar (the 'green pillar,' planted in the corner of the temple on the left hand), he runs swiftly till he reaches the 'two green pillars,' the left one of which is fixed in the corner of the temple, and the other close to the Dar al-Abbas.[FN#29] Thence he again walks slowly up to Marwah, and ascends it as he did Safa. This concludes a single course. The pilgrim then starts from Marwah, and walks, runs, and walks again through the same limits, till the seventh course is concluded.

"There are four requisites of Sai. The pilgrim must pa.s.s over all the s.p.a.ce between Safa and Marwah; he must begin with Safa, and end with Marwah; he must traverse the distance seven times; and he must perform the rite after some important Tawaf, as that of arrival, or that of return from Arafat.

"The practices of Sai are, briefly, to walk, if possible, to

[p.289] be in a state of ceremonial purity, to quote lengthily from the Koran, and to be abundant in praise of Allah.

"The prayer of Sai is, 'O my Lord, Pardon and Pity, and pa.s.s over that (Sin) which Thou knowest. Verily Thou knowest what is not known, and verily Thou art the most Glorious, the most Generous! O, our Lord, grant us in this World Prosperity, and in the Future Prosperity, and save us from the Punishment of Fire!

"When Sai is concluded, the pilgrim, if performing only Umrah, shaves his head, or clips his hair, and becomes 'Muhill,' returning to the Moslem's normal state. If he purpose Hajj, or pilgrimage after Umrah, he re-a.s.sumes the Ihram. And if he be engaged in pilgrimage, he continues 'Muhrim,' i.e., in Ihram, as before."

Section IV.-Of Wukuf, or standing upon Mount Arafat.

"The days of pilgrimage are three in number: namely, the 8th, the 9th, and the 10th of the month Zu'l Hijjah.[FN#30]

"On the first day (8th), called Yaum al-Tarwiyah, the pilgrim should start from Meccah after the dawn-prayer and sunrise, perform his noontide, afternoon, and evening devotions at Muna, where it is a Sunnat that he should sleep.[FN#31]

[p.290]"On the second day (9th), the 'Yaum Arafat,' after performing the early prayer at 'Ghalas' (i.e. when a man cannot see his neighbour's face) on Mount Sabir, near Muna, the pilgrim should start when the sun is risen, proceed to the 'Mountain of Mercy,' encamp there, and after performing the noontide and afternoon devotions at Masjid Ibrahim,[FN#32] joining and shortening them,[FN#33] he should take his station upon the mountain, which is all standing ground. But the best position is that preferred by the Prophet, near the great rocks lying at the lower slope of Arafat. He must be present at the sermon,[FN#34] and be abundant in Talbiyat (supplication), Tahlil (recitations of the chapter 'Say he is the one G.o.d!'[FN#35]), and weeping, for that is the place for the outpouring of tears. There he should stay till sunset, and then decamp and return hastily to Muzdalifah, where he should pa.s.s a portion of the night.[FN#36] After a visit to the Mosque 'Mashr al-Harim,' he should collect seven pebbles and proceed to Muna.[FN#37]

"Yaum al-Nahr, the third day of the pilgrimage (10th Zu'l Hijjah), is the great festival of the Moslem year. Amongst

[p.291] its many names,[FN#38] 'id al-Kurban' is the best known, as expressive of Ibrahim's sacrifice in lieu of Ismail. Most pilgrims, after casting stones at the Akabah, or 'Great Devil,' hurry to Meccah. Some enter the Ka'abah, whilst others content themselves with performing the Tawaf al-Ifazah, or circ.u.mambulation of impetuosity, round the house.[FN#39]

The pilgrim should then return to Muna, sacrifice a sheep, and sleep there. Strictly speaking, this day concludes the pilgrimage.

'The second set of 'trois jours,' namely, the 11th,[FN#40] the 12th, and the 13th of Zu'l Hijjah, are called Ayyam al-Tashrik, or the 'days of drying flesh in the sun.' The pilgrim should spend that time at Muna,[FN#41] and each day throw seven pebbles at each of the three pillars.[FN#42]

"When throwing the stones, it is desirable that the pilgrim should cast them far from himself, although he is allowed to place them upon the pillar. The act also should be performed after the Zawal, or declension of the sun. The pilgrim should begin with the pillar near the Masjid al-Khayf, proceed to the Wusta, or central column, and end with the Akabah. If unable to cast the stones during the daytime, he is allowed to do it at night.

"The 'throwing' over:-The pilgrim returns to Meccah, and when his journey is fixed, performs the Tawaf al-Wida'a ('of farewell'). On this occasion it is a Sunnat to drink the waters of Zemzem, to enter the temple with more than usual

[p.292] respect and reverence, and bidding it adieu, to depart from the Holy City.

"The Moslem is especially forbidden to take with him cakes made of the earth or dust of the Harim, and similar mementoes, as they savour of idolatry."

CHAPTER II.-OF UMRAH, OR THE LITTLE PILGRIMAGE.