Shaykh
05-12-04, 11:13 PM
The Lesson to Learn from the Recurring Stampedes
This year 250 Hujjaaj were trampled to death and hundreds injured at the Jamaraat site. Over the past few years, trampling to death has become a sort of a regular phenomen during the Hajj Ibaadat. A few years ago about 1500 Hujjaaj were killed in a tunnel while hundreds more were injured. While these episodes of disaster at the sites of Ibaadat are shocking and lamentable, they are not surprising given the gross jahaalat (ignorance) of the vast majority of Hujjaaj and the reckless unconcern of the authorities whose primary concern of the Hajj affair is the commercial aspect.
BLAMING THE PILGRIMS
In its own defense the Saudis were expected to put the blame squarely on the ignorant Hujjaaj. From the spiritual angle, this might be correct. But the Saudi regime has no understanding of spiritualism. They are hardcore materialists emulating all the evil aspects of American materialism while ignoring the good systems which accompany such materialism in America itself. Presenting an extremely weak defense, the Saudi Minister of Interior, Prince Nayef is reported to have said: "I saw people jump over those who fell, while others stood on top of them to throw stones. We had hoped that our brotherly pilgrims would behave calmly and respect those that fell dead or fainted, rather than step on them." Incidentally this prince heads the ‘Supreme Hajj Committee’.
It is indeed ludicrous and unacceptable that such a top and prominent official in the Saudi regime saw all the crushing and trampling to death, but did nothing or could do nothing to prevent the catastrophe. The authorities who did expect this impending tragedy to be enacted had ’urged’ pilgrims to stone the pillars at different times. Anyone who knows what takes place during the Hajj time at the Hajj sites with the huge mass of people will understand that the Saudi authorities were speaking bunkum by their ’urging’. Did they not learn any lessons from the death crushes and trampling of the past few years? While they are so advanced in building palaces which out-match palaces of the kuffaar kings and queens, they lack the basic expertise of crowd control inspite of having an army which has absolutely no function other than to lazearound and act as security for only the royal family.
If they had any Islamic sense and shame they would have never ventured to erect palaces with slums all around them. With all their palaces they come within the scope of the Qur’aanic aayat: "What, do you erect palaces as if you will be living forever (here on earth)?" They are totally blind, insensitive and uncaring of the plight of the Hujjaaj outside the walls of the palaces and of the unspeakable squalor, filth, congestion and misery at all sites and locations of the Hajj Ibaadat, especially at Mina.
A BIG JOKE
A big, but cruel joke was the royal ‘edict’ which came quick on the heels of the massive death-crush —the edict of a 20 year project to improve the Jamaraat sites. Do they think that they will still be around after 20 years? And, what about the thousands who will still be trampelled and crushed to death in two decades from now? People are being crushed to death now, annually, and the royal edict speaks of 20 years. The crushing episodes are truly souvenirs of the Saudi regime.
There are huge gatherings in other parts of the world where millions also assemble, but there is no crushing and trampling to death. Not a single person is trampled to death. The organization and the system are well arranged. Why are such heart-rending and unacceptable episodes in which hundreds perish like vermin, features which are exclusive with the Hajj Ibaadat? Undoubtedly, it is a terrible commentary on both the Saudi authorities and the Hujjaaj.
NO VALID REASON
The Saudi government has absolutely no valid reason for failing in its obligation of maintaining law and order. All excuses offered in its defense are baseless and must be rejected. What do the Saudi authorities do when some visiting dignitary —a president, prime minister, or a cabinet minister of some country —arrives for Umrah or Hajj or to merely survey the scene? Those who have witnessed these scenes will testify that regardless of the tens of thousands filling the Holy sites —irrespective of the jostling and crushing—within minutes the army clears the entire Mataaf area or the Jamraat area to render it vacant for the comfort and ease of the visiting dignitary who proceeds with his mock ‘ibaadat’ at his leisure encircled by hundreds of army chaps.
If the army can clear, not only a path, but the entire Ibaadat site, whether in Musjidul Haraam, at the Jamraat or Arafaat, to allow just one or two dignitaries who are no different from the ignorant Hujjaaj, why are they unable to ensure maintenance of law, order, system and peace at the Jamaraat and elsewhere to enable Hujjaaj to accomplish the Hajj rituals in peace? The unconcern and the colossal contempt which the Saudis have for the Ummah in general are the primary causes (from the worldly point of view) for the stampedes, crushing and trampling to death. They have great love and reverence for the kuffaar whom they emulate in every aspect of their lives, but for the slaves of Allah —albeit ignorant ones— they have nothing but scorn and contempt. It is for this reason that there is not a Muslim nation, in the entire Ummah which has any love for the Saudi regime. Ofcourse, Muslim governments are excluded from the circle of the Ummah.
SYSTEM
The solution for the problem is required immediately, not after 20 years, and such a solution is possible without the need to spend billions of dollars to rehash the bridges over the Jamaraat. The only requirements are concern, true feeling for non-Saudi Muslims, some humility to replace the present Saudi arrogance reserved in particular for the ignorant Hujjaaj and a true desire to co-operate with others who can teach the Saudis some lessons in system and organization. There is a desperate need for the Saudi government to establish a committee of experts to look into this terrible matter and to plan a system which will function smoothly next year. But such a committee will succeed only if Saudis are excluded from it. It is imperative that the Saudi authorities keep in mind the interests of the larger Ummah and form such a committee to advise it on this issue. The Custodian of the Holy Cities has totally failed to observe his obligation to ensure that the Hajj goes off smoothly and is accomplished peacefully. As long as arrogance is their attitude and money the aim of the Hajj, there will be no progress and no solution. The crushing and trampling will be incremental.
THE HUJJAAJ
The above discussion is some naseehat for the Saudis although it is known that they are not people who heed naseehat of non-Saudis. If the naseehat emanates from Washington, it will be another matter. Let us now come to the actual cause —the true cause — of the stampedes with their heart-breaking consequences. We have offered naseehat to the Saudi regime. This does not mean that the entire blame has to be laid at the door of the Custodian of the Holy Cities. on page one of this issue, it has been explained that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had made it very clear and so does the Qur’aan, that rulers are the reflections of the people. Summing it up, the Hadith says: "Your deeds are your rulers."
Undoubtedly, the ignorant Hujjaaj should hang their heads in utter shame for the callous and evil manner in which they go about performing the rituals of this sacred act of Hajj which is an ibaadat of Love and supreme devotion. When Hujjaaj can pelt the Pillars standing ontop of dead and fainted Mu’mineen, then there are no words to describe such dastardly misdeeds. Words cannot register disgust adequately. How did the Ummah degenerate to such a despicable level when Islam teaches that it is haraam to walk on even a grave? But here are ignoramuses who stand on dead, half-dead and fainted Believers pelting the Jamraat and thinking that they are discharging their obligation beautifully.
FITTING AND DESERVING
The conduct of the ignorant Hujjaj who transform the Hajj —the highest act of devotion and love — into brawl and stampede not even witnessed to this degree of death at the sports ventures of the kuffaar where drunken louts and hooligans abound., is absolutely deplorable and cannot be defended or mitigated in any way by the ignoramuses blaming the authorities. Even if there is no systematic arrangement by the authorities to control the crowds and maintain law and order, it is not an excuse for what has happened and what happens every year at the Hajj sites.
Everyone is supposed to go about his ibaadat with humility, patience, understanding and dignity, giving preference for the convenience and comfort of the next worshipper. But the complete opposite happens on the occasion of Hajj. The Hajj has been jettisoned completely beyond the parameters of ibaadat. The Qur’aan and the Sunnah emphasise the guidelines and attitudes Muslims should adopt during the Hajj. There is, therefore, no excuse for the ignorance and its consequences. The ignorant attitues and the immoral behaviour of the Hujjaaj confirm the Ahaadith regarding the fitting and deserving rulers appointed over people. The attitude of the Saudis towards the Hujjaj mirrors the decadent moral and spiritual condition of the Hujjaaj. Better rulers cannot be expected when the people perform in such a disgraceful and deplorable manner.
THE SECRET OF THE UMMAH’S SUCCESS
On the occasion of the Conquest of Jerusalem, Hadhrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu), admonished the Muslims as follows:
"O People! Reform your innerselves,and your outer-lives (mundane affairs will be successful. Practise (deeds) for your Aakhirah, and your worldly affairs will be attend to. Whoever desires the direction of the Road of Jannat should cling to the Jama’ah (of the Sunnah), for verily, Shaitaan is with the one (who deviates from the Jama’ah), and he (shaitaan) is far from two (which forms a Jama’ah). Never be alone with a woman, for the third one present is shaitaan. He whose good deeds produce happiness in him, and his evil deeds causes him grief, verily, he is a (true) Mu’min."
The success of the Ummah is not in worldly, technological and financial superiority.
The Majlis Vol.15 No.10 (http://www.themajlis.net/Article76.html)
This year 250 Hujjaaj were trampled to death and hundreds injured at the Jamaraat site. Over the past few years, trampling to death has become a sort of a regular phenomen during the Hajj Ibaadat. A few years ago about 1500 Hujjaaj were killed in a tunnel while hundreds more were injured. While these episodes of disaster at the sites of Ibaadat are shocking and lamentable, they are not surprising given the gross jahaalat (ignorance) of the vast majority of Hujjaaj and the reckless unconcern of the authorities whose primary concern of the Hajj affair is the commercial aspect.
BLAMING THE PILGRIMS
In its own defense the Saudis were expected to put the blame squarely on the ignorant Hujjaaj. From the spiritual angle, this might be correct. But the Saudi regime has no understanding of spiritualism. They are hardcore materialists emulating all the evil aspects of American materialism while ignoring the good systems which accompany such materialism in America itself. Presenting an extremely weak defense, the Saudi Minister of Interior, Prince Nayef is reported to have said: "I saw people jump over those who fell, while others stood on top of them to throw stones. We had hoped that our brotherly pilgrims would behave calmly and respect those that fell dead or fainted, rather than step on them." Incidentally this prince heads the ‘Supreme Hajj Committee’.
It is indeed ludicrous and unacceptable that such a top and prominent official in the Saudi regime saw all the crushing and trampling to death, but did nothing or could do nothing to prevent the catastrophe. The authorities who did expect this impending tragedy to be enacted had ’urged’ pilgrims to stone the pillars at different times. Anyone who knows what takes place during the Hajj time at the Hajj sites with the huge mass of people will understand that the Saudi authorities were speaking bunkum by their ’urging’. Did they not learn any lessons from the death crushes and trampling of the past few years? While they are so advanced in building palaces which out-match palaces of the kuffaar kings and queens, they lack the basic expertise of crowd control inspite of having an army which has absolutely no function other than to lazearound and act as security for only the royal family.
If they had any Islamic sense and shame they would have never ventured to erect palaces with slums all around them. With all their palaces they come within the scope of the Qur’aanic aayat: "What, do you erect palaces as if you will be living forever (here on earth)?" They are totally blind, insensitive and uncaring of the plight of the Hujjaaj outside the walls of the palaces and of the unspeakable squalor, filth, congestion and misery at all sites and locations of the Hajj Ibaadat, especially at Mina.
A BIG JOKE
A big, but cruel joke was the royal ‘edict’ which came quick on the heels of the massive death-crush —the edict of a 20 year project to improve the Jamaraat sites. Do they think that they will still be around after 20 years? And, what about the thousands who will still be trampelled and crushed to death in two decades from now? People are being crushed to death now, annually, and the royal edict speaks of 20 years. The crushing episodes are truly souvenirs of the Saudi regime.
There are huge gatherings in other parts of the world where millions also assemble, but there is no crushing and trampling to death. Not a single person is trampled to death. The organization and the system are well arranged. Why are such heart-rending and unacceptable episodes in which hundreds perish like vermin, features which are exclusive with the Hajj Ibaadat? Undoubtedly, it is a terrible commentary on both the Saudi authorities and the Hujjaaj.
NO VALID REASON
The Saudi government has absolutely no valid reason for failing in its obligation of maintaining law and order. All excuses offered in its defense are baseless and must be rejected. What do the Saudi authorities do when some visiting dignitary —a president, prime minister, or a cabinet minister of some country —arrives for Umrah or Hajj or to merely survey the scene? Those who have witnessed these scenes will testify that regardless of the tens of thousands filling the Holy sites —irrespective of the jostling and crushing—within minutes the army clears the entire Mataaf area or the Jamraat area to render it vacant for the comfort and ease of the visiting dignitary who proceeds with his mock ‘ibaadat’ at his leisure encircled by hundreds of army chaps.
If the army can clear, not only a path, but the entire Ibaadat site, whether in Musjidul Haraam, at the Jamraat or Arafaat, to allow just one or two dignitaries who are no different from the ignorant Hujjaaj, why are they unable to ensure maintenance of law, order, system and peace at the Jamaraat and elsewhere to enable Hujjaaj to accomplish the Hajj rituals in peace? The unconcern and the colossal contempt which the Saudis have for the Ummah in general are the primary causes (from the worldly point of view) for the stampedes, crushing and trampling to death. They have great love and reverence for the kuffaar whom they emulate in every aspect of their lives, but for the slaves of Allah —albeit ignorant ones— they have nothing but scorn and contempt. It is for this reason that there is not a Muslim nation, in the entire Ummah which has any love for the Saudi regime. Ofcourse, Muslim governments are excluded from the circle of the Ummah.
SYSTEM
The solution for the problem is required immediately, not after 20 years, and such a solution is possible without the need to spend billions of dollars to rehash the bridges over the Jamaraat. The only requirements are concern, true feeling for non-Saudi Muslims, some humility to replace the present Saudi arrogance reserved in particular for the ignorant Hujjaaj and a true desire to co-operate with others who can teach the Saudis some lessons in system and organization. There is a desperate need for the Saudi government to establish a committee of experts to look into this terrible matter and to plan a system which will function smoothly next year. But such a committee will succeed only if Saudis are excluded from it. It is imperative that the Saudi authorities keep in mind the interests of the larger Ummah and form such a committee to advise it on this issue. The Custodian of the Holy Cities has totally failed to observe his obligation to ensure that the Hajj goes off smoothly and is accomplished peacefully. As long as arrogance is their attitude and money the aim of the Hajj, there will be no progress and no solution. The crushing and trampling will be incremental.
THE HUJJAAJ
The above discussion is some naseehat for the Saudis although it is known that they are not people who heed naseehat of non-Saudis. If the naseehat emanates from Washington, it will be another matter. Let us now come to the actual cause —the true cause — of the stampedes with their heart-breaking consequences. We have offered naseehat to the Saudi regime. This does not mean that the entire blame has to be laid at the door of the Custodian of the Holy Cities. on page one of this issue, it has been explained that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had made it very clear and so does the Qur’aan, that rulers are the reflections of the people. Summing it up, the Hadith says: "Your deeds are your rulers."
Undoubtedly, the ignorant Hujjaaj should hang their heads in utter shame for the callous and evil manner in which they go about performing the rituals of this sacred act of Hajj which is an ibaadat of Love and supreme devotion. When Hujjaaj can pelt the Pillars standing ontop of dead and fainted Mu’mineen, then there are no words to describe such dastardly misdeeds. Words cannot register disgust adequately. How did the Ummah degenerate to such a despicable level when Islam teaches that it is haraam to walk on even a grave? But here are ignoramuses who stand on dead, half-dead and fainted Believers pelting the Jamraat and thinking that they are discharging their obligation beautifully.
FITTING AND DESERVING
The conduct of the ignorant Hujjaj who transform the Hajj —the highest act of devotion and love — into brawl and stampede not even witnessed to this degree of death at the sports ventures of the kuffaar where drunken louts and hooligans abound., is absolutely deplorable and cannot be defended or mitigated in any way by the ignoramuses blaming the authorities. Even if there is no systematic arrangement by the authorities to control the crowds and maintain law and order, it is not an excuse for what has happened and what happens every year at the Hajj sites.
Everyone is supposed to go about his ibaadat with humility, patience, understanding and dignity, giving preference for the convenience and comfort of the next worshipper. But the complete opposite happens on the occasion of Hajj. The Hajj has been jettisoned completely beyond the parameters of ibaadat. The Qur’aan and the Sunnah emphasise the guidelines and attitudes Muslims should adopt during the Hajj. There is, therefore, no excuse for the ignorance and its consequences. The ignorant attitues and the immoral behaviour of the Hujjaaj confirm the Ahaadith regarding the fitting and deserving rulers appointed over people. The attitude of the Saudis towards the Hujjaj mirrors the decadent moral and spiritual condition of the Hujjaaj. Better rulers cannot be expected when the people perform in such a disgraceful and deplorable manner.
THE SECRET OF THE UMMAH’S SUCCESS
On the occasion of the Conquest of Jerusalem, Hadhrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu), admonished the Muslims as follows:
"O People! Reform your innerselves,and your outer-lives (mundane affairs will be successful. Practise (deeds) for your Aakhirah, and your worldly affairs will be attend to. Whoever desires the direction of the Road of Jannat should cling to the Jama’ah (of the Sunnah), for verily, Shaitaan is with the one (who deviates from the Jama’ah), and he (shaitaan) is far from two (which forms a Jama’ah). Never be alone with a woman, for the third one present is shaitaan. He whose good deeds produce happiness in him, and his evil deeds causes him grief, verily, he is a (true) Mu’min."
The success of the Ummah is not in worldly, technological and financial superiority.
The Majlis Vol.15 No.10 (http://www.themajlis.net/Article76.html)