During the month of Zilhajj, millions of Muslims from all over the world go to the Holy Land to worship God in the best way possible. From the 8th Zilhajj to the 13th Zilhajj, Hajj is done in Makkah and Madinah, the most holy places on earth. In the past, pilgrims had to travel for a month to do Hajj. Now, with modern amenities, Hajj is easier to do, but even with all the conveniences, pilgrims still have to deal with problems during the journey. If are planning to book low cost umrah travel services, then you must know about these difficulties. Here are some of the problems that pilgrims face when they go on Hajj.
Difficulties during Hajj
Visas can be hard to get. When a Muslim wants to go to the house of Allah, the first thing he has to do is get a Visa from the government. There are a lot of pilgrims, but only so many Visas, so getting a Visa may be one of the hardest things for pilgrims to do. The Visa of Saudi Arabia to do Hajj was only given to the lucky people whom Allah wants to be His guests.
Circumambulation (Tawaf) is one of the most important parts of Hajj. During Tawaf, a pilgrim walks around the Kabah seven times. When a lot of people are doing Tawaf at the same time, especially at the point of the Black stone, people sometimes push and shove each other to touch or kiss the Black stone. In result some people get hurt or die in hustle. It is true that every Muslim wants more than anything to touch or kiss the Stone that came from Jannah, but the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) told us how to do these things from afar, and they are fine. Many Muslim scholars put out Fatwas saying that Tawaf can be done on the upper floors of Masjid e Nabwi. To do these things, don't hurt other pilgrims. You are in holy land, where every small thing counts. If you want to do this, choose a time for Tawaf when there aren't as many people around so you can do this religious act in the right way.
Problems in Sa'ey: Sa'ey is the area between the hills of Safa and Marwah. One of the most important parts of Hajj is the Sa'ey between Safa and Marwah. This ritual is just as important as Tawaf, but because the space for Sa'ey is smaller than the space for Tawaf, pilgrims have to be even more careful. Do not push or shove other people to finish your Sa'ey. This could hurt other people, which is against Islam's rules. The lower floor has more people, so pilgrims who want to avoid the crowds can do the Sa'ey ritual on the upper floor.
Standing in Arafat:
In Arafat, all the pilgrims meet at the same time and place, and they all have to leave at the same time. This is a place where many Muslims have trouble standing or moving because there are so many people there. At every step of Hajj, it is important to keep your cool. Hajj is the name for getting rid of sins and cleaning your soul and body of sins. If you make trouble for other people, you may lose the point of hajj. Keep believing that if Allah Almighty invites you to His house with millions of other Muslims, He SWT will definitely give you a chance to do every ritual of this sacred worship.
At Muzdalifah, pilgrims have to sleep on the ground under the open sky. Here, the most common problem that pilgrims face is not being able to find a toilet. The Saudi government gives pilgrims good tents where they can sleep comfortably, but sometimes it is hard to find a toilet because there are so many people. So, it's best to not eat too much when you're in Arafat and Muzdalifah.
Stone the Jamarat:
Stone the Jamarat is thought to be the hardest ritual when it comes to crowding. During Jamarat, pilgrims throw stones at the three pillars that stand for the devil. There's no doubt that this is the most emotional time of the year, but when people push or shove other pilgrims, they show how stupid they are. People sometimes get so angry that they throw big rocks or stones or even shoes or pieces of wood at the Jamarat from far away. They don't think about how this could hurt other pilgrims because they are far away and their throw isn't strong enough to get the object to the pillar. People are told to avoid the most crowded times, which are in the morning on the first day of Eid and at the Dhuhr prayer time on the other three days of Eid. Instead, they are told to stone the Jamarat at night, when there are fewer people and they can think calmly about their creator. Scholars say that the time for stoning is after the sun crosses the meridian and lasts until Fajr, so you can avoid the crowds.
During the Farewell Tawaf:
At the end of Hajj, when pilgrims have to leave Saudi Arabia, the last ritual they have to do is Tawaf al-Wadaa, or the Farewell Tawaf. When pilgrims try to leave early to see their families, almost all of them gather at the same time, which can be hard because of the rush. It is best to wait until the third day of al-Tashreeq to do this ritual. Those who don't rush will get a bigger reward than those who do, and they won't have to deal with as many people.
Allah Almighty makes Makkah and Madina Holy Lands, even though there isn't much greenery there and the weather is very hot. There is a lot of wisdom in it from the Almighty, and one of the reasons could be that HE SWT wants to show who His true believers are by the fact that they didn't stop the worship of Hajj even though it was very hot, because every believer can answer the call of truth from his Lord.
