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Muslims mark Feast of Sacrifice near hajj end
April 7, 1998
Pilgrims circle the Kaaba, a stone monument covered in black cloth
Web posted at: 3:42 p.m. EDT (1942 GMT)In this story:
- 'Holy war' to liberate Jerusalem
- Feast of sacrifice
- Trouble-free hajj
- Pilgrimage not meant to be easy
- Related stories and sites
MECCA, Saudi Arabia (CNN) -- For seven times, Muslim pilgrims on Tuesday circled the Kaaba, the great stone monument in Mecca's Grand Mosque toward which all Muslims pray five times each day.
The walk around the cubical shrine -- Islam's holiest site -- is one of the main traditions of the annual pilgrimage, or hajj, being made this year by 2.3 million Muslims from about 100 countries.
Muslims believe the Kaaba was built first by Adam. It bears a new black silk covering interlaced with gold that cost $4.5 million (U.S.) and was woven by 200 people. The cover is replaced every year.
More than 2 million Muslims made the pilgrimage to the holy city this year 'Holy war' to liberate Jerusalem
In a sunrise sermon, Abdel-Rahman al-Sidess, one of the three imams (prayer leaders), at the Grand Mosque, called for "jihad," or holy war, to liberate Jerusalem from Israeli control and end Israel's occupation of Palestinian lands.
"How can Muslims stand idle in front of this bunch of aggressors," the imam asked. "We have to raise the banner of jihad to liberate our holy Jerusalem from the malicious Zionism, and we hope that day will be soon."
East Jerusalem, captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East War, is the site of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest shrine in Islam.
Feast of sacrifice
Also Tuesday, the pilgrims returned to Mena, a tent city just outside Mecca, for the stoning of the pillar of temptation -- at which each pilgrim throws seven pebbles to show they have resisted Satan's lures.
After five days of prayer and ceremony, participants will celebrate Eid al-Adha After that came a ritual haircut -- some men shave their heads, some women cut only a curl -- then the sacrifice of animals.
The sacrifices coincide with the Eid al-Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice, celebrated throughout the Muslim world. The holiday marks the Muslim belief that God saved Abraham's son, Ishmael, after Abraham offered to sacrifice him.
Saudi officials had said they expected more than 1 million sheep, goats, cows and camels to be sacrificed by the time the hajj officially ends on Thursday.
Trouble-free hajj
The hajj, a main tenet of Islam, is required of every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it. In the past, it has been troubled by stampedes, fires and political protests that turned violent.
But Saudi officials said this year has been trouble-free. Plans implemented to ease congestion, ensure safety and increase the comfort of the pilgrims will continue over a number of years:
- Waste removal has been increased.
- Roads have been improved, with a series of tunnels drilled through granite hills shortening travel time considerably.
- Information stations have been set up to help lost pilgrims.
Saudi newspapers report record times for moving the huge mass of pilgrims from site to site.
Preparations for the next hajj are to begin almost as soon as this year's pilgrimage is over.
Pilgrimage not meant to be easy
Still, hajj is not meant to be easy. The setting is a hot desert where huge numbers of people are crammed into a small area. The challenge is to be honest with oneself, and the mission is to ask God's forgiveness for sins.
"There was a great potential for people to start getting angry with one another," said Alexander Kronemer, a pilgrim from Washington, where he is a writer and lecturer on Islam. But, he told CNN, it's "amazing" how well everyone is getting along.
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It's an issue that many pilgrims here speak about -- that Westerners too often link the word "Muslim" to terrorism.
The hajj, they say, is proof that people from all walks of life -- and all cultures -- can get along in peace and harmony, if they have genuine faith and are willing to demonstrate it.
Correspondent Riz Kahn, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Muslim pilgrims prepare for next step of hajj - April 6, 1998
- Muslim pilgrims rally in Mena on eve of hajj climax - April 5, 1998
- Security tight at hajj in Mecca - April 3, 1998
- Indonesian women at Muslim hajj don't face Saudi strictures - April 2, 1998
- Islam's holy hajj begins - April 2, 1998
- Report: Death toll in hajj fire actually is 2,000 - April 16, 1997
- Saudi diplomat: Hajj fire was an accident - April 16, 1997
- Fire kills more than 200 pilgrims near Mecca - April 15, 1997
- Islam colors followers' entire lives - December 18, 1995
Related sites:
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- Hajj information and links
- Hajj and Umrah - Information for independent pilgrims
- The Islam Page
- ArabNet - Saudi Arabia
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
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