2 million Muslim pilgrims gathered on Mt. Arafat (no relation) today for the prayer ritual that is the centerpiece of the Hajj:
- Nearly 2 million Muslim pilgrims converged on Mt. Arafat on Monday for a solemn prayer ritual that is the highlight of the hajj, a centuries-old pilgrimage to the birthplace of Islam.
After dawn prayers at the nearby valley of Mina, where most pilgrims spent the night in white fireproof tents, they began the short trek to Arafat, a gentle plateau from which a small and rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy rises.
Singing the pilgrim chant "At Thy service, my God, at Thy Service," they reached Arafat on foot, in buses and even clinging to the roofs of vehicles.
By midmorning, as helicopters hovered overhead and police tried to keep order on the ground, the arid plateau turned into an ocean of pilgrims, with men dressed in identical seamless white garb, and women entirely covered — with only their hands and faces visible.
Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it is required to perform the hajj at least once in a lifetime. [CBS]
- Gangsta rapper Napoleon has a new name: Pilgrim.
The rapper, who real name is Mutah Wasin Shabazz Beale, is joining other Muslims worldwide in making the annual hajj to Mecca, birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and home to Islam's holiest shrine.
For Beale, the trip to Saudi Arabia symbolizes his emergence from a world of drugs and violence.
"Before I didn't care about living or dying," said Beale, 25, who lives with his fiance and 3-year-old son. "Now I recognize how beautiful life is. I love to have another day to pray to Allah."
Saturday was the start of the five-day pilgrimage, required once in a lifetime for all Muslims who are able-bodied and can afford the trip.
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