THE plains of Arafat reverberated with the chant of “Labbaik... Allahumma Labbaik, La Shareek Laka, Labbaik. Innal Hamdah, Wan Nematah, Laka wal Mulk, La Shareek Laka Labbaik. (Here I am at Thy service O Lord, here I am. Here I am at Thy service and Thou hast no partners. Thine alone is all praise and all bounty, and Thine alone is the Sovereignty. Thou hast no partners, here I am.) The gathering on the plains of Arafat symbolizes the climax of Haj. It is here that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave his farewell sermon in 10th Hijra: “O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds.” Ending the sermon the Prophet (pbuh) said: “All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again.” It is a duty for every Muslim to live up to the expectations as expressed in the last sermon and stay away from things for which the Prophet (pbuh) advised his followers to avoid. The Kingdom has mobilized its resources for a peaceful and comfortable Haj. The Traffic Command in Muzdalifa has deployed over 1,700 traffic policemen and 60 officers to facilitate the movement of pilgrims to Arafat, then to Muzdalifa for the night and later to Mina for the rest of the Haj rituals. This year a record number of pilgrims have come from abroad. Crown Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Haj Committee, said Friday that 1,828,195 pilgrims came from outside the Kingdom, registering an increase of 27,274 from last year. The vast sea of white on the plains of Arafat symbolized the unity of the Ummah and adherence to the call of Allah. Let us all pray that every pilgrim takes home this message of love, harmony and brotherhood. __
