Amid the ongoing blame-game over a fresh Hajj tragedy which claimed the lives of hundreds of pilgrims at Mina, the Saudi Arabia government has engaged itself in facilitating the smooth departure of hundreds of thousands of Hajis to their respective countries.
Mohammed bin Nayef, the crown prince of the Kingdom, who chairs the supreme Hajj committee, did not make any delay in ordering a high-level probe into the stampede and the final report is expected to be out soon. The incident has prompted the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to issue an order for the review of the Kingdom's Hajj plans and entire procedures for the annual pilgrimage.
Those who are familiar with the Hajj process, wholeheartedly praise the Saudi authorities, who have been undertaking massive measures to ensure a comfortable Hajj every year and serving theguests of Allah' with great dedication and commitment without expectation of any kind of worldly gains.
It is easy to criticise. But, it is almost impossible for any other government to organise and manage world's biggest annual religious congregation, which includes a series of effortful rituals and constant movement of pilgrims from one place to another in such a systematic way. It's better to abstain from pointing fingers and blaming each other at least until the result of enquiry is out.
The stoning at Jamaraat is, probably, the most hectic part of Hajj as a large number of pilgrims converge at one place at one time. Nearly three million pilgrims pass through the five-story bridge during the three-day ritual to accomplish the symbolic ritual. Stoning of the Jamaraat is one of the duties of the Hajj and a symbolic re-enactment of the action of the father of the prophets Hazrat Ibrahim (pbuh).
Saudi government has spent millions of dollars to expand the Jamaraat Bridge to enable pilgrims to accomplish the ritual without much difficulty. Jamaraat Bridge is 950 meters long and 80 meters in width and consists of five levels, each of which is 12 meters high. To facilitate movement of pilgrims, the bridge has 12 entrances and 12 exits, distributed among all four directions, in addition to emergency exits. This will enable authorities to accommodate 300,000 pilgrims an hour for stoning.
The structure is equipped with surveillance cameras throughout which are in constant operation, and which are used to pinpoint areas where fast intervention and provision of emergency medical assistance is necessary. The facility also includes two helicopter pads for emergency use. In order to provide a more pleasant environment for pilgrims, an air conditioning system accompanied by water sprinklers, capable of lowering the air temperature to around 29 degrees Celsius has also been installed. It is worthy of note that the ultra modern bridge project was designed with future needs in mind also, as it can be expanded to a total of 12 levels capable of accommodating more than five million pilgrims at a time!
Since the opening of new bridge in 2011, there were no major accidents during stoning rituals in Jamaraat. So what went wrong this time? This time too stampede was not on Jamaraat Bridge. The fatal incident took place on streets that lead to the bridge, as two massive lines of pilgrims converged on each other at right angles.
Pilgrims are given schedules to visit the Jamaraat Bridge. Authorities request Tawafa establishments and other domestic Hajj organizers to stick to the schedules assigned to them when sending pilgrims to the Jamaraat. Saudi religious authorities have issued a fatwa decreeing that the stoning may take place between sunrise and sunset, rather than at the mid-day time that most pilgrims prefer. When over two million pilgrims throng the tent city, the crowd behaviour would entirely not lie in the hands of the authorities and hence crush and panic are constant dangers.
The Hajis need to maintain patience and follow the rules and guidelines laid down by the Government for the safety of all the pilgrims. Rigorous Hajj orientations should be given to Hajis in their own language. There should be mandatory lessons and classes to be attended by each Hajj pilgrim, who has obtained a Hajj visa.
There should be lessons on patience and respect for fellow Muslims who are performing Hajj. It is the duty of the authorities concerned of the countries that send pilgrims to guide them how to perform Hajj rituals and avoid tragedies. Booklets in different languages about the safety precautions should be provided.
Sometimes pilgrims from some particular regions organize their movement in groups of around hundred members and they walk together holding their hands. They move either very fast or very slowly. This puts others in a big danger whether it is Umrah or Hajj. It would be helpful if pilgrims were educated through video programs in English and other languages at the airports or waiting terminals including immigration area where Hajis spend enough time. Some giant screens in these areas can show the proper way of doing Tawaf, sa'i, stoning rituals etc and especially train them to Islamize their behaviour by uphold the values of Hajj by giving priority to other pilgrims.
Meanwhile, expansion and development of the Grand Mosque and other holy sites must continue to accommodate more Hajj pilgrims and ensure smooth Hajj in years to come. Global Muslims must stand with Saudi authorities in such difficult situations.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir has promised to reveal the facts when they emerge. “We will not hold anything back. If mistakes were made, who made them will be held accountable,” he said. He also has said that the Saudi authorities will learn from this tragedy and will make sure that it won't happen again.
If we look into the history of Hajj, it won't be big surprise if massive changes happen in Hajj planning in coming years. In coming years Hajj will fall in summer and it will definitely be difficult for the old aged and kids to perform Hajj in extremely high temperature. The elderly, the terminally ill, pregnant women and children must keep this in mind while applying for the Hajj visa.
May Allah bless the departed souls and give patience and courage to the families of those hundreds of pilgrims who lost their lives in the Hajj tragedy. May Allah reward all those who selflessly served theguests of Allah'. Let this be the last Hajj tragedy!
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