ALMISKEENAH

 

 

 

Jamarat Bridge, the place to avenge the cursed Shaitan.

[Iblees] said, Because You have sent me astray, surely, I will sit in wait against them on Your straight path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and you wil find not most of them as thankful ones. (7:16-17)

O Children of Adam! Let not Shaitan decieve you. (7:27) 

Surely Shaitan is an enemy to you, so take him as an enemy. (35:6)  

Insha’Allah may all those preparing for Hajj be preparing for a powerful onslaught. 

 

This could very well be an impression of how an attacked and wounded Shaitan may look like during the pelting it gets from the Hujjaj, while actually it is a model based on the first floor of the still under construction Jamarat bridge.

 

The futuristic multi-tiered series of ramps and towers, decorated with floral-like fluted rosettes  resembles some alien creature about to scuttle off in the rocky desert valley, suq al-Arab (bazaar of the Arabs) as it was here that the pre-Islamic annual fairs were held, also where Ibrahim Alaihis Sallam originally pelted the Shaitan. Images from here.

 

The new design, which was developed in consultation with Dirk Helbing, a professor in crowd dynamics at the Dresden University of Technology, et al., will be complemented by a reorganization of the streets leading up to the bridge, and a time schedule and route assignments as determined in real time through video monitoring and on-site surveillance. Scroll through this link as there are some excellent photos from last years Hajj, and the information is fascinating if you are interested in the dynamics of crowd control in relation to this culminating ritual of Hajj.

 

Cranes and concrete of the second phase of the new bridge appear dwarfed by the mountains and the edge of the sea of tents; looking towards Makkah. 

 

The opposite view, towards Mina. Compare the photo from the same place one year ago. And then a few months after Hajj 06.

 

Masjid Aqabah has been relegated to being even more obcure since one year ago, with one of the ramps immediately adjacent to it. See previous two posts linked above for comparison.

 

Looking across the roof of Masjid Khayf to the apartment style blocks. Last year there were four, now six…eventually to be dozens replacing tents. The side of the valley behind where this was taken is known as majar-al-kabsh (the place of the bleating of the ram) where Allah Ta’ala sent the ram to replace Ishmael Alaihis Sallam as a sacrifice.

Ibrahim Alaihis Sallam overcame the menace that runs in our veins in this very valley, and for centuries it echoes with Allahu Akbar as pebbles bash symbolic pillars. Symbolic of the evil and odorous devil.

Verily it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of the Hell-Fire. The shoots of its fruit stalks are like the heads of Shayateen.   (37:64-65)

Verily, the tree of Zaqqûm, will be the food of the sinners, like boiling oil, it will boil in the bellies, like the boiling of scalding water.        (44:43-46)

A repulsive tree, whose roots go deep into the bottom of Hell, and whose branches stretch forth all over. Although this tree is so vile and obnoxious, the people of Hell will become so hungry that they will have no choice but to eat from it until they are full. When they have filled their bellies, this food will start to churn like boiling oil, tearing up the innards, releasing bodily fluids; to be repeated for eternity. Audhu biLlah.  We will never be able to conceive the brutality of this horrendous torture…coming from a fruit that Allah Ta’ala has described as being like the heads of the Shayateen.

One of the best weapons in our war against the Shayateen army, heads like the Zaqqum fruits, is to keep oneself busy with the remembrance of Allah Ta’ala, His Dhikr.

Shaitan lies in wait for us, ready to jump and pounce when we drop our guard. But with the Dhikru Allah, the enemy of Allah Ta’ala withdraws in humiliation, and shrinks away, until he becomes like a wasa’ (a bird smaller than a sparrow), or like a fly. Thus he is called Al-waswaasmal-khannaas (the whisperer who withdraws, Qur’an 114:4, because he whispers in people’s hearts, but cowardly slinks off when we are engaged in remembrance.

Ibn Qayyim Rahmatullah alaihi said: “The devils have control over a person, and they are his enemies. What do you think of a man whose enemies have control over him when they are filled with hatred towards him, and they have surrounded him on both sides, and each of them is attacking him with whatever evil and harm he can, and he has no way of making them disperse except by remembering Allah Ta’ala.”

Then he quoted a hasan jiddan hadith of Abdur Rahman ibn Samurah RadhiAllahu anhu. (it is a very long hadith, of which I quote a relevant section, Insha’Allah another time I will post the entire traditions as it is extremely moving)

He said that the Messenger of Allah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam said: “I saw a man from among my Ummah whom the devils had seized, but his remembrance of Allah came and banished the devils from him.”

May our pelting, whether during Hajj at the Jamarat, or through our Dhikr give the Shayateen some mighty bruising, Ameen.

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.