Journey of a lifetime
On Sunday, about four million Muslims from every nation on Earth gathered in Saudi Arabia, in the desert of Arafah, as part of the Hajj, the greatest annual pilgrimage known to humankind.
These people, contradicting every evolutionary instinct, stood as equals, representing global humanity, and they did it all day, in the blazing heat of the desert. Why?
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The word Arafah means "the meeting place". It refers to the meeting place of Adam and Eve. Muslims believe that when Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden, they were separated on this earth. Eventually, God forgave them both, and reunited them at a place since known as the Mount of Mercy in the middle of the desert of Arafah.
A few kilometres away, and as a thanks to God for reuniting them, Adam and Eve built the first house of God on earth, on the site of the black, cube-shaped building known as the Kaaba in the city of Mecca.
Only a few generations after Adam and Eve, humankind rebelled against God, who then destroyed the Kaaba. It was rebuilt many thousands of years later, by the Prophet Abraham and his first-born son Ishmael, on the same site that Adam and Eve first built the house.
This is also why Muslims all over the world face Mecca when it is time for prayers.
On this, the second day of the Hajj – known as the Day of Arafah – Muslims gathered in the desert, some climbing onto the Mount of Mercy, where Adam once stood, to ask for mercy and forgiveness for their mistakes and ours.
Yesterday, on the third day of the Hajj, the four million Muslim pilgrims followed in the footsteps taken by the Prophet Abraham many thousands of years ago.
In the incident also referred to in the Old Testament, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son. Muslims believe this to have been Ishmael and not Isaac. Abraham obeyed, and on his journey to carry out God's request, Satan appeared to him on three occasions and tried to persuade him not to obey God. Abraham threw stones at Satan to drive him away.
When Abraham reached the point where he was about to sacrifice his only son, God intervened and asked him not to. A lamb was placed for Abraham to sacrifice instead.
These days, Abraham's journey is marked, and where he was stopped three times, three huge pillars have been erected. Like Abraham before them, the Muslim pilgrims today also cast stones at the pillars, in a symbolic act of defiance against temptation and the whisperings of Satan. Again, like Abraham before them, at the end of this journey Muslims offer an animal sacrifice. The meat is canned by the Saudi authorities and distributed to the poor around the world.
This day is called Eid and it was celebrated by Muslims around the world yesterday, including those in Bristol.
Today and tomorrow, the Muslim pilgrims will return to Mecca and go around the Kaaba seven times. Having done so, they will have fulfilled their own incredible physical and spiritual journey of a lifetime.
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by Steven, North Bristol
Sunday, December 14 2008, 12:24AM
“Thank you Ricardo. Just as I thought, you can't provide any proof whatsoever because there is nothing there to prove.
I do not need to look andy deeper into science to know that any educated and reasonable person will laugh at the idea of an invisible, supernatural being ruling everything. It's completely ludicrous.”
by Ricardo, Bristol
Saturday, December 13 2008, 10:25AM
“Guys I've asked you to read more and try looking deeper in to science.
If I had all of the answers I certainly wouldn't just tell you them because you are being lazy.
The lord helps those who help themselves... miracles do not happen!”
by Englishman, Bristol
Friday, December 12 2008, 5:51PM
“Strange isn't it Steven - they get all hot and bothered when you dare challenge their beliefs but are totally unable to front up to a debate or provide any evidence to support their arguments.”
by Steven, North Bristol
Friday, December 12 2008, 9:44AM
“Still waiting...”
by Steven, North Bristol
Thursday, December 11 2008, 10:25AM
“The godists have gone silent. No proof can do little other than confirm the non-existence of their supernatural friend.”
by Steven, North Bristol
Wednesday, December 10 2008, 11:52AM
“Ricardo, all you have done is provide simplictic proof of evolution.
Prove to me your god exists”
by Martin, Knowle,Bristol
Wednesday, December 10 2008, 8:50AM
“Don't hold your breath Englishman. On Ricardo's present form you might as well wait till hell freezes over. Perhaps he was putting the kettle on when all the other natural history and science based programs were showing.
This columnist doesn't make any spurious claims though on this occasion.
He just explains this curious and ancient ritual enacted by many followers of the Abrahamic myths until Muhammad apparently imposed his own "revealed" slant on things. I think an event of this magnitude is enough justification to report it.
For venomous, simple minded objects like Anthony James.It must be obvious, even to you, you can't prove that anything does NOT exist in this universe. But to claim that something DOES exist and to be taken seriously you need to provide credible evidence.
I cannot believe Farooq Siddique considers this indecent, innacurate piece of venom a friend. Its only a belief though.”
by Englishman, Bristol
Tuesday, December 09 2008, 11:32PM
“I'm still waiting for the proof Ricardo, so as you seemingly have the answer to creation at hand why not post the evidence here for all to see.
Oh and be careful of internet libel laws Anthony James, very careful indeed before you start throwing the names around. And if you want to start correcting English grammar, you missed a question mark at the end of your first sentence, it shouldn't have been a full stop.”
by Ricardo, Bristol
Tuesday, December 09 2008, 8:35PM
“Steven and Englishman,
Maybe you should try educating yourselves more by watching BBC history channel, it was interesting to discover through genetic sciences that everyone in Europe until fairly recently is connected by two family lines and we all came from somewhere in Africa, hense we must have started out with darker skins.
I believe in elements of evolution but only enough to show we all change with the climate and conditions of the locations we live in the world. Look at any race of people and we can all be tracked back in the past several thousand years. The ice age connected continents and we were all fishers of men, family by family covering the coastlines of the world until we hunted in land and later discovered new places by our instinct to hunt and search for other places.
There is more than enough proof out there if you care to do your research instead of sitting down and hoping the answers will appear before you.
Very lazy sirs!”
by Steven, North Bristol
Tuesday, December 09 2008, 8:08PM
“It is not for non-godists to prove the non-existence of anything.
If the deluded wish others to accept that the supernatural being they claim runs life the universe and everything exists then the onus is on them to provide proof.”