Fri03292024

Last updateSun, 20 Aug 2023 9pm

Back You are here: Home Library Hajj HALTING PLACE VI: MINA, THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE

HALTING PLACE VI: MINA, THE PLACE OF SACRIFICE

HALTING PLACE VI: MINA, THE PLACE
OF SACRIFICE
Thanks to God, we have completed staying in al-Mash'ar al-Haram. We now move to Mina after sunrise of Eid ul-Adha, with a heart full of God's love and ready for offering our sacrifices. We are going to display in Mina what we have gained spiritually in Arafat and al-Mash'ar. Mina is the place of sacrifice. We intend to sacrifice the world for the satisfaction of God. Our wealth, position, reputation, and even our children have to be sacrificed for God. Mina displays the world people spiritual assets of perfect men who represent prophets. It is the manifestation of God's special favor to men of heart:

فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ إِنَّكَ بِالوَادِ المُقَدَّسِ طُوى

Therefore, put off your shoes; surely you are in the sacred valley, Tuwa. (The Holy Quran; 20:12)
You have been so honored that you are qualified to stand before God! Imam Sadiq (a.s) says:

إذا أَخَذَ الناسُ مَنازِلهُم بمِنَى نادَى مُنادٍ: يا مِنَى قدْ جاءَ أهْلُكِ فَاتَّسِعي في فِجاجِكِ واتْرَعي في مَثابِكِ، ومنادٍ يُنادي: لو تَدرون بمَنحَلَلتُم لأيقَنتُم بِالخَلفِ بَعدَ المَغفِرَة.

When people arrive in Mina, a herald will call out: 'O Mina, your dwellers have come! Open your arms and fill your pools with water!' Another herald will call out: 'If
____________
1 See al-Fussoul ul-Muhimma; chapter 41 p. 161

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
( 122 )
you know before Whom you have come, you will gain certitude about forgiveness and compensation of what you have spent.1
This is certainly a reference to the Quranic Verse:

وَمَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنْ شَيءٍ فَهُوَ ُيخْلِفُهُ

 Whatever thing you spend, He exceeds it in reward. (34:39)
Although Mina is no more than a small valley, it extraordinarily accommodates a crowd several times its capacity and the abundance of food, welfare, and comfort in this place comes from invisible source. In this relation, Ibn Abbas says:

إنَّ مِنى يَتَّسِعُ لأَهلِهِ كَما يتَّسِعُ الرَّحِمُ لِلوَلَدِ


Mina is extended for its dwellers in the same way that a mother's womb is extended for the fetus.2


RAMY AL-JAMARAT IN MINA AND ITS PHILOSOPHY
One of the obligatory acts of Hajj in Mina is Ramy al-Jamarat or casting stones on columns named al-Jamarat al-Uola (First column), al-Jamarat al-Wusta Second column), and Jamarat al-Aqaba symbolizing Satan. On Eid ul-Adha, a pilgrim is duty-bound to perform the Ramy of Jamarat al-Aqaba and perform the all three the next two days.
According to a hadith, when Adam (a.s), carrying out God's order, accompanied by Archangel Gabriel performed the Hajj rites and left Mina for the House, Satan appeared to him in the site of al-Jamara three times trying to prevent him from performing his duty with temptations. However, Adam with a hint from Gabriel by throwing seven pebbles at Satan in three sites, drove him away. Hence, this act became a tradition for the descendants of Adam. According to other hadiths, this happened to Prophet Ibrahim (a.s).
Ali ibn Jaafar asked his elder brother, Imam Kazim (a.s) about the philosophy of the Ramy al-Jamarat. The Imam answered:
____________
1 See al-Kafi; vol. 4 p. 256 hadith 20
2 See Tareekh Mekka; p. 179

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
( 123 )


لأنَّ إبْليسَ اللّعِينَ كانَ يَتَراءَى لإِبْراهِيمَ عليهِ السلامُ في مَوضِعِ الجَمارِ فَرَجَمَهُ إِبراهِيمُ، فَجَرَتِ السُّنَّةُ بِذلكَ

Since the cursed Satan appeared to Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) in the site of al-Jamarat and Ibrahim (a.s) threw stone at him, this act became tradition.1
It is also said that al-Jamarat is the site of stoning the death of three traitors who had colluded with the enemy of their own people.
Another version is that in the year of the birth of the Holy Prophet (saw) a great army from Yemen headed by Abraha left for Mecca to demolish the House of God. Three Meccans secretly colluded with them by giving facilities. However, the enemy failed and was punished and destroyed through birds that threw stones on them. The three traitors were stoned to death in the present site of al-Jamarat on charge of treason. This act was later on put among the Hajj rites as expression of hatred towards traitors. Therefore, Mina can be a sign of a scene of battle against the enemies of the religion of God and the columns symbols of atheists standing on the way of the ummah. Pebbles can be symbols of worldly riches thrown away for the sake of God. Pilgrims practice these symbolic and spiritual acts to ensure their victory, for God's promise is truthful:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنْ تَنْصُرُوا اللهَ يَنْصُرْكُمْ وَيُثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَكُمْ.

O you who believe, if you help the cause of Allah, He will help you and make firm your feet. (The Holy Quran; 47:7)
It is recommended to put each pebble on the middle finger and throw it to al-Jamarat with the head of the forefinger. This act implies that if Muslims have power of faith, unity, patience, and firmness for God's sake, the enemies will become so weak and humiliated that they will be defeated with a hint.

وَلَوْ قَاتَلَكُمُ الّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوَلَّوُا الأَدْبَارَ ثُمَّ لا يَجِدُونَ وَلِيّاً وَلا نَصِيراً

And if those who disbelieve fight with you, they would certainly turn (their) backs, and then they would not find any protector or a helper. (The Holy Quran; 48:22)

 

وَلا تَهِنُوا وَلا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَنْتُمُ الأعْلَوْنَ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ

____________
1 See Ilal ush-Sharayie; vol. 2 p. 122

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
( 124 )
And be not infirm, and be not grieving, and you shall have the upper hand if you are believers. (The Holy Quran; 3:139)

You have no rights to post comments

Find us on Facebook