1
SUNSET IN ARAFAH
Dedicated to my son, Mohamed Agin.
By Ninie G. Syarikin
We arrived in Arafah
when the sun was on the zenith,
when I felt the heat was burning
the crown of my head.
We walked heavily,
dragging our feet
in the scorching sand,
amongst rows upon rows of tents,
looking for our designated place.
After what felt like
a long winding way,
we reached our destination.
A huge tent for the brothers,
and another big tent for the sisters.
We gratefully took refuge
in the shadow,
and eased our hardship.
Though technology helped
provide the comfort of cool air,
the heat of Arafah still surpassed it!
Oh, Lord!
It’s true that You have created
this empty stretch of barren desert
for nothing
save to worship You!
Where else could it be
hotter and harsher
than the heat in this desert,
but the fire in hell
to burn the infidels?
Such was the warning from Allah
for the Hereafter.
Only those who worship Him steadfastly
would be able to bear
the heat of Arafah,
solely hoping for the reward of Allah!
“Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk,
Labbayk la syarika laka Labbayk!”
“I have come to respond to
Your call, ya, Allah! Here I am!”
Mattresses were given.
Ample food, fruits, juice
and bottled water were
generously distributed.
More than that, a lorry carrying
the water of zamzam from Makkah
was parked in the compound
for the pilgrims to satisfy their thirst
or do the ablution.
Indeed!
The divine gift to Hajar and Ismail
continues its charity to mankind.
Far reaching out of its source and time.
“And to Allah belongs the sovereignty of
the heavens and the earth,
and Allah has power over all things.”
“He Who created the heavens and the earth
and everything between them,
in six days,
then assumed all authority.”
I noticed the pilgrims
came from all walks of life,
by their look and the way
they carried themselves.
Some were people of wealth,
and others knew only poverty;
and yet, everyone was only wearing
the simple white ihram,
symbolizing egalitarianism!
“All of you are the descendants of Adam,
and Adam was of clay.”
No where but in the Arafah desert,
such equality was profoundly felt.
No house, no mansion, no palace,
no castle, no fancy roof, but
these sheets of tarpaulin tents
to barely shade a prime minister
as well as a peasant.
No thick red carpet to welcome
a king, just as this scorching sand
burning the feet of a fisherman.
And no rich Persian rugs for
a queen or a princess to sit on,
but these thin plastic mats for
a housekeeper or a fruit seller
just as well.
We felt a strong sense of brotherhood,
to be here for the same one purpose.
"A believer to another is like a building,
each part lends support to the other parts. "
"You see the believers in their mutual mercy,
affection, and compassion like one body:
if any organ of it ails,
the whole body will tend to it
with wakefulness and fever."
I saw feeble, frail, old men and women.
From their sight,
they could’ve walked
from Africa or India.
Some pilgrims were suffering so terribly
from the heat
that they were confined to their mattresses
with ice bags on their heads at all time.
And yet, their facial expressions,
possessed only taqwa.
The unfathomable courage and resolve
to visit the Holy Land,
the dream of a life time,
to endure the heat of Arafah
simply to seek the pleasure of Allah.
Here, it was!
On this plain,
at the valley of Uranah.
Many, many centuries ago,
the Noble Man,
the Seal of the Prophets,
Muhammad Rasullullah,
delivered his last khutbah
during his final pilgrimage.
"Oh, People!
Listen well to my words,
for I do not know whether,
after this year,
I shall ever be amongst you again.
Therefore,
listen to what I am saying to you
very carefully,
and take these words to those
who could not be present here today.”
He himself was an Arab
from the powerful and respected tribe, Quraisy,
but his message crossed
many boundaries, borders and barriers,
as well as the span of time,
echoed and re-echoed in a voice,
loud and clear.
“All mankind is from Adam and Eve.
An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab,
nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab;
also a white has no superiority over a black,
nor a black has any superiority over a white,
except by piety and good action.
Learn that every Muslim is a brother
to every Muslim, and that
the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.”
And, here, I was;
at the foot of the hill of Jabal Rahmah,
Mount of Mercy,
on the ninth day of Dzulhijjah,
the year of the 1418 Hijjrah,
one in millions!
Traveling through the time tunnel
to the ninth day of Dzulhijjah,
the tenth year of the Hijjrah.
I envisioned the Prophet Muhammad
Sallallahu ’Alaihi Wassallam
standing before
one hundred and twenty thousand pilgrims!
“Oh, People!
Listen to me in earnest!
Worship Allah,
perform your salat,
fast during Ramadan,
give your zakat,
and perform hajj if you can afford to.”
Muhammad Rasullullah!
He was kind
He was gentle
He was honest
He was generous
He was compassionate
He was trustworthy
He was intelligent
He was handsome
He was warm
He was firm.
Muhammad Rasullullah!
He was a noble leader
He was a teacher
He was a hard-worker
He was a friend
He was a statesman
He was a politician
He was a strategist
He was a warrior
He was a peace-maker
He was a great man
Yet, first and foremost,
he was a family man!
“The best of you,
is the best for his family.”
He was a good and patient husband
He was a dear and loving father
He was a playful grandfather!
“Oh, People!
It is true that you have certain rights
over your women,
but they also have rights over you.
Remember, that you have taken them
as your wives only under God's trust
and with His permission.
If they abide by your right,
then to them belongs the right
to be fed and clothed in kindness.
Treat your women well,
and be kind to them, for they are
your partners and committed helpers.”
“Remember!
One day you will appear before God,
and you will answer for your deeds.”
Muhammad Rasullullah!
He was an orphan
He was an only and precious child
He was a much-loved grandson
He was a worthy nephew
He was a cherished cousin
He was a shepherd
He was a trader
He was a builder
He was the Messenger of God!
“Oh, People!
No prophet will come after me,
and no new faith will be born.
Reason well, therefore, oh, People;
and understand words which I
convey to you.
I am leaving you with
the Book of Allah, Al-Qur’an, and my Sunnah,
if you follow them,
you will never go astray.”
I was immersed profoundly.
His voice seemed to
reverberate and rebound throughout
the valleys, the hills, the plains,
the skies, the seas.
His message of Islam is, indeed,
a Mercy for the whole universe.
“All those who listen to me
shall pass on my words to others,
and those to others again;
and may the last ones
understand my words better
than those who listen to me directly.
Be my witness, oh, Allah,
that I have conveyed your message
to your people.”
In my blurred vision,
he was immediately surrounded
by his loyal companions and followers.
I saw tears streaming down their cheeks
and that they embraced one another,
full of love and brotherhood.
I recognized, mentally, a number of them:
The generous Abu Bakar As-Siddiq
The giant convert, Umar Ibn Al-Khattab
The black Bilal, the melodious Mu’azzin
The brave son-in-law, Ali Ibn Abu Thalib
The articulate repeater of the Prophet,
Rabi’ah Ibn Umayyah Ibn Khalaf;
and all his faithful wives,
“Mothers of the Believers”:
Sawdah, Aisyah, Hafsah, Umm Salamah,
Zainab, Juwairiyah, Umm Habibah,
Safiyah, Mariyah, and Maimunah;
as well as his most beloved and
only daughter left, Fatimah, and
countless other companions.
I was deeply moved by the scene,
and started crying myself.
I only came back from
my centuries of spiritual journey
when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“It’s almost sundown,”
my mother said.
“Go and look for your father
at the other tent.”
I rubbed my eyes a few times.
I got up,
then dragged my feet outside.
The heat of the sun had softened.
As the sun was setting,
I noted that the pilgrims
were becoming more intent
in their supplications.
They came out of their tents
and took a standing position
facing the sunset.
Soon rows were formed,
and, while continuing to hold
their prayer books,
a low chorus was heard.
So earnest they appeared to be.
Their busy moving lips seemed
to be chasing the sinking western light.
Their eyes darted between
the sun and their books.
As the sky turned to reddish orange,
I observed a copious flow of their tears.
I was astonished!
I was astounded!
I was puzzled!
I was bewildered!!
I was worried!!!
Why didn’t I act the same way?
Why wasn’t I feeling like them?
Why wasn’t I crying?
Why wasn’t I passionate as they were?
Was I less devout?
To my eyes,
with their passion,
they looked as if
they were worshipping the sun
that was vanishing.
Astaghfirullah!
I seek pardon from Allah!
But I was confused.
And yet, I was determined not to imitate
things that I didn’t fully comprehend.
Finally, the sun sank,
and the darkness fell.
It was then that my fellow pilgrims
dispersed and hurried to find our vehicle,
while I was wrapped with another wonder!
Where is that burning heat now?
Where has all that seemingly
constant energy disappeared?
All I knew this moment,
even the sun in Arafah
could lose its strength,
and that it proved powerless
to halt the blanket of the evening
descending gradually over
the cracked earth
to soothe its wounds and pains.
Such is the power of nature,
everything concedes to its cycle.
Such is the vigor of a creature,
it submits to its Creator
obediently and meekly!
“Behold!
Verily, in the creation of
the heavens and the earth,
and in the alternation of night and day,
there are indeed Signs for those
who possess intelligence.”
“He created the heavens and the earth
in true proportions.
He rolls the night over the day,
and rolls the day over the night.
------
Absolutely, He is the Almighty.”
“He has subjected the sun and the moon
to His Law, each running in its own orbit
for a predetermined period.
He controls all things,
explaining the Signs in detail,
that you may believe with certainty
in the meeting with your Lord.”
“Fabiayyi alaa irabbikumaa tukadzdzibaan?”
“Then which of the favors of your Lord
will you deny?”
How fascinating to watch
the fireball yielding its rigor to
the one moon and millions of stars
that took over the reign
in Arafah in the night,
scattering fantastically
from horizon to horizon,
that when I cast my eyes high
on the dark boundless sky,
it was as if the gigantic canopy,
that enormous protective umbrella,
was housing zillions of fireflies
in the vast hemisphere;
twinkling and sparkling
their beaming soft cosmic rays;
and that together with other planets
in the universe,
they were humming a symphony,
a sedative lullaby,
mmmmm mmmmm mmmmm
to carefully lay the wounded earth
to sleep and heal
to face the morrow.
“Blessed is He Who made constellations
in the sky, and placed therein
a lamp and a moon giving light.
He is the One Who designed
the night and the day to alternate;
a sufficient proof for those who wish
to celebrate His praises
or to show their gratitude.”
“Who has made the earth
a resting place for you,
and the sky as a canopy,
and sent down rain from the sky
and brought forth therewith
fruits as a provision for you.
Then do not set up rivals unto Allah
in worship, while you know that
He Alone has the right to be worshipped.”
“And it is He Who spread out
the earth, and placed on it
mountains standing firm,
and flowing rivers,
and fruit of every kind He made
in pairs, males and females.
He draws the Night as a veil over the Day.
Behold! Verily in these things,
there are Signs for people who reflect!”
“Fabiayyi alaa irabbikumaa tukadzdzibaan?”
“Then which of the favors of your Lord
will you deny?”
As our bus was slowly moving,
came the realization that
one more hajj ritual had been completed,
and that we felt a great sense of relief.
Once again we were preparing
to answer the next challenges of hajj
that lied ahead.
And once more I turned,
to eternalize the massive desert
in my memory.
However,
I was suddenly overcome with
a deep melancholic sentiment
I hadn’t thought possible.
With a heavy heart,
I left the desert, which
-- only a few hours ago --
was burning me.
But it was true!
I was choked with emotion.
I wiped my tears swiftly with
the back of my hand.
From the glass window,
I looked over one last time.
Then I waved goodbye, and whispered:
“Oh, Arafah, would we ever meet again?”
NGS
Washington, DC, Friday, February 28, 2000
GLOSSARY:
1. Arafah: It is normally a dusty empty stretch of desert about ten miles
from Makkah. In it stands a little hill called Jabal al-Rahmah,
Mount of Mercy. However, for one day every year, more than two million
pilgrims gather and make one of the most spectacular sights on earth.
It is the greatest gathering of people in one place, at one time, and for
one purpose, the world has ever seen.
2. Zamzam: A well rewarded to Hajar and Ismail after Hajar ran to and fro in
search of water for her baby Ismail, when they were left in the desert. It is
about 150 meter southeast of the Ka’bah.
3. Ihram: 2 piece white seamless garment worn by Muslim men during hajj.
4. Taqwa: Piety, belief, submission and surrender to the will of Allah.
5. Rasullullah: The Prophet of Allah.
6. Khutbah: Sermon.
7. Dzulhijjah: The 12th month in Islamic calendar, which is the hajj season.
8. Hijjrah: Year in Islamic calendar, which started with the migration of the
then small number of Muslims from Makkah to Madinah in order to
escape persecution from the idol worshippers of Makkah. It was in in the
year of 622, which became the first year of Hijjrah.
9. Sallallahu ’alaihi wassallam: It means ‘Peace Be Upon Him,’ which is
always mentioned after Prophet Muhammad’s name. Its short form is
‘SAW.’
10. Salat: Prayer in Islamic religion, with certain movements and
recitations, performed 5 times a day.
11. Ramadan: The Islamic fasting month.
12. Zakat: Almsgiving
13. Hajj: Pilgrimage to the Ka'bah, the House of Allah, in Makkah (Mecca)
Saudi Arabia, during the prescribed season, and perform some rituals.
It is the fifth pillar of the Islamic religion. This worship is required from
every Muslim, at least once in a life time. A Muslim man who has made
his hajj is called 'Hajji' and a Muslim woman who has made her hajj is
called 'Hajjah.'
14. Al-Qur'an: The Holy Book revealed to Prophet Muhammad, SAW, as the
guidance for the Muslims.
15. Sunnah: Prophet Muhammad’s traditions or sayings.
16. Mu'azzin: A man who calls out the faithful to prayer in the mosque,
reciting certain verses in a beautiful and melodious voice.
FOOT NOTES:
In this poem, some portion of Prophet Muhammad’s last sermon is quoted as shown in certain stanzas.
2. “And to Allah belongs the dominion of
the heavens and the earth,
and Allah has power over all things.”
(Page 2: Al-Qur’an, Surah Al-Imran
-- Chapter The Family of Imran -- 3:189)
3. “He Who created the heavens and the earth
and everything between them,
in six days,
then assumed all authority.”
(Page 2: Al-Qur’an, Surah Al-Furqon,
-- Chapter The Criterion -- 25:59)
4. “Behold!
Verily, in the creation of
the heavens and the earth,
and in the alternation of night and day,
there are indeed Signs for those
who possess intelligence.”
(Page 9: Al-Qur’an, Surah Al-Imran
-- Chapter The Family of Imran -- 3:190)
5. “He created the heavens and the earth
in true proportions.
He rolls the night over the day,
and rolls the day over the night.
------
Absolutely, He is the Almighty.”
(Page 9: Al-Qur’an, Surah Az-Zumar
-- Chapter The Companions -- 39:5)
6.“He has subjected the sun and the moon
to His Law, each running in its orbit
for a predetermined period.
He controls all things,
explaining the Signs in detail,
that you may believe with certainty
in the meeting with your Lord.”
(Page 9: Al-Qur’an, Surah Ar-Ra’ad
-- Chapter The Thunder -- 13:2)
7. “Fabiayyi alaa irabbikumaa tukadzdzibaan?”
“Then which of the favors of your Lord
will you deny?”
(Page 10 & 11: Al-Qur’an, Surah Ar-Rahman
-- Chapter The Merciful -- 55:18)
8. “Blessed is He Who made constellations
in the sky, and placed therein
a lamp and a moon giving light.
He is the One Who designed
the night and the day to alternate;
a sufficient proof for those who wish
to celebrate His praises
or to show their gratitude.”
(Page 10: Al-Qur’an, Surah Al-Furqon,
-- Chapter The Criterion -- 25:61-62)