Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-04-05

A mere visit to Mecca and the cir
cult round the Kaabi, do not, how
ever, constitute the pilgrimage, nor en-
title a man to call bimself Hail, or,
as the Turks aud Persians say, a
Haiti Ia order that the requirements
of the religion may be complied with,
the visit must be made in the proper
season of the year, and with the Gus
tomary ceremonies. OF these an in
dispensable one is the visit to Arafat,
u bare eminence about six hours dis
tant from Mecca, and as the visit has
to be made on a certain day, the 9th of
the month Dhul- HejIeh, aud at a GER
tain hour of the day, the observance
becomes one of the greatest concourses
OF the religion. Bnrckhsrdt reckoned
that there we're present when he WAS
there 20, 900 persons, in a camp extend
ing three and fonr miles In length by
two miles broad, and that not fewer
than forty languages were spos en- in the
motley crowd. Having Thus encamped
during the night preceding, the pil-
grims, at the hour of afternoon prayer
on the 9Th of the month, gather upon
and around the mountain, from whose
side the preacher, generally the Kadi
of Nee a, delivers sermon which lasts
till sunset. During its delivery he
wipes the tears from his eyes, and at
intervals implores blessing upon his
hearers, who hutter their ihrams
over their heads and devoutly respond.
Immediately on The conclusion OF the
sermon, the pilgrims set out in hot
haste in the direction of Mecca, pass-
ing the night at a place two hours
from Arafat. At dawn neat morning
another sermon is delivered at this
SPOT, and then the pilgrims move on to
Nina, or as it IL usually called Mnns,
where the most characteristic rites OF
the pilgrimage are performed. Ira
dItion SAYS that when Adam returned
from Arafat he was confronted In the
val ey of Nina by Satan, who, at the
entrance, at tue middle, and at the ex-
treme end, attempted to bar his pas
sage. The angel Gabriel instructed
Adam to repel him by throwing stones,
and a custom which Is earlier tasn
Islam, has been kept up as religious
rite. The usual custom is to throw
seven stones at each of the three
places oD three consecutive days; the
spots being marked by pillars or but
tresses, erected where, 1t Is said idols
stood il pagan times. After the
throwing of stones on the first day
another great rite is performed, the
slaughter of animals, which is asso-
ciated with the offering of lshamael
mot Isaac, say the Muslims) by Abra-
ham These victims, sheep or goats
! usually, are bought from the neigh
boring Bedouin at high prices. Each
pilgrim who can afford it ssys an an
imal, and may slay others by proxy
ior slsent friends; and at this time
| every Muslin, in whatever part of the
| world he may be, Is expected to slay
his sacrifice. If the pilgrim be too
poor to afford an animal, he must at some
| future time make mp for his defect by
fasting. The parts of the victims
( which the offerer cannot consume are
gwen over to the poor pilgrims; the
! beasts are slaughtered with little cere-
mony at any part of the valley, which
IL but a narrow space; so that, what
with the decaying of the carcssses and
tue crowdlng of people, tie atmos-
phere is often highly polluted and
| pestiferous.
With the staying of the victims the
ceremonies of the pilgrimage are SO far
at an end. The pilgrim may now
shave his head and don his ordinary o.
even festive attire, in which, on the
return to Mecca, he performs again
! the circuit of the holy house. which III
/ the meantime has received its new GOV
| ering, and is the centre of immense
crowds of worshippers. The popular
belief Is that ( mosque is mlracn
| lOusly enlarged to contain all the wor.
shippers that crowd into It; as it is he
| n. AA,k - f.t
never fewer than Coz, 900 present at the
sermC n, angels coming from heaven tc
complete the number.
OF the crowds that conVreGate al
Arafat not more than fourth part
make a visit to Medina, the site of the
| prophets tomb, and the secoGd in as
credness of the Muslin shrines. The
visit Is entirely optional; when it il
made, it should follow the visit tC
Mecca; but the distance is so great
tiresome journey of eleven days
md the physical and other resources
of the pilgr i'm are by that time so muct
exhausted, that only a small mum bel
fulfil the task. The principal object tc
be visited is, of course, the tomb o.
the prophet within the mosque, beside
whom lie also the caiiphs Abu Bekl
and Omar, and not far off the prophet
| daughter titims, q vacant space
being left for Isa, or Jesns
when he shall return to tn,
earth. The ceremonies to be per
formed here are not mixed up will
old pre- Islamic superstItions. There
is no putting on of the pilgrims dress
circumambulation of the tomb is for
hidden, nor is there any kissing ol
touching of the tomb. Butthe pilgrim
Is to give himself much to prayer dur
ing his stay, because the prophet hn
said that the one PRAYER in this mosqu,
is more efficacious than a Thousand
in any other place, except the Harau
at Mecca. There are professiona
guides here a. at Mecca to prompt th'
pilgrim TO the appropriate prayers anI
ceremonies Among these is prayer
for the lntercession of Mohsmmed
strongly reprobated by the fapatica
Wahhabis, who also object to man,
other ceremonies of the pilgrimage a
contrary to the true spirit of the re
hgion.
There is trad tion that the prophe
said, "if man has the power to per
form the pilgrimage and does not. h,
|
1t was certainly made as essential {
part of the religion as prayer or aims
giving. Yet the religious teachers hav
found reasons Tor exemption, and de
vised substitutionsry fasts and aims
4 and some even allow the Performance
OF the rites by proxy. From variou
causes the custom is not observed will
the rigor and enthusiasm of earl
times Nor is this at all to be regret
tel. Tue hardships aud loss of lif
with which the pilgrimage used to b
accompanied were appalling, ami di:
ease was often brought into Europe b
the returning pilgrims. No don't
many q devout Muslin had his pet
auickened; bat it Is to be feared that
! large number had their faith rudel
shaken by what they witnessed, an
that religious sensibility was blunte
by familiarity with what were no Ions
er impressive ceremonies. There al