Bosnian pilgrims celebrate Eid and prepare for remaining rituals

(Patria) - The atmosphere among Bosnian pilgrims on the first day of Eid is pleasant, and we are proud of what we have accomplished so far, said the chief guide of the Office for Hajj and Umrah of the Islamic Community in BiH, Izet-ef. Čamdžić.

Pilgrims are resting and celebrating Eid today, but they are also preparing to perform the remaining Hajj rituals.

- We have performed the main Hajj ritual, the standing at Arafat, but we have not finished everything. Our pilgrims need to perform the Hajj tawaf and sa'i, and then return to Mina again tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, i.e., on the second and third days of Eid, to throw pebbles at all three Jamarat.

On the first day of Eid, they only threw pebbles at the Great Jamrah. And, of course, before leaving for Medina, perform the farewell tawaf - explained efendi Čamdžić.

Speaking about the rituals performed so far, he reminds that standing at Arafat is the essence of Hajj, in accordance with the Prophet's hadith "Hajj is Arafat".

- At Arafat, there is usually a very strong emotion in each individual, which stems from the fact that Almighty God is proud of the people staying at Arafat on that day before the angels and tells them that they have come there solely for Him, with the aim of achieving a great and exceptional reward, of turning a new, completely clean page in their lives and experiencing, I would say, a new birth.

Because the person who is freed from sins at Arafat, and the Prophet said there is no day on which more people are freed from sins than on the Day of Arafat, is most similar to a newborn in terms of sinlessness - said Čamdžić.

It should certainly be emphasized, he added, that staying at Arafat is a supreme spiritual feast, but at the same time a physical effort.

- It requires strong and great sacrifice. The temperature at Arafat yesterday was 47 degrees, which speaks volumes about the effort involved - he said.

After Arafat, the journey to Muzdalifah followed, where they spent three to four hours, performed Maghrib and Isha prayers, shortened and combined, in accordance with the rules, and collected pebbles for stoning the devil.

Then they walked, which is also an exceptional physical effort after two sleepless nights and the physically exhausting part of vigil at Arafat. They had to walk six to seven kilometers to the Jamarat where they would throw the pebbles.

- But that walk has a magnificent goal, that after the accumulated faith at Arafat, one turns their back on the devil and finally, and if possible forever, settles accounts with him at Mina - said Čamdžić.

He drew attention to the fact that pilgrims move from Muzdalifah to Mina in the same direction and with the same goal.

- Imagine if the Ummah and people and all of us would read the message that this movement sends us from that. The message is unity of purpose and unity of action. All people moving in that column from Muzdalifah towards Mina are in a unified action of moving towards Mina to reach the goal as soon as possible, and in unity of purpose – to settle accounts with the enemy, and Almighty God said that the devil is an open enemy to us - said Čamdžić.

After throwing the pebbles, the pilgrims arrived at the hotel where they took off their ihrams.

- For several years now, I have been some kind of coordinator for guides, for several years I have been thinking about what motivates these people to be guides? So much sacrifice from each of them, so that 45 or 47, depending on how many men and women are assigned to each, with exceptional responsibility, perform Hajj correctly?

What is the motivation to accept such great responsibility and enormous burden on their shoulders. I want to express admiration for the sacrifice of the guides. I have often said, if Arafat is Hajj in terms of worship, then the guide is Hajj in terms of technical and organizational aspects, because he is the one who is with the pilgrims 24 hours a day, and without a guide, Hajj would not be possible.

A whole serious team of people is at the head of this organization, and I want to say that we are only proud of what we have accomplished - concluded efendi Čamdžić.