HAJJ JOURNEY 2017 - THROWING THE JAMMARAH

HJ ZULHEIMY MAAMOR

11 APRIL 2024

Jamrah (Jamarat) in Arabic means Small Stone. Throwing the three Jamrah is included in the Manasik (Worship) of Hajj in Mina.

On the first day of being in Mina (10 Zulhijjah) after arriving from Muzdalifah, the Hajj pilgrims need to throw the Kubra Jamrah only, while on the 11th, 12th and 13th of Zulhijjah the Jamrah throwing starts with Jamratul Ula, then towards Jamratul Wusta and finally Jamratul Kubra.

Throwing jamrah is one of the six obligatory things of Hajj. Jamrah, in Arabic, means small stones. There are 3 jamrahs in the Hajj manasik. Now it is known as Jamrah as-Sughra (small, formerly known as Jamrah al-Ula, first), Jamrah al-Wusta (middle or second), and Jamrah al-Kubra (large, formerly known as Jamrah al-Aqabah). During this ritual, Muslims throw pebbles at the three pillars called 'jamarat', located in the city of Mina, just east of Mecca..

The worship of throwing in the jamrah is often associated with the acts of throwing the devil by Prophet Ibrahim a.s., Prophet Ismail a.s., and Sayyidatina Hajar r.a. However, it is not correct if the Pilgrims at this time meant to throw the devil when doing the worship of throwing. On the other hand, throwing should be done with the intention that it is one of the commands of Allah s.w.t. in Hajj worship and according to the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. and Prophet Ibrahim a.s.

On the evening of the 10th of Zulhijjah, we were instructed to prepare to start the journey towards Jamrah to cast Jamrah Kubra.

The distance between the Malaysian pilgrims' camp and the Jamrah Complex is about 3.5 kilometers. This means that the return distance between Mina and Jammarat is 7 km. 

Malaysian pilgrims who are in the process of completing the next Haj pilgrimage, which is throwing the jamrah, are advised to adhere to the schedule prepared by the management of the Tabung Haji Board (TH).

Operations Director of Masya'ir 1438, Hijrah Mohd Norber Kassim, said it is to prevent pilgrims from going astray for their safety.

According to him, if they comply with the advice provided by the Maktab management, stray cases, including wrongly entering congregations in other countries, can be avoided. The return route from the Malaysian pilgrims' tent in Mina to Level 3, Jamarat Complex, for a distance of 7.5 kilometers, has been determined by TH together with Muassasah Tewafah Southeast Asia.

All Malaysian pilgrims spend the night in Mina from the 10th to the 13th of Zulhijjah to complete the worship of throwing the three jamrahs, which are Sughra, Wusto, and Kubra, which are obligatory for Hajj.

Escalators are also provided in several places in the tunnel to give the pilgrims the opportunity to rest for a while after walking for miles... Thank you to the Government of Saudi Arabia for providing this facility for the pilgrims.

Going through this Muassem tunnel reminds me of the tragedy on 3 July 1990 where 1,426 people (including 19 Malaysian pilgrims) were suffocated and trampled to death in a crowd crush or stempede event in a tunnel near Mecca during the Hajj. 

1. Wikipedia - 1990 Mecca Tunnel tragedy

TH staff who always help Malaysian pilgrims... thank you, TH and staff.

TH has stationed officials at several checkpoints along the route to the Jamarat Complex, has rescue teams that can be despatched to provide medical aid on site. 

Saudi volunteers along the route spray water on the pilgrims to cool them down. 

Despite being tired from walking a long way, Malaysian pilgrims are still cheerful.

Jamarat complex is visible in front...feel relieved and express gratitude to Allah SWT.

Pebbles provided by the masaasah to throw at Jamarat.

After casting their pebbles at the Kubra, the biggest of the three walls representing the devil, pilgrims can exit their state of ihram or purity and wear regular clothes for the remainder of their haj. 

After that, they will make three more trips to the complex over three days, throwing pebbles at all three walls - Sugra, Wusta and Kubra - each time. 

It is believed that it was here the devil tried to talk to Prophet Ibrahim a.s out of submitting to God's will. Seven pebbles are thrown at the wall representing the devil, emulating the action of Prophet Ibrahim a.s. 

The ritual at the Jamarat complex marks the final major rite of the haj during the Masya'er phase. 

Jamratul Kubra (formerly Jamratul Aqabah) is also the place where the First and Second Agreements of Aqabah took place, where the Prophet s.a.w received the oath of allegiance (baiah) from the Ansar.

After finishing throwing the Jamrah, we continued our journey back to the tent in Mina, which is approximately 3.5 km away. When we are tired, we stop for a while to rest. Thank you very much to the sister in the picture next to my wife because she has helped us a lot at the Jamarat. I forgot her name. May God bless her for being willing to wait for us until we finished throwing. She gave a lot of guidance to us, who lack knowledge in Hajj rituals. Thank you, sis. We will remember your kindness for the rest of our lives. May God bless you. Amen.

After walking 3.5 km back to the tent in Mina, we feel hungry but it's not yet time for lunch, so Indo cup instant noodles and espresso coffee are the pilgrims' choice...

After completing the rite of throwing at Jamrah Kubra on the 10th of Zulhijjah (September 1st), the Malaysian pilgrims have obtained the Tahallul Awal, which is free from the 10 prohibitions of ihram and only bound by three more prohibitions.

After receiving Tahallul Awal, Hajj pilgrims no longer need to wear ihram clothes, which are 2 loose pieces of cloth, because it is no longer prohibited for them. But they are still in Ihram Hajj.

Tahallul literally means making something lawful or permissible. According to Syarak, the term Tahallul means freeing oneself from the prohibition of ihram.

All Malaysian pilgrims will be in Mina until 13 Zulhijjah (Sept 4) to throw at the three jamrahs, namely Sugra, Wusta, and Kubra on tasyrik days 11, 12, and 13 Zulhijjah.

Pilgrims who perform 'Nafar Thani' will stay in Mina until 13 Zulhijjah, while pilgrims who perform 'Nafar Awwal' will stay in Mina until 12 Zulhijjah (September 3).

Masyair's Director of Operations, Mohd Norber Kassim, said the movement of Malaysian pilgrims for the ritual of throwing the Jamrah Kubra went smoothly and safely, but there were some cases of Malaysian pilgrims getting lost and tired.

Jamarat Bridge, which is a pedestrian bridge in Mina, is used by Muslims to cast Jamarah during the Hajj season. It was built in 1963.

This bridge reminds us of the tragedy of the stampede that claimed 717 lives during the Hajj season of 2015 (September 24, 2015), following the collision of two waves of pilgrims at an intersection.

PREPARATION TO RETURN TO MECCA (SEPTEMBER 4, 2017)

When they finish worshiping in Mina for 3 days and 3 nights, or 2 days and 2 nights for those who are Nafar Awal, the pilgrims will return to Mecca to complete 2 more pillars of Hajj, namely Tawaf and Saie, in normal clothing for men. For women, there is no difference between their normal clothes and Ihram clothes.

Once they complete Tawaf Ifadhah and Saie, they automatically obtain Tahallul Thani and are free from all the prohibitions of Ihram, completing their Hajj.

There should be no more shaving or hair cutting after Saie, as it was already done after throwing the Kubra on the 10th of Zulhijjah in Mina. Each pillar of the Hajj is performed only once every time the Hajj is performed.

The bus that takes the pilgrims back to Mecca

Thank you to the TH staff who helped us while in Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina. All your help and cooperation to Dhyufurrahman, only Allah will repay it.... Thank you again.

Memory of Mina

They are expected to leave Mina after 6 a.m. on the 13th of Zulhijjah to go to Makkah to complete the hajj pilgrimage by performing tawaf and saie hajj.

GOODBYE ARAFAH, MUZDALIFAH, AND MINA....

Being in Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina was the sweetest moment for the Hajj Pilgrims. It is a memory that must be engraved in each of their hearts, remembering how beautiful that moment was - living in a crowded tent, queuing to go to the toilet, and eating together. We will definitely miss that moment after returning to our homeland later.

My message to the Pilgrims is to enjoy the moment and time we spend in Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina. Let us not complain about all the difficulties and hardships we experience. Accept God's will with an open heart, with gratitude and satisfaction for everything. After all, this Hajj only takes 5 days compared to our 39 days in the Holy Land. We are lucky to be chosen as God's guests in this Hajj season, so let's be God's prudent guests and not seek worldly favors while performing the Hajj.

Next:

HAJJ JOURNEY 2017 - TAWAF IFADHAH AND SA'IE / MEKAH TO MADINAH

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, KL

12 April 2024 > 4 Syawal 1445H: 11.41 p.m