God advises us to avoid hardships and feuds, while in the Quran, God vows retribution will come for tyrants.
Sheikh Dr Mahir Bin Hamd, the Imam and Khateeb of the historical Nimra Mosque near the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia, stated this on Saturday as the annual five-day Hajj pilgrimage reached its apex.
Dr Hamd, who delivered the annual Hajj sermon at the Nimra Mosque, stressed on strictly following the five pillars of faith to secure rewards in the hereafter.
He enjoined the faithful gathered in the plains of Arafat to stay away from conflicts and feuds and not to call anyone names. He reminded them that in the Holy Quran, God has vowed that tyrants and those who further tyrrany will face retribution. Those who hurt the believers will never prosper.
Dr Hamd urged the faithful to stay away from vices identified in scripture as they are the devil's work. He said that Islam prohibits the believers from indecency, obscenities, bad things and untrustworthiness.
He said that the faithful must turn to God for refuge in times of stress and that man should live a godfearing life.
Hundreds of thousands perform hajj
Over 80,000 Pakistanis, among some two million people, performed the annual hajj pilgrimage on Saturday.
On foot, carts, cars, bikes and busses, they poured into the hallowed plains of Arafat after daybreak on Saturday.
Clad in two un-sewn pieces of white cloth, the men slowly climbed Jebel-e-Rehmat (The Mountain of Mercy), where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had delivered his final sermon. The pilgrims' presence turned the mountain's dusty and rocky landscape white.
This year's hajj comes at one of the hottest times on Earth. Yet, pilgrims braved the heat for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Temperatures as high as 43 degrees Celsius were recorded on Saturday.
Saudi authorities have urged pilgrims to drink plenty of water and protect themselves from the sun. A Saudi official said this week that more than 10,000 heat-related illnesses were recorded last year, 10% of them heat stroke.
This year's hajj also comes with the shadow of war looming over the region. Since October 7, 2023, the region has been plunged into turmoil after Hamas launched an unprecedented retaliatory strike on Israel. The attack left at least 1,000 people dead, mostly soldiers and law enforcement personnel, while Hamas took at least 240 Israelis hostage to force Tel Aviv to exchange from among 8,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
In retaliatory strikes, Israel has all but flattened Gaza, killing close to 40,000 Palestinians, including over 15,000 children. This is the worst military campaign conducted by Israel in Gaza that has not only completely destroyed infrastructure in Gaza but displaced nearly its entire population, pushed famine and employed indiscriminate bombing campaign.
But ahead of Hajj, Saudi Arabian minister Tawfiq al-Rabiah had stated that "no political activity" — including symbolism such as the Palestinian flag — would be tolerated from pilgrims. Some 2,000 Palestinians are said to be performing hajj this year at the invitation of Saudi King Salman.