Call for Humanity from Arafah

AP/Amr Nabil

Muslim pilgrims from around the world gather at the plain of Arafah (Arafat) on Aug. 20 during the annual haj to climb Jabal ar-Rahma (Mount of Mercy) near Mecca, Saudi Arabia. More than 3 million Muslims have begun their annual five-day pilgrimage, which represents one of the five pillars of Islam and is required once in the life of all able-bodied Muslims.

This year’s haj peaked with the wukuf (“gathering”) ritual on Monday (20/8/2018) at Arafah field in Saudi Arabia. Three million Muslim pilgrims from all over the world gathered to pray and chant together.

The wukuf ritual urges self-contemplation. The ritual involves praying and seeking forgiveness from Allah for all their wrongdoings in hopes that Allah will finally redeem them.

Surely, pious Muslims will perform the five daily prayers and always seek Allah’s forgiveness. However, the wukuf at Arafah is a truly special occasion, as the pilgrims solemnly observe the ritual for an entire day.

The qurban (sacrifice) also marks the haj. The practice of sacrificing livestock is connected to the story of Ibrahim (Abraham) receiving God’s order to sacrifice his beloved son, Ismail. As Ibrahim finally prepares to sacrifice Ismail, God rewards Ibrahim’s piety and submission and replaces Ishmael with a ram to sacrifice instead.

In remembering and contemplating this tale of prophethood from year to year, we hope to reinforce our own faith in Allah. Much like how the blessings we receive during the Ramadhan fasting month are used to test us in the following months, whether a person’s haj finds favor in Allah’s eyes is seen only after the pilgrimage ends.

Apart from reinforcing our faith and piety, the ritualistic sacrifice is also intended to hone our sensitivity towards others in our daily lives. Idul Adha, the Day of Sacrifice, teaches mankind to develop empathy, sense the struggles of the less fortunate and foster a willingness to sacrifice something beloved for our faith.

Aside from being part of the annual ritual, we can also expand our empathy in the contemporary scope and context. Firstly, despite various efforts and programs to end them, poverty and inequality persist in our society.

Secondly, disasters have occurred amid the persistent economic gap, like the recent earthquakes that have struck our brothers and sisters in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. We are obliged to help those affected by the disaster and reduce their suffering. This is an apt expression of this year’s religious sacrifice.

By expanding our empathy and sense of solidarity, we will enjoy a more meaningful Idul Adha. In these human expressions, we indirectly foster our sense of togetherness and national unity. These will be useful come next year, when we hold the general elections – the success of which also depends on a strong sense of national unity.

We believe that the strong individual dimension in every religion also contains communal and humanitarian dimensions within. The haj and ritual sacrifice are full of such dimensions. Their respective success is inseparable from how extensive we persevere in carrying out their mandates.

As long as there are fellow Indonesians that need our help, the messages from Arafah field will remain strong and never fade. We will continue to pray for the safety of all pilgrims and for Allah’s acceptance of their pilgrimage.