Muslims must stand up against Daesh like groups: Grand Mufti

MOUNT ARAFAT: Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz on Wednesday said Daesh was destroying the Muslim Ummah in the name of Islam and Muslims will have to stand up against such militant groups.
He was delivering the Haj sermon from Masjid-e-Nimra at the Maidan-e-Arafat where over two million pilgrims have converged to perform Waqoof-e-Arafat — the main ritual of Haj.
“The enemy is busy hatching different conspiracies but the Muslims should not follow the agenda of such misguided elements.”
He urged Muslims to make concerted efforts in their individual and collective lives to spread the true message of Islam as a religion of peace, love and brotherhood.
The Grand Mufti dwelt at length on the conspiracies being hatched by the enemies of Islam to undermine its strength and urged the Muslim Ummah to forge unity in its ranks to foil their designs.
He cautioned Muslims against those misusing the name of Islam and indulging in sabotage and terrorist activities.
“Daesh is pursuing a path meant for destruction of Muslim Ummah. It has not spared even mosques and peaceful citizens. These elements have gone astray and are strengthening the hands of enemies of Islam. They are disfiguring the image of Islam and serving the cause of its enemies,” said the Grand Mufti.
The Grand Mufti said Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had declared all types of injustices as Haram and added that no human being could take life of another human being. He said injustice was destined to be eliminated sooner or later.
The Imam especially addressed the youth and said they should not listen to those spreading anarchy. “Instead, they should direct their energies towards constructive pursuits and spread the true message of Islam.
“We should make our lives as a beacon of light for people living around the world.”
He also urged the rulers of Islamic world to take care of needs of their people and concentrate on efforts to promote unity in the ranks of Ummah.
The Imam also called upon the media to discharge its professional responsibilities in an honest manner, putting across what was right and inculcating a sense of unity among the Ummah.
He said there was a dire need for Muslims to create unity in their ranks, as their enemies were getting united.
He especially referred to plans to divide Masjid-e-Aqsa and said, “Our efforts to liberate the Qibla-e-Awwal have weakened.”
Sheikh Abdul Aziz asked Muslims in distress all over the world to demonstrate patience and perseverance and time is not far off when their difficulties would be over.
On this occasion, prayers were offered for the well-being and unity of the Ummah.
Around two million white-clad Muslims on Wednesday poured into the vast Saudi plain where Holy Prophet Mohammed (SAW) had given his last sermon.
Many of the faithful from around the globe camped at the foot of Mount Arafat where they slept, exhausted from their journey, and prayed despite the scorching sun.
Carrying colourful umbrellas, they walked from dawn in massive crowds towards the slippery, rocky hill which is also known as Mount Mercy.
To organise the flow of pilgrims, security forces formed human chains along the roads of the vast Arafat plain.
Along the way, volunteers handed out boxes of food and cold water bottles.
For many pilgrims, Haj is the spiritual highlight of their lives.
“We feel blessed. I got goosebumps, a feeling that cannot be explained, when reaching the top of the mountain,” said Ruhaima Emma, a 26-year-old Filipina pilgrim, who said she had been “praying for a good life for everyone”.
For Akram Ghannam, 45, from war-torn Syria, being in Arafat is a “feeling that cannot be described. I pray to God for the victory of all those who are oppressed.”
Many reached Arafat by bus while some walked from the holy city of Makkah about 15 kilometers (nine miles) away.
Other pilgrims arrived from the nearby Mina using the elevated Mashair Railway linking the holy sites of Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina, a tent city where many pilgrims spent Tuesday night.
After sunset on Wednesday they were to move to Muzdalifah where they will gather pebbles for a symbolic stoning of the devil ritual on Thursday (today), which is also the Eidul Azha feast of sacrifice marked by the world’s more than 1.5 billion Muslims.
This year’s gathering is about the same size as last year’s, with 1.4 million foreign pilgrims joining hundreds of thousands of residents of the kingdom.
They are undeterred by a construction crane collapse at the Grand Mosque earlier this month that killed 109 people, including foreign pilgrims. About 400 people were injured by the crane which was working on an expansion of Islam’s holiest site. About 100,000 police have been deployed to secure the pilgrimage sites and manage the crowds.
Authorities say they are on alert for possible attacks by extremists after IS jihadists bombed security forces and Shia mosques in the kingdom in recent months.