'Field Notes on Sa'udi Arabia, 1935' [‎25r] (54/248)

hills, Safah and Merwah, each side of Mecca (sai), praying, attending
sermons, visiting various traditional and holy sites near the city, etc.
On the eighth, clad again in the ihram, he begins the most obligatory
of all the ceremonies, the true “ Pilgrimage.”
It consists in the visit to Arafat, a hillock in a plain, on the
la if road, under Jabal Qura. This trip, which used to be by no
means without danger, both on the road and in camp, despite the
strong escorts provided, is obligatory not only on all visitors, but also,
year by year, on all able-bodied citizens of Mecca, from the King
downwards ; and in the opinion of most authorities it is the duty
which, rather than any performed in Mecca itself, confers the coveted
title of hajji. The total number of those who march to ’Arafat and
back, amounts normally to little under half a million. The enormous
crowd bivouacs in and around village of Munah the first night, and,
with daybreak on the ninth day, proceeds another nine miles to ’Arafat
to perform the “ Stand ” on the hill, praying, ejaculating “ Labbeika,”
and hearing addresses until sundown. Returning to Munah for the
night, the pilgrim performs there another “ Stand ” on the morning
of the tenth day, throws a fixed number of selected stones at certain
devil-pillars, and offers a blood-sacrifice, usually a sheep or a goat,
which he is at liberty to eat or give away. Then he must make
post-haste for Mecca in the midst of indescribable confusion. In the
city on that afternoon, he should perform tawaf and sai, and kiss
again the Holy Stone of the Ka’bah ; and then, shaved and in secular
dress, get back before dark to Munah for the day of the great feast.
This he may celebrate partly at Munah, where many, especially those
performing the pilgrimage for the first time, stay on for the three
“ Days of ‘ Drying Flesh ’ ” (Ayyam at-Tashriq), partly at Mecca.
The pilgrims leaving by sea on their return, pass through one of
the Quarantine Stations, the chief of which are as follows ;—
Tor, Sinai, maintained by the International Quarantine Board
of Egypt.
Kamaran Isles, maintained by agreement between the Dutch
East Indies Government and the Government of India.
Suakin, maintained by the Government of the Sudan.
[d) Minority Sects and other Religions
(i) Islam. — {a) Shiahs .—There is in Sa’udi Arabia a total of
about 75,000 Shi’ahs, distributed as follows :—
Al Hasa and certain sections of the Bani 25,000
Khalid tribe.
Al Qatif (descendants of the Carmathians, 40,000
who in the 10th century, invaded Mecca
and removed the black stone from the
Ka’aba). Others on islands along the
Hasa coast, on Tarout, Darin, Jinna,
Abu 'Ali, and others.
The Hejaz .—Mostly in the cities of Mecca 10,000
and Medina.