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[22:27-8] And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to thee on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel, lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways;

That they may witness the benefits (provided) for them, and celebrate the name of Allah, through the Days appointed, over the cattle which He has provided for them (for sacrifice): then eat ye thereof and feed the distressed ones in want."

The pilgrims are arriving in Saudi Arabia and the kingdom is gearing up in preparation. The official start of the month, Zilhajj (or Dul Hujjah) was yesterday according to both astronomical and calendrical reckoning, meaning that Yawm ul Arafat (the Day of Arafat) will be next Thursday (a week from today) and Eid ul Adha will be next Friday, November 27th.

Arab News has been running a series of fascinating "countdown to Hajj" articles that cover the preparations, including the tent city at Mina (which is visible from orbit) and replacing the kiswa (covering) for the Holy Kaaba. Their last entry in the series is a paean to how pilgrims' safety is the foremost concern of the Haj authorities:

The changes that have taken place around Mina and the Jamrat area in the past few years are astounding. Anyone who performed Haj 30 years ago or more can remember how calm and serene it was. The increase in the number of pilgrims in the intervening period changed everything. The area turned into one of the most congested parts of the pilgrimage, with the most accidents and the most deaths. Not so now.

(...) Points of entry into Mina are now controlled. No longer can private cars and taxis drive there; only registered buses have access. The massive five-level complex surrounding the Jamrat area for the stoning has been organized so that pedestrians can keep moving slowly but securely in a one-way system. At no point today will there be congestion or dangers. The development of the facilities - others include the provision of emergency medical services and volunteer guides to help pilgrims - is a remarkable improvement.

One of the big concerns this year is the swine flu - it's of course impossible to screen millions of pilgrims for swine flu and refuse them entry, so instead they will simply monitor pilgrims' health after arrival using infrared cameras to detect unusually high body temperature:

RIYADH: Assistant Deputy Minister of Health for Preventative Medicine Dr. Ziad Al-Memish said on Tuesday the Kingdom has implemented "comprehensive" programs to combat swine flu based on recommendations made during this past summer's summit of health ministers from the region held in Cairo.

(...) The measures include thermal-camera screening at Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport, Madinah's Prince Muhammad bin Abdulaziz Airport and the seaports in Jeddah and Yanbu, and 91 health officials working around the clock at the Haj Terminal in Jeddah.

Health officials in the Kingdom have been saying for weeks that they are implementing the recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control.

"We have worked out a mechanism with WHO to monitor swine flu among Haj pilgrims this year, Memish said.

"Pilgrims with high body temperatures will be quarantined for testing to "treat them accordingly," he added.

King Saud Hospital in Jeddah, the hospital closest to the Haj Terminal, will receive any suspected swine flu cases of pilgrims arriving in Jeddah by commercial flights.

The Kingdom is taking swine flu very seriously - otherwise Hajj would literally be an incubator for the pandemic as millions of pilgrims from every corner of the earth will congregate. It should be noted that in light of the pandemic, pilgrims who are old, young, infirm, or pregnant are discouraged from performing the Hajj this year.

I had pretty extensive coverage of hajj last year here at City of Brass, and also there's ongoing Hajj coverage at Talk Islam. Mubarak to all those who are making the pilgrimage this year!

عليك السلام يا شهر رمضان!

Today is the final fast of Ramadan. Unlike last year, it looks like almost everyone will be celebrating Eid al Fitr together on Sunday, a happy convergence of the Ummah. But talking about Eid is premature; it's still Ramadan for one more day, and we have to make the most of it. That the last day happens to fall on a Saturday is quite an opportunity to really focus on ibadat, prayer and Qur'an.

It's always a bittersweet moment to realize that Ramadan is done (Rama-done?). On there's a palpable sense of relief, just one more fast to go. On the other, there's almost a sense of panic as we realize just how little ibadat we actually did, relative to our grandiose ambitions and promises at the outset. It's not possible to cram a full month's worth of prayer into this last day, but many of us will try anyway. Given that oppressed muslims in China are forbidden to fast, and many muslims right here in the West are unable to do so for various physical reasons or illnesses, those of us who did manage to observe the fast should have more humility and appreciation of being able to partake in the blessing and opportunity for spiritual cleansing that Ramadan provides, but the sad truth is that most of us are more concerned with the upcoming feast and counting down the final hours. I pray that I have the will and the strength to treat these final hours of Ramadan with the respect and gratitude that it deserves.

Perhaps the best way we can ensure we make the most of Ramadan, is to keep trying after Ramadan ends.

As I alluded in my earlier primer on the oppression of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang province, China, the Chinese authorities are engaged in what amounts to a cultural genocide against the Uyghur people. One of the ways this is done is by denying the Uyghurs the ability to practice their faith freely - such as forbidding Uyghurs from fasting during Ramadan:

Chinese authorities in Xinjiang Province have issued a notice that any Uyghur cadres or workers found not eating lunch during Ramadan could lose their jobs.

It is part of the campaign of local authorities in Xinjiang, home to the Muslim Uyghur ethnic group, to force the Uyghur people to give up their religious rituals during the fasting month of Ramadan.

(...) "Free lunches, tea, and coffee-that authorities are calling 'Care from the government' or 'Living allowance'-are being offered in government departments and companies. But it is actually a ploy used to find out who is fasting," said Dilxat Raxit, World Uyghur Congress spokesman, speaking to The Epoch Times.

According to Dilxat, Uyghur Communist Party cadres throughout Xinjiang had been forced to sign "letters of responsibility" promising to avoid fasting and other religious activities. They are also responsible for enforcing the policy in their assigned areas, and face punishment if anyone in these areas fasts.

For the first time, Dilxat said, the crackdown has extended to retired Communist Party members. Current cadres are required to visit them to prevent them from participating in the fast. If anyone violates the ban, local leaders will be held responsible and severely punished, he said.

Muslim restaurant owners are forced to sign a document to remain open and continue selling alcohol during Ramadan or have their licenses revoked, he said.

Uyghurs arrested during the July riots in Urumqi are also prohibited from fasting; those who insist on fasting will be force fed food and water while enduring insults for their misbehavior, he said in the interview.

Monks in mosques are forced to preach to others that fasting is a "feudal activity" and harmful to health, said Dilxat. Otherwise, their religious certification will be cancelled.

"Care from the government" indeed. As Ramadan draws to a close, we muslims in the West who enjoy the benefits of religious freedom are counting down the final fasts, looking forward to the simple luxury of lunch. Suddenly, I'm not hungry.

Every year, the profile of Ramadan observances by muslims in the West is raised higher, and invariably reflects the amazing diversity of the muslim community. As a recent Pew Research Center poll found, the more Americans learn about Islam and form friendships with pordinary muslims, the more tolerant and less suspicious and fearful they are of the faith and fellow citizens. In essence, familiarity breeds respect, not contempt.

This is why it's important for muslims to participate in the sort of anthropological media coverage that invariably proliferates around Ramadan time. There's a great example of this from American Public Media (syndicated on NPR) called "Revealing Ramadan" where ordinary muslims speak about their own experiences in Ramadan observances. From the program's website,

Muslims, in their own words, speak about the delights and gravity of Islam's holiest month. Through vivid memories and light-hearted musings, they reveal the richness of Ramadan - as a period of intimacy, and of parties; of getting up when the world is quiet for breakfast and prayers with one's family; of breaking the fast every day after nightfall in celebration and prayers with friends and strangers.

Any muslim can submit a story of their own, and they are all collected online for anyone to listen to. I am pleased to note that two of my friends and colleagues, Wajahat Ali (whose play The Domestic Crusaders is now playing on Broadway) and Hussein Rashid (blogger and faculty member at Hofstra University) are participants; I regret not taking the time to do so myself this year.

Related: PDF of the Pew Research Center report.

The past few years, the anniversary of 9-11 has coincided with Ramadan. As I wrote last year, 9-11 usually elicits a defensive posture in muslim Americans, because of the lingering suspicion and distrust by our fellow citizens. But with the advent of Ramadan, I've felt like I've finally managed to take ownership of 9-11 like any American, and look at it without consciousness of my religious identity. To do otherwise would indeed be to let the terrorists win.

And yet, this year the anniversary of 9-11 is eclipsed by the approach of the holiest night of Ramadan, Laylatul Qadr, the "Night of Power". The importance of this night is impossible to overstate, as it represents a bounty of blessings for the pious beyond our comprehension. In the Qur'an, the verses pertaining to Laylatul Qadr (97:1-5, recitation) are as follows:

We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power:

And what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is?

The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.

Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand:

Peace!...This until the rise of dawn.

Indeed, this night is Peace. There is no better refutation of the crazed ideology of those who sought to divide us in terror. This is the time to look forward, at how precious little time remains in Ramadan, not look backwards.

Related: my essay two years ago about the intense preparation for Laylatul Qadr and the way in which we observe it, engaged in prayer all night.