On Spiritual Elitism
Abdur-Rahman analyzes the position of ‘Arafah among the rites of Hajj, and why the wealthy Quraish of Makkah would not participate in that most blessed of occasions.
To understand the significance of this action, it is important to first understand what the rites of Arafat are held to symbolise. In the Islamic understanding, the Day of Arafat marks the culmination of the entire Hajj. It marks the quintessential moment of the whole pilgrimage: it is that moment when the pilgrims assemble as one on the plains of Arafat to seek God’s forgiveness and mercy. In the midst of the plain of Arafat stands Jabal al-Rahma, or ‘the Mount of Mercy’, which pilgrims attempt to climb.
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