Skip to main content

Record-breaking heat wave grips western United States

A record early heat wave striking the western United States on Friday is a one-in-500-year event and almost certainly the result of human-caused climate change, experts say. The heat has been toppling records this week and is set to continue into the weekend across western cities while expanding eastward. Four locations in the desert area near the California-Arizona border registered 44.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, a US national record for March. The readings were recorded near Yuma and Martinez Lake in Arizona, and around Winterhaven and Ogilby in California. Read: Intense heatwave grips US, triggering record-breaking temperatures Already, 65 cities have recorded new March highs, ranging from Arizona and California to Idaho, Weather.com reported. Death Valley reached 40°C on Thursday, while typically cool and foggy San Francisco tied its historic March record at 29°C. In Colorado, skiers were seen hitting the slopes shirtless. The National Weather Service issued extreme heat warni...
Post a Comment

Hajj 2024: A step-by-step guide to the sacred Muslim pilgrimage

Every year, millions of Muslims from around the world gather in Makkah to perform Hajj, the sacred Muslim pilgrimage. Hajj became obligatory for every able-bodied Muslim adult with financial means after Prophet Muhammad’s “farewell pilgrimage” in 632 AD. Typically, between two and three million people participate in the pilgrimage annually. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of pilgrims was drastically reduced to 10,000 in 2020. The following year saw 58,700 pilgrims, and last year's numbers picked up again to one million. Hajj is a spiritual, emotional, and physical challenge that tests the patience and temperament of the pilgrim. It occurs in Dhul-Hijjah, the 12th and final month of the Islamic lunar calendar, between the eighth and 13th days of the month. Here is a step-by-step guide to the rituals on each day of Hajj: Day 1: Intent and Ihram The very first rite of Hajj is to make a pure intention and enter the ihram, a pilgrim’s sacred state, when crossing the outer boundaries of Makkah, called Miqat. Entering ihram involves wearing plain garments – two unstitched pieces of cloth for men, or loose-fitting clothing for women – and following certain rules, such as avoiding anger and refraining from sexual activity. Pilgrims then perform tawaf, circling the Kaaba in an anticlockwise direction seven times, followed by sai, running between the Safa and Marwa hills. After this, pilgrims travel by foot or bus to Mina, an 8km journey, where they spend the day in prayer and supplications. Day 2: A day on Arafat The Day of Arafat is one of the most significant days of Hajj and the Islamic calendar. Pilgrims make the 15km (nine-mile) journey from Mina to Mount Mercy, where they engage in wuquf, standing before Allah from noon to sunset. This site is revered as the place where Prophet Muhammad delivered his last sermon. Many Muslims around the world choose to fast on this day. After sunset, pilgrims move to Muzdalifah, an 11km trip, where they spend the night under the stars and begin collecting 49 pebbles for the next day's rites. Day 3: Nahr and stoning the devil (Rami) The 10th of Dhul-Hijjah is Eid al-Adha, celebrated by Muslims worldwide as the greater of the two Muslim holidays. Pilgrims leave Muzdalifah for Mina before dawn to perform the first rami, throwing seven pebbles at the largest of three columns, Jamarat al-Aqaba. This act symbolises the stoning of the devil, based on the tradition where Abraham threw stones to repel Satan. Pilgrims also sacrifice an animal, known as nahr. A camel or lamb is suitable, and the meat is distributed to the needy. Pilgrims can buy sacrifice vouchers, which state that the sacrifice has been made on their behalf, or perform their own sacrifice. Days 4 and 5: Continued stoning The act of throwing stones is repeated for the next two days, pelting the three pillars (Jamarat al-Ula, Jamarat al-Wusta, and Jamarat al-Aqaba) with seven pebbles each. Day 6: Halq or Taqsir and the farewell Tawaf On the 12th day of Dhul-Hijjah, men shave their heads (halq) or trim their hair (taqsir), while women trim their hair by the length of a fingertip. After this, pilgrims remove their ihram clothes and return to Makkah to perform tawaf and sai once more, marking the completion of Hajj. Many pilgrims also visit Madina, the second holiest city in Islam, before heading home. Although not part of the pilgrimage, Madina is revered as the site where Prophet Muhammad is buried alongside his closest companions.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/CtIvZUh
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
Post a Comment
Read more

US, Philippines kick off joint military drills in South China Sea with 16,000 troops

Some 16,000 US and Philippine troops kicked off the annual joint military drills on Monday in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), local media reported. WPS is the official designation by Philippines to the parts of the South China Sea that are included in the country's exclusive economic zone. The 19-day exercises, dubbed "Balikatan 2024," will involve around 5,000 Philippine and 11,000 US troops, making it the largest joint military drills between the two allies conducted in decades, local English daily Manila Times reported citing the military. A total of 14 nations, including Japan and India, will take part in the drills as observers amid mounting maritime tensions in the South China Sea. Contingents from the Australian Defence Force and the French Navy will also join the exercise as participants. Read also: China urges US to stop using Philippines as a pawn to destabilise South China Sea France will join the group sail but will only navigate on the edge of the Philippine E...
Post a Comment
Read more

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...
Post a Comment
Read more