Beautiful writing by a pilgrim about Haj journal

A pilgrim has written this about his Haj experience and it's very enlightening to read for those who wish to better understand what it is like.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=5&section=0&article=104628&d=16&m=12&y=2007

snip

We started our journey to Arafat early. It is a short distance, less than 30 kilometres from Makkah, but our guide urged us to start early because of the great congestion. Every pilgrim wants to be at Arafat on this day. The time range for being there is from noon, i.e. midday prayer, till dawn the next day, i.e. about 18 hours in total. It is important, however, to spend a part of the day and a part of the night there. This is the reason why the pilgrims stay at Arafat and no one departs until after sunset. If you are not at Arafat on this day, you have missed out on your pilgrimage. The place is open and can easily accommodate all comers. After all, they realize they have to be here less than one day. They need nothing more than a place to sit and be in the shade. They spend their time in glorifying God, repeating the Talbiyah phrases, which confirm that they have undertaken this journey in response to God’s call, hoping for nothing other than to earn His pleasure. They pray to Him requesting all things whether relating to this life or the next. Above all, they pray for acceptance, forgiveness of their sins, and admission into heaven. They are promised the reward of forgiveness. As they begin to leave in the evening, they feel as if they are newborn; they have wiped their slate clean and they are starting afresh. The past is all forgiven.