2023-07-14 22:05:46
In the past, Emirati families used the Bandira (green flag) to celebrate the good news of the safe return of the pilgrims to the Sacred House of God from the Holy Land, to their homeland and their families. The raising of the “Bandira” or what was also known as “the bulletin” or “the bayrak” represented an invitation to the people of the region and the neighborhood to share the joy of the pilgrims returning to their homes following performing the rituals of this duty. Heritage specialists confirm that the difference in the customs associated with receiving pilgrims from one region to another is slight, or not noticeable, while they all participate in this “social program” that preceded modern means of communication, pointing to the way they invented to share their happy occasion with relatives and neighbors.
They explained that performing the rituals of Hajj until regarding the middle of the last century was an arduous task, because it required traveling by ship across the sea or by land by camel caravans that were led by a guide, that is, a person with experience in the landmarks of the road leading to Mecca.
The researcher in Emirati heritage, professor of ancient history at the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at the United Arab Emirates University, Dr. Hamad bin Saray, said that the means of communication were very weak, which called on families to use what was called the “bulletin”, which is a piece of cloth. It is hung above the house, or on its door, as a sign of the pilgrim’s safe return. This “bulletin” went through different stages of time. It started with a green cloth that the people of the coastal cities knew regarding. Then families began to hang local flags before the establishment of the UAE federation, to announce the return of the pilgrim from the rituals of Hajj. Then it turned to raising the flag of the UAE, following the federation. Bin Saray said, “The green color is a festive sign that carries with it an overwhelming feeling of happiness,” adding that the people of the village were rushing to the house that was adorned with this sign to offer congratulations to the pilgrims. Zamzam and the Noble Sanctuary, among others.
And he continued that the word “Hajji” and “Hijjah”, which is applied to those who performed the Hajj, is of great value, because the holders of this honorable title returned from the Holy Land while they were pure, as their mothers gave birth to them. As for the researcher in cultural heritage, Badriya Al-Hosani, she mentioned that the narrators of the region confirmed that the families used to hang “Bandira”, which is a red or green piece of cloth outside the house, as a symbol of the pilgrim’s safe return to his home following performing the Hajj. Families used to receive the pilgrims with al-Nathur, which consisted of old coins and sweets that were sold in shops, along with basil leaves and al-Mashmoum. And Al-Hosani continued, “The pilgrim was distributing simple gifts that he brought from Makkah Al-Mukarramah, which consisted of small bottles for kohl (antimony), prayer rugs, and Zamzam water.” The heritage expert, Butti bin Salem Al-Mazloum, said that all aspects of celebrating the return of the pilgrims, in their various details from one environment to another, combine to express joy at the arrival of the pilgrims from a journey that was dangerous and difficult. He pointed out that the Hajj journey was not an easy matter, as few people were able to go out to perform this duty.
He continued: «The pilgrims used two ways to go, either by sea by ships, or on foot across the desert, and with camels through convoys led by an experienced person on the road leading to Makkah Al-Mukarramah (the guide), and therefore the return of the pilgrim safely following performing this The obligatory prayer was considered a great joy for his family, neighbors and loved ones. He added that the means of communication were almost non-existent, and families used to raise the flags of the emirate before the federation until the dream came true, so he adopted raising the flag of the state as a sign of the safe return of the pilgrims. The manifestations of celebrating this return still exist today among Emirati families, as they are keen to prepare popular food banquets, and invite relatives and neighbors to celebrate the safety of the pilgrims of the Sacred House of God.
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