Hajj 2007
the most amazing experience ever

Hajj?? What’s Hajj I hear you say? Is it some sort of video game? Or the name of a beautiful new shopping centre? Or maybe a far away magical land? Well, for me, I guess the last answer was kinda right.

Yep last December I had the opportunity to go away with my family on Hajj. You see, I’m a Muslim and as a Muslim, it’s important to go on Hajj (the pilgrimage) at least once in a lifetime if you can afford it. Muslims from all around the world attend, so that they can build on their relationship with God and become closer to Him, hopefully coming back as better people.

It takes place in the golden sun-kissed desert lands of Saudi Arabia. Woah, woah, woah back up the truck! Did you say Saudi Arabia?? I can see the shock on your face.

Yes I agree with you, Saudi Arabia does not have the most fantastic record in terms of human right abuses but, neither does it fulfil the stereotype of Arabs being backward, untrustworthy creatures, as demonstrated by Hollywood films. In fact Arabs are generally extremely kind and generous people.. yeah you do get the odd rotten apple here and there but come on, rotten apples grow on all sorts of trees! In all religions, cultures and countries, including right here in Britain.

Pilgrims performing ‘tawaf’ (circling the Ka’ba)

But it wasn’t only Arabs that I met. I encountered Turks, Chinese, Canadians, Afghanis, Malaysians, Egyptians, Australians, Macedonians (I don’t even know where Macedonia is!), Nigerians.. you name it! It was as if each country had sent representatives to be part of this global meeting. The vast blend of races, nationalities and cultures was just indescribable! And you’d think that with that amount of people from all around the world there’d be a bit of a communication problem, but it was amazing how people managed to get over this. I myself had an encounter in the mosque with an old man (I think he was Turkish). I went over to him to thank him for taking away a locust who had been pestering me that day (lonnnng story), and although we didn’t speak the same language, we were able to communicate on such a level that even though we said few words, we understood volumes. It really was touching.

Malcolm X, who before Hajj felt that it was just impossible for blacks and whites to live in harmony due to strong racism in the States, said on his return from Hajj:

“They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white.”

I guess many felt the same way!

You might be curious of what Hajj actually entails. Well, it only lasts around five days which is really not that long. There are different places to go to on different days and one of the things you may be familiar with, is the circling of the Ka’ba otherwise known as ‘tawaf’. (Btw the Ka’ba is the large cube-shaped building, previously built by the Prophet Adam, then rebuilt by Abraham and his son Ishmael – see the pic above). In the picture, you can see huge numbers of pilgrims encircling the Ka’ba. This is symbolic of the fact that God should be central to a Muslim’s life and s/he should always be aware of Him. This constant awareness of God will help to do good actions and refrain from bad since God is always watching even when it seems that you are hidden from others. Also, the circuits are anti-clockwise so you’re walking around the Ka’ba with your left side nearest to it. That might seem insignificant and you’re probably thinking “So what??!” But, you may remember from biology(!) that your heart although central, is slightly tilted to the left. This means that as you’re walking round, your heart is tilted towards the Ka’ba signifying your heart’s bond to God.

That’s just one little part of Hajj, there’s loads more but just not enough paper (or webpage!) to write it all down. In all Hajj is an expression of a Muslim’s love and dedication to God and although some parts can be a little challenging, that’s all part of the experience. At the end of the day, what’s a little hardship when it’s for something or someone that you love so much?

I’m just so eternally grateful to God for having the opportunity to go on Hajj. It truly was an amazing experience and one that I won’t forget….just out of this world!