Arguably the holiest place this planet possesses, Mecca is the largest mosque ever built. An architectural beauty, holding six minarets, this magnificent structure is place of worship and devotion. Located on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, it’s a place where during the blessed month of Ramadan, people flock from all over the world to complete a ritual called the Hajj.
Making a Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and each Muslim that is physically and financially able must participate at least once in their life. I have had the immense gratification of visiting Mecca twice in my life, once when I was seven and the other just two years ago, when I was 19. When I was growing up in Saudi Arabia, until I was eight, I often heard of Mecca from my extended family and I listened to the way they talked about it. A lot of passion and tenderness was dedicated to Mecca. It is the location that all Muslims pray in the direction of. The first time I went it was more of a visit then anything else. I was too young to understand what was going on and too little to feel what Mecca does to a person. On the other hand, when I was 19, I went again, just before my big trip to Asia. This time it was one of most incredible experiences of my life.
I went with my father, two aunts and an uncle, all of whom had done this before. I recall getting out of our rental car and climbing up a set of stairs, when I got to the top, a sea of people emerged. For a moment I was too overwhelmed at the spectacle and had to gather myself. At the time that I was completing my Hajj it was the last ten days of Ramadan, meaning it was extraordinarily busy. There were two million other pilgrims there.
Nearly everyone was either dressed in white or black. Most men were only dressed in white towels, symbolic for the way a person enters this world, with nothing on and also equality. The women were dressed in black veils for modesty. I never really thought I could ever be surrounded by two million other beings in the same location, aiming for the same goal. There were folks from all over the globe: African Muslims, Asian Muslims, American Muslims and other Middle Eastern Muslims. It was so nice to see everyone in harmony.
As we entered this fantastic mosque, my body slowly relaxed. I could see the brown mountain tops just over the high rise hotels outside the mosque. The combination of feeling such lightness and the spiritual energy was remarkable. I disregarded the outside world. While encompassed by this mosque, I forget about technology, wars, crime and all my otherworldly concerns.
During the evening prayer, my father and I were sitting, waiting and we started to chat with a man next to us from Oman.
“Look behind you, do you see who that is?” he asked. Both of us turned around, not really picking out anyone in particular. “That little Malay looking man at the front row, do you know who that is?” We shook our heads, yearning for an answer. “That little man is the Sultan of Brunei, he comes every year,” he finally said.
The Sultan of Brunei is one of, if not the, richest men in the world. He is the leader of that tiny Southeast Asian country. Although it was very interesting, I didn’t take more then a glance and that’s what Mecca does to people. Everyone in the mosque is equal; there are no rich or poor people. It doesn’t matter your age and ethnicity disappears.
Just as evening prayer was about to start I went to the washroom, because it is obligatory to cleanse oneself. I was hastily washing when the chief started reciting. When he does, it is time to eat, for during the fasting month of Ramadan, a Muslim is required to fast for 40 days from sunrise to sunset. I wanted to join my father for this wonderful moment where two million people simultaneously eat dates together, all sharing with each other. Before I had time to get out of the washroom I found my mouth stuffed with dates by this friendly fellow Saudi. He encouraged me to eat and eat because I had earned it, handing me more and more. I told him that I wanted to be with my father but he was not listening – he continued feeding me. For a split second I was disappointed with what had just occurred but I thought about it more and realized that it was wonderful how a perfect stranger could feed me with his own generous hands.
I was very happy to visit Mecca before my trip. I prayed for my safety and it made me confident. I’m sure I will have the privilege to attend again some time but if not, I have fulfilled my deed and will never forget the experience.