( pages from my diary during my first visit to Mecca to perform Umrah )
The pilgrimage to visit the Holy Kabba in Mecca and the sight of the Holy Kabba for the first time is an experience which is quite surreal is so sublime maybe euphoric or maybe it's such a unique feeling which cannot be described in words.
I have travelled all over the world visited many Holy sites and popular destinations from the Vatican in Rome , ancient ruins at Machu Pichu to the Egyptian Pyramids to visiting beautiful mosques around the world, huge metropolis in North America and Europe which are popular tourist attractions and also mega theme parks which are spread on acres but what I saw yesterday the big roaring sea of people was huge , everyone trying to get inside the door of Masjid El Haram .I simply can't explain it in words. I have seen large crowds of super excited fans standing in line for hours to get in a football or cricket stadium but that excitement is no match to the excitement of the millions of people enter the" Masjid e Haram "to see a glimpse of the house of Allah .
For a moment I felt extremely proud of my religion that I was born in a Muslim family and that how we Muslims young and old , rich or poor travel from all over the world to catch a glimpse of the Holy Kabba and pray there .It reflects our love for our creator and our protector , Subhan Allah .......
How we all dressed in the same outfit performs Hajj or umrah ......
During the first half of my tawaf my eyes were glued to Kabba I was praying and was looking at the Magnificat Black cube .For sometime I just forgot about my family next to me it was just me and my Allah , I prayed for my kids and my family and friends for a bright future for my children and a righteous life for me . Peace around the world .
Towards the end of the tawaf and at the end of namaz I witnessed some very touching gestures around me . I saw sons holding hands of old parents and helping them do their tawaf . I saw a tall Arab Sheikh making way near the exit for few people from Africa who were stuck in the long lines for hours. I saw a modern lady wearing Gucci sunglasses and holding a designer hand bag holding and playing with a tiny infant who had numerous holes and patches in his worn out dress till the baby "s mom completes her namaz .
I was proud again , wow those are the teachings of Islam and our Prophet . We are all equal in the eyes of Allah ." No Arabi is better than a Ajami or vice versa ".Wealth and status do not define us only our good deeds and bad deeds make us superior or inferior to each other .
The entire duration of my umrah made me proud of being a Muslim and a servant of Allah who was busy praying for her family, friends and community .
After I returned that night to my hotel I thought if we Muslims can follow teachings of the Quran and sunnah during Hajj or Umrah , why can't we follow them every day . Why " our world " is divided on the basis "
socio economic standards , wealth and our attire ", why we feel proud to hang out with people who are expensively dresses , carry designer hand bags and speak "fluent English", why a domestic servant who prays five times and who shows great respect for others is just yelled and screamed at by his employers while CEO of a multinational company who gambles , drinks and take bribes is given great respect by everyone around him even those who know about his bad deeds ,why a girl dressed in a burqa is considered backward and uneducated compared to a girl wearing designer dress ?why a rich business tycoon doing illegal business dealings is the talk of town rather than a honest government employee who lives very modestly with his family in the slums of a big city ?why children don't visit their old ailing parents ?why do we have so many standards and so many class systems .Why?cant we demonstrate gestures of caring and affection every day every minute in our every day lives ...........
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