The Hajj: Day One

The Hajj

By Far the Most Intense and Rewarding Journey of my Life!

Day One
Jeddah to Mina

We all have made journeys all over the world. We travel to exotic locations and visit new places. It all is exciting as we discover new people and cultures. Even though I knew I would be performing the Hajj this year, I certainly was not prepared to be affected so profoundly from undertaking what I would consider the world's most intense, most rewarding, and the most spiritual journey. By far, performing the Hajj has beaten all the other journeys I have undertaken in my life (I cannot even compare the Hajj to other travels!) I am not going to give you a blow by blow account of what the Hajj comprises of, but more of what my experiences and thoughts.

I did not know what to expect exactly on this journey as we set out to our meeting place in the old part of Jeddah. Many people had told me so many stories and experiences when they went to Hajj. A lot of it centered on the negative experiences they had, but I was prepared to go with a completely open mind and attitude, because to me this was to become a very personal journey.

As you all know, one has to be in a state of "ihram", which meant that I had to wear two pieces of unstitched cloth. One was wrapped around me like a sarong, and the other wrapped over my chest. I was allowed to perfume myself before I changed into this attire, and I was thankful because for the next three days, I would have to be in my "ihram."

There were four huge 60-seater buses waiting to take our group. Before boarding our bus, I bumped into a friend who went to school with my brother. We are family friends, and meeting him certainly made the beginning of the Hajj experience a great one. We left about two hours late, and drove towards the city of Makkah, through which we come to the city of Mina. We arrived there by 3am. All roads leading to this city were jam-packed, with 1000s of men and women walking towards their camp. I was so amazed to see every single man dressed in white, and many women in black. Just witnessing a huge sea of men and women in two colors walking towards their camp made me feel like as if I was a part of humanity.

Our camp was located on a hill, on which we had to walk up with our luggage. Just being there, with so many thousands of other pilgrims made this moment a very surreal one. Everyone else who is here is here for the same purpose as I: to seek forgivess from God and to seek nearness to Him.

By the time we settled into our tent, which was filled with 60 other men, I was mentally prepared for the next one week, during which I would be retracing the steps of the Prohet Muhammad (pbuh), and to perform the pilgrimage rites (which I will explain later). Right from the moment I had entered into the state of ihram, I began reciting the Arabic talbiya, which is translated as:

"I respond to You, O Lord, I respond, I respond- No partner is there to You, I respond.

All praise and favor is Yours, and sovreignty. There is no partner but You."

I was beginning to learn new things as I read the above phrase in Arabic over and over. I was already being made aware of what I could and could not do in the state of ihram. I realized that there are three kinds of Hajj, of which I was doing one. I was beginning this immense journey with a mind like that of a newborn baby. I was beginning to see my reason for doing this Hajj. It was no mistake that I was brought to Hajj by God this year. I just could not imagine what this awesome jorney would be like as I drifted off to sleep, saying in my heart over and over: All praise and favor is Yours, and sovreignty.

Mansur

PS. I am sorry I cannot get my pictures up since Flickr, and Photobucket are blocked in Saudi Arabia. I wish I could share my pictures with you since they would make you feel like you were right there with me on Hajj. My email is lifeofmansur@yahoo.com. Just email me and I will send you the pictures if you are interested.