Getting to know the House and of Makkah

Masjidil Haram, Jan 2010.

The Prophet (s.a.w) said, “ God most High has promised this House that six hundred thousand persons will make a pilgrimage to it every year; and if the pilgrims are short of that number, God most High will complete their number with the angels. And (He has promised) that the Ka’abah wil be crowded about, like a bride in procession, while all the pilgrims cling to its curtains and run about it until it enters Paradise and they along with it.”

Whoever has done the Hajj or even the lesser pilgrimage is never in the know whether their prayers have been accepted by God. I also read that as preparation for our visit, we should study and anticipate the longing to travel to Makkah. Infatuate even, just as we do with our lovers. Every little detail about them makes our heart beat faster, and so should every thought of the House of our Lord, in faraway Makkah.

Bir-Ali, Jan 2010.

After 300 km of barren roads from Madinah, we have finally arrived at our Miqat destination, the Bir-Ali. There the men would have to start wearing their ihram, but my dad and brother donned it from the hotel. Easier for them to adjust and get used to.

The open courtyard outside the mosque.

Bir-Ali boasts a large open yard with a beautifully green and cool garden area. The toilets are clean and the guards less offensive. We did the sunnat prayers there and I was approached by a group of arab girls, bravely saying , “ I want your camera.” I did a 180 – I had a fear of guards in mosques. Then the girl corrected herself quickly, “I want you to take my photograph,” and ran off. But not before I stole their picture with my Diana F+.

Source : Al-Ghazali, The Secrets of Pilgrimage.