Islam means acknowledging the Oneness of God, surrendering to it, and co-existing with the way things are. Being a Muslim, God is as near as our jugular vein. During the Haj each year, millions of the faithful come to Makkah and the other holy sites. The men and women wear simple lengths of unstitched cloth which are largely symbolic: The person who wears them undertakes, among other prohibitions, not to harm plants and animals or fellow pilgrims. No arguments, no violence. All agree to keep the peace. The garments are a great leveler too. Who can tell the rich from the poor? These views were expressed by a section of pilgrims Saudi Gazette talked to. These pilgrims live as Muslim minorities in predominantly non-Muslim countries like China, Russia, Holland, France, Thailand, the Maldives, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Argentina. Roland Boon, 33, who is performing Haj for the first time has come from Rotterdam in Holland. “The Haj is one of the pillars of Islam. I have to follow the rules and it is a way for me to be close to Allah and to my brothers. It has been my dream to be here ever since I accepted Islam five years ago,” Boon said. “Arafat was a special scene for me as I have prayed to Allah to grant me a good life,” he said. Boon is married and has a Muslim wife and children. This is the first time that he has been away from his family for over a week. “I have been here for more than a week. I was not able to call my family from Arafat. When I talked to them yesterday, I told them about the wonderful experience of the Haj,” he said. His children wanted him to take some photos of the holy sites. “I took some photos and made some videos too to show them. My wife sounded eager to know all the details of my stay in Arafat and Muzdalifa.” The multitude of men in white seamless clothes clearly fascinated Boon. “The crowd here is really amazing, and I think it is something that you cannot describe in words,” he said. This is the occasion for showing the world, he said, that Muslims love peace and want to live in harmony.” I hope that all Muslims can live in peace forgetting about the many divisions among them.” For Rawin Kunkongkaphan, 50, from Bangkok in Thailand, Haj is the largest religious congregation on earth with close to three million people gathered at one place. “Haj is an amazing event if you look at different people coming from different parts of the world. When they put on Iharm they all become brothers.” Watching the sea of humanity at Arafat and Muzdalifa” was really a great experience. To see this huge number in one place staying for a short time was amazing.” The arrangements were simply superb,” he added. Kunkongkaphan's family is used to having him away for long periods of time for his business, but this time he has been away from them for over a month, and he is missing them all. “But I try to engage myself in supplications and prayers. My family is very happy as they know that I am here to pray for them.” Kunkongkaphan wants to come for Haj again along with his whole family. “We have been here for Umrah but not for Haj. Next time we shall all be here, God willing,” he said. He has always hoped for unity among the Muslim ranks. The Haj, he said, encourages all Muslims to forge unity and strive for world peace,” he said. The unity of Muslims is something that Costa Dominique, 32, from Paris also longs for. Dominique, who embraced Islam nine years ago, is here for his first Haj. “I think Haj is an act of great worship representing the Oneness of Almighty Allah. It is the largest conference of Muslims on earth.” A meeting with a Saudi scholar will always be etched in Dominique's memory. “The image that will be in my mind forever is when I met the Saudi scholar, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Aqeel. He explained many things about Haj and Muslims,” he said. Back home, Dominique wants to share every bit of his journey with his family. “I will tell them the whole story especially the days I spent in Mina after coming back from Arafat.” Dominique was so engrossed in his supplications and prayers that he totally forgot to call his family in France. “It was a great pleasure for me to be in Mina and Arafat and this made me forget to call my family in France. I want to live here forever,” he said. Unity of Muslims is what he is longing for. “I hope that all Muslims stick to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and I wish to see the Ummah as one body,” he said. The feelings of Ahmed Musa, 52, from Argentina are no different from other Muslims performing Haj this year.” Allah Almighty gave me a chance to perform Haj, and I am grateful to Him for this,” he said. “I pray to Allah to accept my deeds.” He said he would remember the congregation at holy sites all through his life. In his prayers, he said, he remembered all his family members and even those who have departed from this world. “I feel that I am a new born person. I will try to make my life better, and I will tell my family about my journey to try to make them feel the spirit of Haj.” Musa hopes that Muslims progress with the message of Islam to help humanity.” The most important thing that everyone can do is to change the image of Islam to present it as a religion of love and peace,” he said.Abdullah Rasheed, who is here from the Maldives, said Haj is a great event for Muslims to live in joy and happiness with others.” People coming from all parts of the world for the obedience of Allah praying Him for forgiveness is really an unforgettable thing,” he said. Rasheed spends months away from his family due to his official duties, but the time he is spending in the holy sites is “of great value.” “Presence in the holy sites has made me cry all the time. Who knows whether I can come here again or not,” he said. He has performed Haj with his family earlier. “My family knows what is going on, but the only thing that I can tell them now is about the great development in the holy sites and the services offered by the Saudi government.” Like all pilgrims Saudi Gazette spoke to, unity of Muslims is paramount in Rasheed's scheme of things. “I wish the Muslim Ummah a united future and great achievements in science and technology,” he said. Isack Aly Amade from Mozambique was at a loss for words to describe his feelings of Haj. “I cannot describe what I got from this journey to Al-Haj but I have learnt one thing, if Muslims want to attain something, they will do it.” The standing in Arafat made him think of the Judgment Day “when all souls will be answerable for their deeds.” Ever since he set foot on the soil of Saudi Arabia, he has been calling his family almost daily to narrate to them his experiences. “I will tell the complete story of Al-Haj when I go back home after two weeks,” he said. “I hope to see young Muslims coming for Al-Haj, and I ask all Muslim youths to come to do the Haj because they are the base of this religion,” he saidRussian pilgrim Damir Akhmetov, 23, thanked Allah for selecting him from among the millions of Russian Muslims to perform Haj this year.” I used to see the Holy Ka'ba on the TV screen, but the first time I saw it for real, I cried. It was a great thing to see Muslims circle around it.” Even though Akhmetov misses his family, he does not have regrets. “I cannot describe my feelings while being away from my family. But to be in Makkah is so special that it makes you forget everything,” he said. “My parents failed to join Al-Haj journey in previous years, but I will tell them about everything and rekindle the longing in them to make the journey as soon as possible,” he said. Islam is a great religion, he said adding that it is the duty of every Muslim to recapture its pristine glory.” I hope that Muslims return to the right path and create a united Ummah to achieve victory for this great religion,” he said. For Ethiopian pilgrim Muhammed Abdul Salam, 26, the Haj is “a global conference unifying Muslims. When people are in Ihram there is no difference between them. All are equal before Allah.” He says he will remember Al-Jamrat forever. “I cannot describe my feelings when I was pelting the Jamrat,” he said. From Mina he called his family and friends to tell them about his experiences in the holy sites. “I called my family and all my friends and I was proud to tell them that I am in Mina and Arafat. I was like a man with a crown.” He said “stories of Haj cannot be told in one night, but I will tell it in many parts to make the family experience what I have felt during the Haj.” He said Muslims should work together to make their religion stronger and stronger. Chinese pilgrim Maldong Xiang, 75, feels indebted to Allah for making his dream of performing Haj come true.” The image that I will remember during the rest of my life is the huge number of pilgrims in Mina and Arafat. I hope I can come here one more time,” he said. Next time he wants to come for Haj along with his whole family. “I hope that I have enough energy to bring my family next year to do Al-Haj. I know it was difficult for me to get to Makkah, and it will not be easy for them either.” The disunity in Muslim ranks makes him sad. “I hope to see Muslims live in peace and harmony,” he said. For Dutch pilgrim Bashir Taha, 28, Haj is a religious experience which enables one to be aware of the greatness and Oneness of Allah. “Seeing millions of people coming to attain only one goal is a thing that I will not forget as long as I live,” he said. Taha came from Amsterdam to Greece then to Saudi Arabia. It was a long journey. “I was happy to tell my Dutch wife all the details,” he said. “When I go back home and my family learns that I have prayed for them in Arafat, they will be so happy.”
