Sure Travel Journey Vol 4.4 Spring 2018 | Page 41

© KAMALDIEN
punctuated with a few pauses as the
pathway narrowed due to inhibiting rock
formations or overcrowding. I would wait
patiently for some pilgrims to pass but
also learnt when to take the chance to
make headway instead of spending an
eternity trying to remain patient.
There was no pushing or elbowing or
even a nasty side-eye from other pilgrims
though, as we all wanted to find a place
under the scorching Arabian sun.
Eventually I found a standing spot to get
a bird’s eye view of the masses gathered
all over the hill and beyond.
I looked around and saw women
dressed in green dresses and scarves,
holding their infant children, alongside
men shedding tears while raising their
hands to the heavens. They were deep in
which Muslims are meant to pray five
times daily, when we saw pilgrims loudly
chanting prayers.
The chanting came forth in a robotic
manner, clearly devoid of much
connection to the words, repeated after
what seemed to be a leader chanting even
louder. “We don’t need to shout when we
pray,” said Saud. “God can hear the secrets
of our hearts.”
While on Jabal Rahmah, I also thought
of Prophet Muhammad, who had delivered
his farewell sermon at this site while
performing the hajj towards the end
of his life. I thought about his words,
which reminds us that we are all like one
body and if one part of the body hurts
we should all feel that pain – and do
something about it.
© AYOB/SHUTTERSTOCK
Left: The holy hillside of Jabal Rahmah. Above: Mecca’s grand mosque.
“
Saud, a friend
from Mecca who
helped me on the hajj,
once told me there
was no need to shout
when praying.‘God
can hear the secrets
of our hearts.’
prayer, communicating from the heart.
Some pilgrims sat on rocks protruding
from the hill. Others were pulling prayer
beads on a string or reciting verses from
Arabic booklets. Many had umbrellas and
used water to cool down their faces.
I stood overlooking the crowd for a
while and then started praying a bit too.
You can basically pray in any language you
want because God understands them all.
Saud, a friend from Mecca who helped
me on the hajj, once told me there was
no need to shout when praying. We were
walking around the Kaabah, the black
cube in Mecca’s grand mosque towards
I knew that I was part of something
bigger, it was visibly clear with this massive
crowd all around me. That really was the
beauty of the hajj, feeling connected to
something bigger than our little lives.
Making my way through literally thousands
of people to climb that hill was the same
on the way down.
As I reached the foot of the hill, I
looked back, took out my camera and
made sure I captured a moment. It was an
afternoon well spent, in the company of
pilgrims, seeking spiritual enlightenment
on a trip often referred to as one’s
return to God.
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 41
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