Hajj #2 (Should be post #1 already did #2)

Hi! My name is Aamir and I am 17 years old. Although I yet employed, my father works for Chevron corp. and we are of Middle-class social status. My family and I practice Islam. My mother is from Pakistan and my father is from Saudi Arabia – I was born in the US. Along with my family, I am taking a trip to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. There we will make our pilgrimage to Hajj – one of the required pillars of Islam. To get there we plan to travel by plane, where we will be taken to Riyadh, the nation’s capital, we have relatives living. From there we will begin our trip by car and travel across the country, eventually ending up in Mecca, where we will make our pilgrimage. Wish me luck! 

The Hajj: From Arghanistan to Mecca

Hello Journal it is me, Jabar. It seems like so long since I last wrote and I hope I am forgiven but you must understand it is dangerous for a boy my age, merely 17, and of my lowly, impoverished status to be seen writing so naturally. Where did I leave off? Oh yes, I had just finished the first part of my journey where I, a poor tanners son, was the only on to escape our village alive after it was caught in a storm of fire from those Soviet "helicopters" trying to drive the insurgents from hiding. Why where are my manners? I have forgotten to place the date. It is currently the 6th of Dhu al-Hijjah, only two days until the rituals of the Hajj are meant to begin. Now you must wonder why I am taking this most holy of pilgrimages all alone and that is for after the attack on my village, I was the sole survivor and the only place left I could turn was to Allah. However, I am not alone for several hundred most likely share similar stories of grief as mine. Though many of our ranks are saddened by our loses, other rejoice at their own gains. What a mixed crowed we are!

I have traversed the great distance from the western most border of Arghanistan, were the war is raging, all the way to holy Mecca, all for the Hajj. I had planned to make this journey anyway before but instead with my family. I plan to perform all parts of the Hajj, of course, for one cannot simply take part in some of it and neglect the other portions. My position in this world is half a day's walk from Mecca so I should arrive in good time. The journey was long and tiresome for these lands, though once more fertile, now mainly resemble barren wastelands.

Two days in the past, after traversing a portion of Saudi Arabia while trailing a much larger pilgrim group, I stumbled onto yet another camp. When I was first noticed some man thought I had come to beg and must have been furious before for he began to release his wrath upon me. Fortunately another, slightly older man with a long, black beard rushed and pulled the other off of me. The one who beat me must have surely respected or feared the other man for he, with a few harsh words, sent the beater off with his tail between his legs. My food fortune did not end there, no it did not, for my savior then offered me his hand, to stay with him and his wife, food, and for me to travel with them. This was more than I had ever wanted from this journey! So I have traveled with them for the past couple of days and they seem to be taking a liking to me, as I them. Maybe, just possibly, after the Hajj they might bring me back home with them. This plan Allah and fate set out for me was first ridden with grief but His children are never forgotten in the end. Now I look forward to the Hajj with a new joy rather than mourning.

Journey to Mecca Part 2

Hi! This is Farhah again, and right now I'm departing on a plane from my family's pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. That was quite a journey! This pilgrimage is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, or one of the five requirements listed for Muslims in the Koran. When my family arrived to Mecca, we had to change into plain, ceremonial clothing, which is referred to as "Ihram", or "state of purity". My mother, 23-year-old sister, Amira, and I changed into long white dresses and removed all of our jewelry.

The most memorable part of the pilgrimage was the Ka'bah, a sacred black stone enclosed in an open-roof monument that has 24 gates. The stone was very large and coated with silver.We believe that this stone was sent by Allah and touched by Prophet Muhammad and Abraham. As we passed by the rock, I reached out to touch it and felt its cool, smooth surface. A special feeling stirred inside me, something that I've never felt before. This was truly a moment that I will remember forever.

Along the journey, we stopped at many other holy Islamic sites, including the Mount of Mercy and Sacred Mosque of Mecca. I met many people from various countries, including Iran, Syria, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Iraq. This has truly been an unforgettable journey on the Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca.

Journey to Mecca Part 1

Hello. My name is Farhah, and I am a 17-year-old girl from New York City. Before I was born, my parents moved here from Iran. Sometimes it is difficult for an Iranian-American to fit in at a large public high school, but I hope that my Muslim faith and heritage will never be lost. I wear the Hijab, a veil that covers my hair and shows modesty and reverence to Allah. This gives me a since of identity and faith. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for my mother, father, 23-year-old sister, Amira, and me. We will be traveling to Mecca, a holy city in Saudi Arabia, to complete the Hajj Pilgrimage, which is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. We often travel by airplane to visit some of my relatives in Michigan, but never as far as to Saudi Arabia. I am exited, but a little nervous too. Most Muslims make this journey only once in their lifetime. We will be visiting many different holy sites, such as the Sacred Black Stone located in the eastern corner of the Ka'bah monument. The stone is considered to us to be very sacred, and we believe it was sent by Allah and touched by Prophet Muhammad and Abraham. I hope to make the most of this special pilgrimage, and am looking forward to tomorrow!

Shareff's 2nd blog post

Hey, Maliek here again. The past month has been fantastic. After a long week of packing I left to my mothers on December 9th. Are bus was planned to leave the next morning at 11. The best part of arriving a day earlier was that I got to eat my mothers famous dinners. It had been so long since i ate her food. That next day we took a hour long bus ride to Mecca. (the bus we took that had no air conditioning, on the right).Upon my arrival i noticed the problem with the huge crowds of people. There was a lot of riot police stationed all around so that should hopefully keep me from being trampled or killed in a riot. I visited the town mosques five times a day and prayed. I circled the Kaaba 7 times counter-clockwise, but in the end I made my way to the Kaaba and placed my palm on it. It was so exiting i had the biggest adrenaline rush. Due to my mothers old age we left a little bit late and the crowds beat us to Arafat, the place where Muhammad performed his last sermon to the people before he died. We also got to stone the pillar that is supposed to represent Satan and God’s struggle. The riot police over reacted and shot a man down because they thought he was throwing a grenade, he was eating a pear. The funniest thing occurred was when i arrived to Mina, I saw a Friend I had not seen since freshman year. He had not changed a bit. We then left the city and took a bus back to my mothers. I spent another 2 days there and flew back to my home. Golly it was a awesome experience

Blog Post 1- Shareffes trip to Mecca

Hello I am Maliek Shareff Nadar and i am a 36 year old muslim that now lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I live in an apartment with my old frat buddy Paul. (Our apartment, its kind of messy because only two guys live there.)
Paul and I are both sucssesful poker players. We are the 3rd and 4th best in all of Saudi Arabia.
In the past 3 years I have ecumulated enough money to send my mother and I to Mecca. My sponsor "Card Shark" says that because this is a religous pilgramage I wont be dropped and will still receive my sponsorship paycheck. I will fly to my mothers in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, then we will leave on December 10th, we will hopefully bus to Mecca which is 45 miles away. I am dieing to to see the most important holy building for my people, the Dome of the Rock. (Paul took the picture on the left when he traveled to Mecca last year.)
My mother and I also plan on seeing mosques the Madinah, birthplace of Muhammad, the Mount of Mercy, and finally the small town of Mina. This will not only fulfill some of my duties of being a muslim but also make for a very good vacation.

Hajj

Hi! It’s Aamir, once again. Saudi Arabia was truly an incredible experience. I have traveled with family through cities Riyadh, Medina, Yanbu al Bar, Jeddah and Mecca. Our trip took place at around 1995, after the war in Kuwait, ending after the 12^th month of the Islamic calendar, around December. I have re-united with many family members, and met some of which I have never seen before. Some places we saw were the King’s fountain in Jeddah, the holy mosque Masjid an-Nabi in Medina, Riyadh (the country’s capital) and the holy city of Mecca.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the trip was the government aspect. Saudi Arabia’s government is a monarchy, currently ruled by King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. Monarchs rule many countries in the Middle East, which is rare nowadays from a Western standpoint. Scattered amongst the countryside of Saudi Arabia are oil fields, which is a prime resource to the country’s economy.

The trip itself was fantastic. Although we traveled from city to city, I prayed to Mecca five times a day, and I always will as long as Allah is with me!