My Visit To Mecca

The rays of the sun were glaring through the dry wind, and the bare ground was melting under the sun. Even though I did not have the adequate knowledge to apprehend what the degree Celsius was, I could definitely feel how hot the weather was, a hot desert climate. It was the first time in my life that I was traveling to Mecca. Mecca was –and still is- known as Umm al-Qura, the Mother of Cities, and the holiest place in the Islamic world. It is the birthplace of Muhammad the Prophet (PBUH), and it is the city in which the Ka’aba, the cube-shaped structure that is considered the holiest shrine in Islam, awaits Muslim pilgrims.

Prior to that trip, I had not encountered any Muslim other than Iranians, and I was curious to see how totally different

The reason is that there is an area of several miles around the city of Mecca that is considered “haram” (restricted), which means that non-Muslims are not allowed to enter this sacred area. Afterward, by seeing different people from different part of the world in the mosque, I learned that the purpose of Hajj is not merely worshipping God around a giant cube-shaped structure since God is everywhere and does not need to be worshiped in a particular place. However, as Muhammad the Prophet (PBUH) mentioned, the purpose of this particular trip for Muslims is to gather and to consult with each other in order to find a solution for their problems. Hajj is not only useful socially, but it is also useful economically and politically. It consolidates the Muslims’ unity and makes them feel much closer together and equal with each

It was there that I realized that regardless of ethnicity, wealth and morality everyone was equal, and that is the purpose of wearing the same clothes, which conceal those factors that make us different.

After completing the process of Hajj when we could eventually take out the white clothes and could don our clothes, I went out of our hotel with my uncle, who is only eight years older than me, to know more about Arabic culture am. By going around the city, it was clear that Arabs do not ride on camels, they were not uncivilized, and not surprisingly, they did not eat lizards. In fact, they are friendly, and after being in Mecca for two weeks, I found many friends including two police officers of the mosque.

Now that I live in Canada, I can see what differences may religions cause and how lifestyles are influenced by the variety of religions. Although Canada is a multicultural country and different people with different religions live in Canada, I can differentiate its prominent secular lifestyle from the spiritual cultures that I encountered during my memorable pilgrimage to