My Journey to Haj

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I still remember the most amazing trip of my life; it was two weeks with my parents in Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj (Pilgrimage), at that time we were still living in Kuwait. Hajj is the fifth of five obligatory pillars in Islam (1). To many Muslims, Hajj is like confession and opportunity for seeking God’s forgiveness and repentance. The Prophet Mohamed, peace be upon him, said, “Whoever had preformed Hajj with sincere intention, his sins will be forgiven and paradise will be his best reward”. Hajj is a mandatory ritual for Muslim adults not children, since one’s accountability begins at the age of puberty according to Islam. Fortunately, my parents decided to take me with them to this great journey even though I was still 9 years old. Going to Hajj is considered to be a great blessing for any devoted Muslim. It is like fulfilling a life dream. Traditionally, new pilgrims receive prayers of blessing and wishes for a safe return from an accepted Hajj (2), from their friends and relatives prior to their Hajj trip. I remember how crowded our apartment was at the night before our trip. Everyone I knew came to say goodbye and wish us a happy blessed Hajj. On the first day of our trip, we flew from Kuwait to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. In Jeddah we met some of my parents’ old friends and relatives. We also spent a good amount of time preparing for the next day, the first day of Hajj. The next day, early in the morning, we rode the designated bus that was assigned by our travel agent, to get to Mecca. This trip was not long, maybe an hour or a little more, but an interesting ride. It was so because I got to experience something that I would have not done elsewhere nor at any other time, which is making “IHRAM”. At the first day of Hajj, we had to make “IHRAM” (3), the stage where one becomes officially a pilgrim. We had to stop by one of the designated rest areas,
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