"The Torch", The Student Newspaper of St. John's University;
March 25, 1999.

I remember stepping into a breathtakingly beautiful scene with incredible architecture and lighting; there were people of all backgrounds, all excited- and that was merely the Pilgrim's airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was extremely crowded as I waited with strong anticipation to begin my real journey. This was the summer of 1990, my Pilgrimage to the Holy sites of Islam. This Pilgrimage(Hajj) is obligatory for all Muslims who can afford to go, and are in good health.

The first stop of Hajj was Mecca, the Sacred City of the religion of Islam. It was an extraordinary sight to see as pilgrims, forming a sea of whitesheets (Ihram), made their way into the Sacred Mosque, Masjid Al-Haram to circle around the House of God, the Ka'bah. I could barely keep up with my father as I was swept into the crowd. I couldn't tell one person from the next and it was nearly impossible to figure out who was who. Finally, after struggling to hang onto my father's hand, he picked me up onto his shoulders as I saw the flood of 50,000 pilgrims below me. I had neverseen so many people in one place like that before. As I looked up, I sawthe surrounding Arabian hills and desert mountains, standing out clear inthe sun. I was in awe of this astounding sight. Despite the intense heatand amount of people, everyone concentrated on their prayers, not on their discomfort.

After Mecca, we went to Mina for an overnight stay. The next morning,we rode to Arafat in a bus with other people in our group. In unison, everyone recited supplications over and over again until we reached our destination. It didn't seem like much more than a big desert, but this was the singlemost importantevent of the Pilgrimage. I remember stepping off of the bus andlooking around atthe empty mountainous desert, not realizing the full importance of this day. There were over 2 million pilgrims around me, praying andlistening intently to a sermon given by a dignitary (Imam). By the end of the sermon, everyone was crying out to their Lord, seeking refuge in Him. I was confused at all of the weeping that went on about me. But I didnotice that there was not one adult not crying-whether they were male or female, rich or poor. No one was worried about how they looked infront of anyone else; all they cared about was how they looked in the eyes of God.

That same evening, we went on to Muzdalifah. There, I followed myfatheras he went to collect stones in preparation for the next event of Hajj. I watched as my father closely examined each stone. I looked around andsaw that everyone was doing the same. There were thousands and thousandsof people, all looking on the ground for the right sized stones. Afterwards, my mother, sister and I spent the night in close quarters in a tent with many other women. No one seemed to be bothered by the uncomfortable situation because it was thought to be a sacrifice one had to make for the sake of God.

The next day, everyone made their way back to Mina. In the center ofthe town were three huge pillars that represent Satan and the lesserdevils. The stones that were collected in Muzdalifah were to be thrown at these pillars as a symbol of the rejection of evil. Although it was extremely crowded, and hard to move around, everyone was fairly patient. Together, people threw their stones at the pillars; it was remarkable to see as everyone came together to reject Satan and his evil.

The last few days in Mecca were indescribable. By this time, the Ihram had been taken off, and each person wore his own clothing, showing off the diversity of the people of Islam. Now, it was no longer a sea of white sheets, but a sea of colors. Although the attire of the pilgrims had changed, the feelings inside them had not. The unity was still strong as ever as we said a tearful goodbye to the House of God and toallof our brothers and sisters in Islam. We left with our hearts pure and our minds full of wonder. To me, even at such a young age, it was an experience I will never forget. All men, rich and poor, of all colors, races, and creed, all wore the same white sheets, and said the same exact things, with the same feelings in their hearts and the same thoughts in their minds. It brought a feeling of strong unity to see that all human beings, no matter what their status in this world, are all on the same level when before God.