A Few Words About the Pilgrimage to Mecca - the Haj

Day 377 – today was our very last segment of Islam, and we are all sad about that. the instructor is absolutely amazing and we all feel privileged to be in his class. We learned today about the Haj – the pilgrimage that each Sunni Muslim has to perform at least once in their lifetime. we talked about the details of what they have to do in each station, because it is not only to go to Mecca, but the more interesting thing was to think about the huge task that befalls on the Saudi government every year. To host over 4 million people for one month and to take care of everything. Just think about the logistics – 4 million people coming in for the Haj in a matter of a few days. – flights, border control. And then shuttle them to the holly place. Take care of food for 4 million people for 30 days, a place to sleep (and they move every day from one place to the next so it means to change sheets and wash 4 million sheets and covers and pillow covers and towels... water for all these people and it is a dessert so a lot of water; removal of trash; first aid; each one of them has to scarify a lamb so they have to get all the animals from abroad, and bring them to the right place, and then slaughter them all and since they are not to be eaten by the pilgrims, they are donated to poor Muslim countries so all has to be frozen on site and them shipped abroad; keep the places clean, just think of the amount of trash. there are about 2-3 service people for each pilgrim, and they all have to be housed, fed…  I saw pictures of the millions in that huge plaza around the Kaaba, I never thought what all this entails. Hats off to the Saudi kingdom for hosting this event every year, in such a way for so many years.

    

I am thankful for one more lesson about the mysteries of Sunni Islam. It’s a religion we in the west learned to fear and to hate. But after 15 hours of lecture I gained a serious appreciation to the depth and the richness of this culture, to all the progress it brought to the world. I am thankful I had the opportunity to learn from the best and be a little less ignorant. I told one of my friends today as we learn more I realize how little do I know about anything. With the things I don’t know we can fill few oceans. I am thankful that this ocean is now missing few drops.