The fifth Pillar of Islam is making the Hajj – that is to say, travelling to Mecca during Eid Al Adha (the feast of the sacrifice) in just over 10 weeks from now. Every Muslim who is physically and financially able to make the trip is compelled to do so at least once in their lifetime. A friend from Al Ain tells me that in the old days when the only form of transport available was a camel, people would take a year to travel from Al Ain to Mecca and back over the most inhospitable of terrain; sometimes they would perish on the journey. Nowadays plane travel has made the journey somewhat easier but with millions of people attending Hajj, permits must be applied for and travel arranged well in advance.
Today’s mosque can be found if you wander through Muttrah Souq in Oman.
Wishing all our Muslim friends “Ramadan Kareem”. May this Holy Month be a blessed one for you and your families.
Read my complete “Ramadan Series” of blogs by clicking here.