Just returned from a weekend trip to Mecca and came back with some interesting discoveries as well as some nice pics.
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I didn't notice it until this last trip, but people are constantly taking pictures with their phone cameras. I remember back when I performed my first Hajj in 2001, cameras were strictly prohibited in the Haram. Some people would sneak in their small disposable cameras and steal some photos when no one was around (I remember hearing stories about some people getting their cameras taken away).
But with the ubiquitous cellphone camera, the Haram authorities have basically given up. So now you'll see people unabashedly taking pictures from every corner of the Haram. In that spirit, here's my Nokia 6300-sponsored picture of the Ka'bah:
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Its low season here, meaning that Umrah visas aren't currently being issued to overseas pilgrims. So there's a lot less of a crowd, which is quite nice. The sparse crowd allowed the kids to get all the way up to the Ka'bah. However, there are Saudi mutawaa (religious police) stationed at each wall constantly keeping the flow of the people moving. Fortunately, as he was shooing away some other folks, I was able to quickly snap this picture of the kids:
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The construction to expand the Masa'a (the place where Sae'e is performed between Safa and Marwa) is simply amazing. I knew they were expanding it horizontally to widen it, but I failed to realize that they're even adding another level!
They recently opened up the new ground floor and the level on top, while closing the entire three floors of the old Masa'a. They're destroying the old structure so they can reconstruct it with an additional fourth level.
And can someone NOT from America please explain to me how the rest of the world numbers the floors in a building?? In America, the ground floor is referred to as the first floor, the floor on top is the second floor, and so on. Here in Saudi, the ground floor is called the ground floor, the next floor up is the first floor and so on. This has caused me and my family SO much confusion.
So, I would like to know if America is in fact the Great Retard and has it backwards (like how they're the only nation that uses pounds, gallons, and miles) or is it just the Saudis who have it all screwed up?
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More than a year ago, I was blessed to perform Umrah with Sh Zulfiqar Ahmed. Before we began, he pointed out the exact location where the Prophet (saw) was sleeping when Angel Jibreel (as) took him for the famous Night Journey (Isra and Miraj).
According to Sh. Zulfiqar, the Prophet (saw) was sleeping in between the two pillars (of course those pillars weren't there at the time). He also showed us a nearby pillar which was built on the spot where Jibreel tied al-Buraq (the winged horse). The Ottomans had painted that pillar with a special red paint, but when the Saudis came, they painted over it with a gray marble color. We actually noticed how some of the red paint was still visible at the foot of the pillar. Sadly, when I went looking for that pillar this time around, I couldn't tell which one it was – they seem to have covered up the remnants of red paint. Too bad.
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I discovered that I'm really disgusted by the Abraj al-Bait towers. At first, I didn't mind the looming complex that dwarfed all its neighboring hotels. I didn't even mind the fact that its super-mall was being built right outside the Haram. But sitting in front of the Ka'bah, I noticed just how great a distraction these building have become to the once serene skyline. How unbelievably awkward!
And yes, I am bothered that a western style mall is coming to the Haram sanctuary. I understand that Mecca has always been a business center, especially during the peak seasons of Ramadan and Hajj. I realize that many people come to Mecca for the purpose of trade. Countless pilgrims buy scarves, kufis, and other trinkets to remind them and their loved ones of their blessed visit. But who in the world needs to shop at Gap, Pumpkin Patch, and Louis Vetton when coming to the house of Allah?
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I discovered that while the thin crowd is nice and all, the pleasure of seeing the clusters of Turks, Persians, Indonesians, Nigerians, and Indians is sorely missed. But on the bright side, the lack of distraction afforded me the chance to focus on the Ka'bah and I discovered that it can talk – and what it said to me was quite harsh (fodder for a future post).
28 comments:
assalmaualaykum
its just u americans :P
In england its Ground, then first and onwards ...
Those towers look so ugly, they were still quite short when I went about 2 years ago (The heart is yearning to return!)
They've totally spoilt it though it looks awful!
Asalaamu alaikum.
Thank you so much for sharing these pics and commentary. I was laughing and nodding my head in agreement to so much of what you say, though I've never been there (I for one have no desire to shop at The Gap when I do make it there for Hajj, inshaAllah). And I'm looking forward to hearing what the Kaba had to tell you, if you share, as I'm sure it's what most of us need to hear. May we all make it to the Blessed place in this life, inshaAllah.
Wish I had sneaked a few pictures when I had the chance.
So, if the Masaa' is being torn down, where did you do the Sa'i?
I wonder how they will build it up again.
There was something nice about leaving the remnants of the hills of Safa and Marwa inside the building in the early 1980's.
By the 90's there was only a small patch of 'hill' about 2 x 4 metres wide (I may be inaccurate on the exact dimensions)at Marwa, and whether it was because of millions and millions of Hajis' feet going over it or some other factor, it was worn quite smooth. Of course it got terribly crowded during Ramadhan and Hajj season.
I remember all throughout the late 80's and early 90's, every time we went to Makkah, we would need to take a different route in the city because of the construction activity, and the Haram would look slightly different each time.
It must be very different now.
But the Kaabah and mutaaf are still the same :). And the mutawaa's.
Yes, it is just you Americans.
actualy i live in amreeeeka..and in my apartment building..the ground floor is called the ground floor..maybe thats cuz its the basement..and then the ground LEVEL floor is the first floor.
however..yeh if u walk into a normal building..the first level is the first level.
Salam Aleikoum from France,
Well, I guess it's just you Americans lol here in France it's like in Great Britain and Saudi Arabia and probably like the rest of the world.
By the way I really like your blog it's so interesting machallah, really, keep up the good work.
Salam
Salaam Naeem,
Really enjoyed this post.
I too liked the small parts of safa and marwa that were left in the 80s. I also got to see the well in the men's wadu section when I was a child.
Inshallah tomorrow my sister will be in haram. May Allah accept her umrah. She often sends us pictures. I am so yearning to offer my sujood in haram that I have recurrent dreams that I am praying right next to the kaaba. Inshallah soon.
I would really like to go for umra. It offers excellent chances for communication with Allah.
Assalaamu alaikum,
Masha'Allah really loved this post and your photos. Missed out on being able to make umra these school hols... hope it is still faily quiet in April if we can go then... insha'Allah.
asalaam alaikum warahmat Allah wabarkatu: i'm totally with you about just about everything in this post, subhanAllah. i remember a few months ago when the stores were opening up and we walked through to get the kids something to eat, i was really upset due to a particular store displaying unmodest clothing for women..
the view of these towers is another potential distractor..
i couldnt help but laugh about the whole elevator what floor am i on comment..because although been here for a year i'm still confused!
as far as sayee we were there about almost 2 weeks ago and there was only one entrance/exit open..and to get to it after completion of sayee we had to do almost 8 full runs instead of 7 to exit..plus we usually use w/cs with the kids for this but didnt know where they were..so my husband took 3 of them to get shaved and i took my 8 yr. old daughter to continue..
inshaAllah it will be better next time..
one question though..are cameras now officially allowed? there are sneaky pilgrims taking those pics..but if its legal ill have to bring my camera next time too!
you can forget this altogether here at Masjid an-Nabawi..NO way a woman can get it with a mobile/cam phone. but ironically, restrictions are much more here than in Makkah at the haram anyway..
jazakAllah kheir for sharing..
As-salaamu Alaikum
Not all Americans are so wacky, I know of several buildings which are ground floor, then first floor and so on. In fact, most of the buildings on my school campus are that way. I can't off-hand think of any that aren't.
Jazakallah khair for posting the pictures, Naeem.
AA- All!
So its official (no matter what proof Amy provides...btw, you're voted off the island for trying to provide counter-evidence to my rant), American is no more the Great Satan, but is now the Great Retard! As if we needed more proof, especially after America RE-elected Bush!
Why do we Americans insist on always bucking the universally agreed upon way and creating our own system?!
AA-
@RadiantLight, and they haven't even built up the supertall tower in between the two towers which will rank among the top five in the world!
@Aaminah, Your welcome and I'm working on a post on my conversation with the Kabah. Ameen to your dua'a!
@Mummyjaan, "So, if the Masaa' is being torn down, where did you do the Sa'i?" Sorry if I wasn't clear, but the new Masaa' has their first two floors open that are large enough for the small crowds. One of the pics shows an entrance covered with blue tarp that leads to the ground floor of the new Masaa'
@Misfit, "Yes, it is just you Americans." Ouch, coming from someone named Misfit, that's double painful. :-)
@Anon, you see, that's a fine system *as long as* you never travel outside the US. But once ur overseas, getting or giving directions gets a bit hairy...
@Mouna, Welcome! Como se vas? (my daughter's learning French, so now I'm bilingual) And thanks for confirming our American backwardness!
@Suroor, "I am so yearning to offer my sujood in haram that I have recurrent dreams that I am praying right next to the kaaba" Sprite had this ad campaign where the tagline was 'Obey your thirst' - why am I telling you? Cause my advice to you is 'Obey your inner calling'! I pray you are able to make it to Allah's house.
@Umm Ibrahim, Ahhh too bad...I hope and pray that you all can make it sooner than later!
@Suhaa, check out the wiki page on the mecca towers (link above in my reply to Radiant Light)...its monstrous!
And thankfully we stopped using the wheelchair a year ago when the kids were old enough to walk. It saved me the headache of getting and returning it!
About the cameras, I can't say if its official, but its SO widespread and used so openly that no one stops people from taking pics.
And you are correct about Madina being much more stricter. My 9yr daughter has even gotten turned off by the numerous confrontations with the Madina female mutawaa that she doesn't want to return. Very sad.
@Amy, funny, but I never recall seeing that numbering system in the more civilized NorthEast. Must be a down south anomaly. ;-)
BismillaharRahmanirRahim
as-salaamu 'alaikum. brnaeem, the item concerning the floors is a good point and as radiant light suggested merely a difference between British and American naming conventions.
This is why America would alternately use the two. Usually older American buildings utilize the older British naming conventions while the new buildings use the American style.
One perfect example is the hospital which I work. In one part of the building remains the original foundation and construction with minor improvements here and there. This part of the building, built in 1902, utilizes the British style of naming floors, while the other side of the building was completely demolished in 2005 and rebuilt using the American style. So within one building you find two different naming conventions between the older west wing and the new eastern wing.
My assumption is that the West wing will one day be demolished and rebuilt also to mirror the newer Eastern wing. So perhaps the reason the Saudis use "ground" in the naming conventions is because of their historic relationship to Britain.
-Saifuddin
Actually, to quibble with Saifuddin a little... ;) It's not just the British that name the first floor the ground level; actually, that tends to be a European convention. When I was in Switzerland, the same naming convention applied there. OTOH, the Saudis may or may not have used that particular method due to British/European influence. Singapore and Malaysia, both British colonies until the late 50s, both follow the American convention of floor naming. (You'll also find 13th floors here; although many Singaporeans tend to be very superstitious, that particular bogey is completely ignored here.)
BTW, great pics. I loved that first photo of the Kaaba.
well, it seems that only the usa uses a different system to count floors. in brasil, taiwan and china is the same as saudi and europe and so on...
beautiful pics!
boy that looks nasty!
Reminds me of the big ben in saudi!
All that concrete can't possibly help foster a deep spiritual experience. HATE IT!
~Sahra
ps: Naeem, Americans need to buck the system because we're "blue-blooded" and "My God is stronger than your God" and "the white man is superior in looks and intellect to the black man" (that's not an EXACT quote from Thomas Jefferson's diary). DUH!
~Sahra
assalamualikum,
jazakAllah kaseeran for these pictures.
Especailly,of the blessed place,between the two pillars.
thank u so so much.
umm s
I am soo envious! I was raised in saudi...called it my home...went for umrah every march break. So when I go back after 5 years abroad..and do umrah...and tryyy and take a picture of the wonderous pillars and carvings..I get kicked by a lady mutAwa and told to leave Allahs house.
i know it shouldn't rest so horribly with me...but sigh...my love has quadrupled for the calm serenity of the prophets masjid of madinah. Maybe if I had tried the same there it would have resulted in an equivalent kicking and yaaLA!
hehe I did take glee though when I tried to show her that I had not taken pictures of the Kaaba nor of women around..she was FAAREEking out :p...almost heard her gasp in horror. But yeah..I got booted :( Cried buckets. But came back!!
suha, whats wrong with a store having revealing clothing? Women ARE allowed to wear anything or nothing in front of their husbands.
AA- Anon,
"suha, whats wrong with a store having revealing clothing?"
Of course there is nothing wrong with lingerie, but why in the world would a pilgrim coming to Mecca (for Umrah/Hajj) be shopping for lingerie?
Just seems a bit odd, don't you think?
Assallamu alaikum,
Lovely pictures! I was there myself this year for my first Umrah and hajj. Its so nice to see pictures of the haram empty. I long to go back and visit mecca again, without being squashed this time, and perhaps have a chance of actually getting close the the ka'bah!
I really don't like the way the haram looks suffocated from all sides by the tall buildings! One sits admiring the view and then looming in the background are cranes and buildings that look like they've had another building planted on top!
Here in Ireland the ground floor is called ''the ground floor''.
Assalaamu Alaikum Naeem
Shukran for the stunning pictures,although some of them are heartbreaking as I was one of Allah's guest for hajj 2007.Where in the Haram is the place that which you indicated where our Beloved Prophet(Pbuh) was sleeping when Angel Jibreel(AS) came to him.
Wassalaam
Shahied(South Africa)
As-salaamu alaykum,
Is it possible to use the pics here for a document I am working on?
Abdulhaq
AA- AbdulHaq,
No prob...no need to ask bro! :-)
Email me if you would like higher-resolution images...
1Jazakallah
I got the opportunity to have a good look at the Meraj pillar
With the help of your uploaded pic
This is still very easy to find once your from gate no 1
Its on the left side
Dear Naeem br since you had your Umrah with shyakh Zulfiqar Ahmad he surely must have shown you more like the house of huzoor
The place where huzoor saw declared islam (rising sun)
Please share if you have any more like the same
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