Makkah is truly one of the most peaceful places in the world. We were lucky enough to visit the Kaaba for Omrah, combining both art and spirituality. After a two hour bus ride we arrived at the Museum of Antiquities in Makkah. I didn't even know that such a museum existed! The fact that Makkah has transformed from a holy place of heritage and historical significance, to a place of commercialism and modern buildings, is a sad observation.
This didn't interfere with my spiritual journey once I entered the "haram" though. You don't feel the time pass by, as people of all different colours and ages, walked around the Kaaba - a token of utmost faith. Whenever I visit the Kaaba I feel spiritually cleansed and humbled by the equality of human beings. We are all one in the eyes of our creator and it is important to be reminded of the significance of that fact. It is easy to forget that class systems and nationalism are but a human creation; the equality of our beating hearts is Allah's.
After we finished Omrah, we visited Arafat - the location of the Hajj sites. We were accompanied by Saudi artists, Ahmed Mater and Sadeeq Wasil (in the photograph above). They were very kind in sharing their thoughts and talent with us whilst we travelled through these religiously significant sites. Ahmed Mater shared his photography skills and spoke to us about how he started his journey in the field of art. He is truly inspiring because he proves that you don't need to go to art school to have talent. He encouraged us to read and constantly absorb culturally relevant books to feed the growth of our minds. After shooting a few interviews for our documentary we headed towards Sadeeq's art workshop…
When we arrived, we were rather shocked at the state of the place! Sadeeq wasn't lying when he said that he stored all of the junk in Makkah. He uses them for his artwork by welding different daily objects into social and culturally significant art pieces. His art workshop is his father's garage - his father taught him how to weld from a very young age. Sadeeq is one of the most free spirited characters I have ever met in my life. He has the spirit of a child and the generosity of an elder. We enjoyed interviewing him and shared a few laughs with his bubbly self.
I truly feel lucky to be on such an expedition. It is ironic to think that we have had access to characters that are hidden in a society where art is flourishing underground. There are no real institutes that encourage this type of development and it is interesting to see how the artists are coping with the circumstances. I can't help but wonder if this instils more thirst for expression when there isn't an official avenue for it. Not only are we being inspired intellectually, but we are also feeding our spirit by healing our souls with hope and comfort by visiting such Holy places. I am honoured to be a part of this.
We seriously need to catch on some sleep now so it is fitting that we have a four-hour coach journey to Abha. This wasn't the first time my semi-functional iPhone alarm let me down. Nor was it the first time that we slept at 3 in the morning! I am going to tell you the story of our trip to Medina; so let me set the scene for you. It was 7:50 am, we hadn’t packed, showered or even had breakfast and Steve was shouting his head off, telling us that we were going to miss our flight to Medina. The thought of missing the chance to visit the Prophet’s mosque was the driving power behind our swift exit from the hotel. It was funny when Steve pointed out that he had left the room shouting at Ahmed for being too slow only to find him in the same exact place ten minutes later, still trying to fasten his belt.
When we eventually made it to Medina, we were welcomed with a pleasant breeze. The temperature was 20oC but the expression on our Saudi tour guide’s face looked like someone had just shoved him into a freezer. It is compulsory to enter the mosque with the upmost humbleness and humility. The lack of preparation however meant that I was frantically looking through my luggage for my thobe.
The visit to the mosque in Medina is just as significant as visiting the Haram in Makkah. This is the city chosen by God for his messenger to flee to when he was driven out of Makkah by the Quraish and this is the city where God revealed the commandments to the Prophet. When I think of it like that, it enables me to understand just how important Medina is to Muslims. It is the city where Muslims were among some of the first to understand and apply the obligatory duties. 1400 hundreds later and I am still practicing those obligatory duties.
It is advised to give some charity and be in constant supplication before entering the mosque. I was travelling with great enthusiasm and excitement and as we got closer this yearning increased. I was overjoyed when the green dome came into sight. Underneath the green dome is where the Prophet is buried. The mosque was more beautiful than I had imagined it. The minarets and the umbrella shaped shelters stood out the most for me. Once inside, the excitement had reached its climax, I offered my prayer and tried very hard to focus my thoughts on the exalted personage of the Holy prophet. His high position means that some pilgrims unintentionally perform wrong practices during the visit. It was a different feeling to the Haram mosque. Time just seemed to slow down for me. The thoughts of how God had granted me this blessed opportunity filled me with emotions. It is a feeling you can’t explain. Just as I had within the Haram, I felt a surge of energy as I conversed with my Lord asking him to forgive me. I collected myself and proceeded towards the grave. I walked towards the gold wire meshed enclosures. Tears flowed uncontrollably from my eyes as I sent salutations upon the final messenger. My role model. My beloved. Prophet Muhammed, peace be up on him.
Photograph by Ahmed Hamed
Going to the Haram is an invitation from God, which is why I am so honoured that I was given the chance to go. The anticipation was finally over and I was going to perform Umrah. But it didn't come easy. Being told that we had to wear the ihram (I'll explain later) 10 minutes before departure completely threw me off guard. It was a nightmare because I was expecting someone to show me how to put on the white garments. The daunting feeling of the bottom cloth falling off during the pilgrimage was something that I was dreading. I have heard stories of how friends have been left exposed because they didn't tighten the cloth properly.
Prior to performing Umrah, we visited the Museum of Antiquities, which had an exhibition of things that had previously been in the two Harams. The exhibition displayed everything from the first copies of the holy Quran to the cloth which covered the Kaaba (the house of God) and only served to add to my excitement.
The construction that had engulfed the Haram did take me by surprise but nothing could prepare me for the shock of glimpsing the clock tower parallel to the Kaaba. Apart from the obvious benefit of being on time with every prayer, I struggled to understand why this huge clock tower was ever built to begin with. I wasn't put off in any way as I got off the coach and saw both the clock tower watching down on the Kaaba and the construction, but I still think that it doesn't belong there. I felt that the transformation around the Haram was somehow affecting the spirituality of the Holy site.
Nevertheless, I could not have had a better experience during my time there. Once inside, I felt a sense of unity and equality similarly to how Malcom X felt during his pilgrimage. You can try to imagine what umrah will feel like over and over again, but nothing compares to the moment when you find yourself amongst some of the most diverse people from all walks of life all praising God together.
Describing how I felt throughout is most difficult. For the first time I wasn't thinking about anything or anyone except praising god. I felt so pure and focused. Most of all, I felt happy. Being happy is the objective of life. If we look at our lives, we work not only to become financial stable, but we work because that stability brings us happiness. If we keep questioning why we do these things then we will find that the questions end with the word ‘happy’. The outcome of everything we do is for the pursuit of happiness. Any we don't need to question why we want to be happy. That’s obvious…
Being a non-Muslim meant that I could not enter Makkah alongside the others in the team who performed Umrah. Although disappointing, I have to respect the religion, and accept that this a gift offered only to those who follow Islam. It is important to recognise that Islam is not just a religion, but a way of life. Muslims live and breathe Islam; it guides them through life, and determines their everyday behaviour. Every step they take, they are representing their beliefs and values. These are my thoughts, as a non-Muslim, therefore I am aware that I could be wrong. But what I have seen in Saudi has demonstrated this before my eyes. I have seen a religious dedication that is to be admired. Although pilgrimage to Makkah is forbidden to me, it must be realised that pilgrimages are universal. Across countries and religions we all make our own pilgrimages, large or small, in search of morals or spiritual blessings. It is a human journey.
Some of the Arabia Offscreen team were lucky enough to have the opportunity to perform Umrah in Makkah. For a few of us it was the first time we had set foot on the Holy Land; it was indeed both a spiritual and emotional journey for all of us. These are a few photos I managed to capture during the Makkah visit.
Pilgrimage to Makkah
With the Hajj exhibition taking place in the British Museum right now, Awais shares his account of what it felt like travelling from the UK to perform Umrah.
