A journey worth repeating

Today is Eid Al Adha, marking the end of Haj. Muslims will celebrate this occasion with several days of festivities, new clothes and a wide range of delicious food and sweets while those who went to Mecca will celebrate Eid with their brothers and sisters from around the world in the holiest Islamic spot.

Hundreds of Bahrainis have travelled to Mecca this year to perform Haj. For many Muslims it is a day they have waited for all their lives ... to be closer to God.

Haj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, the largest annual pilgrimage in the world. It is the fifth pillar of Islam.

It is the demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people and their submission to God. Haj occurs from the 8th to the 12th day of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar.

The pilgrimage is associated with the life of Prophet Mohammad, but the ritual of Haj itself was considered ancient even during his lifetime in the seventh century.

Many Muslims believe that it goes back to the time of Abraham in 2000 BC. Pilgrims would join processions of tens of thousands of people, who would simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of Haj and perform a series of rituals.

Although it is a one-time obligation to be carried out by Muslims who can afford both medically and financially to take this religious and spiritual journey there are many women and men from around the world who are keen to perform Haj as many times as possible.

For 52-year-old Bahraini Ahmed Hassan Abbas who is in Mecca now, it is his 10th time.

The Gulf Air pricing manager for Europe, USA and Canada said once a person performs Haj he or she finds it very difficult not to go again. "It is my 10th time to perform Haj and if I am still alive next year I will take this journey again," said Mr Abbas to Gulf Weekly prior to his trip to Mecca.

"I know that in Islam I am obliged to go only once, but when you go to Mecca and see the tremendous amount of pilgrims there and you feel the spiritual power overcoming your mind, body and soul, it is a feeling that is very hard to explain and an experience that you will not find anywhere else in the world," he said.

Mr Abbas always takes his wife along with him to Mecca. "We always go together, the first time we performed Haj was in 1992," he said.

"I remember the first time I saw Al Ka'aba. I froze in my place and felt my body shivering. My tears were playing in my eyes although I wasn't crying and I felt a sense of happiness and relief that I have never felt before ... it was a very strange feeling that is hard to put into words.

"When you see Al Ka'aba you forget about the whole world and concentrate only on getting closer to God."

Mr Abbas said performing Haj was not an easy task.

Each person would walk (Tawaf) counter-clockwise seven times around the Ka'aba, the cubical building towards which all Muslims pray, kiss the sacred Black Stone on its corner, run back and forth between the hills of Al Safa and Al Marwa, drink from the Zamzam Well, go to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil, then proceed to Muzdalifah to gather pebbles, which they would throw at a rock in Mina to perform the Stoning of the Devil ritual.

The male pilgrims would then shave or cut their hair, perform an animal sacrifice and celebrate the three-day festival of Eid Al Adha. "It is a very tiring and long process, especially with the amount of pilgrims there, but it is worth it," he said.

"Some of the rituals are easy but due to the difficulty in movement among the huge crowd, sometimes it takes us more than an hour to finish a single ritual."

Mr Abbas said the best and safest way to go to Haj is with a professional agent.

"My wife and I always go with an agent, because they know where to go, what exactly to do, what is the safest way to perform Haj and the best timing to move from one place to another," he explained.

"Many people die or get injured during Haj so it is always better and clever to do it the safest way."

In Haj, pilgrims ask God for his forgiveness and mercy.

"Haj provides us an opportunity to ask God to forgive us for our sins and mistakes and be merciful with us. It is just a great time to ask for anything we want - be it wealth, promotion at work or anything else," said Mr Abbas.

"I believe that Haj made me be a better person both personally and professionally. I am much kinder and softer toward others now and I am more helpful too. I like to assist people who are in need and work as a team member," he said.