Turkey

The flight to Turkey was uneventful. We arrived in Istanbul early in the morning and proceeded to the transit area. The other passengers who were not staying on in Turkey went to their waiting area and we parted company.

We had to purchase visa to enter Turkey - 20 bucks a head - and the airline arranged a hotel for our one day stay. We piled into the hotel shuttle and we were off. The weather was cold - much like that of New York. In fact, much more than the weather was like that of New York! Turkey was supposedly 99% Muslim but you couldn't tell by what you see - no hijabs (of very few) , European dress, bars, music - basically a European culture. The only telltale sign of Islam is the numerous minarets in every direction of the 3 thousand Masjids in Istanbul.

The shuttle driver tuned his radio to his local favorite station and puffed away at his cigarette. The fast rock-type music brought us quickly to the reality of the state of the 'Ummah. "Don't you have some Qur'an?" quipped Abu Bakr under his breath from the back seat.

We arrived at the hotel about 10am and inquired about tours. The attendant said that had a six hour tour around the city that will cost $50 each. We sighed up. We had breakfast, freshened up and boarded the small bus again.

Our $50 each was able to solicit the services of a tour guide as well. Our first stop was the New Mosque. The New Mosque, full name The New Queen Mother's Mosque, is not so new - it was built in the 1600s. Designed by the architect Da'ud Aga, a pupil of Sinan, the New Mosque has become a defining feature of Istanbul's skyline.

New Mosque

Next stop was the Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmed Mosque. We drove along the Sea of Marmara which is also called The Golden Horn which divides Turkey into two. Turkey is actually part Europe and part Asia. 97% of Turkey is in Asia and 3% of Turkey is in Europe and The Golden Horn runs in between. We passed by an old station of the famous Orient Express which in 1883 ran from Paris to Constantinople.

According to our guide, Turkey has some 85,000 Masjids with 3000 in Istanbul alone. There are also about 157 Churches of Greek Orthodox and about 17 Synagogues.

We arrived at The Sultan Ahmed Mosque or the Blue Mosque as it is also known. It was built in 1616 at the request of the Sultan who was 14 years old! He was said to be extremely religious minded.

Blue Mosque

This is the only Masjid in the entire Turkey with six minarets. It is said that the Sultan gave command to build a Mosque with gold minarets. However, the word 'gold' and 'six' was the same or similar and so, the architect mistakenly build a Mosque of six minarets instead!

Courtyard of the Blue Mosque

Wudhu stations

Also, since his Mosque now had six minarets which competed with the Masjid AlHaram in Makkah at that time, he sent money to Makkah to build a seventh minaret in Masjid AlHaram.

Overlooking the Blue Mosque was the Hagia Sophia. The magnificent Hagia Sophia was originally built by Justinian and used as a church for 916 years. It then became a mosque for 481 years and Ataturk declared it a museum in 1935.

Hagia Sophia

We prayed salaatul zuhr in an old Masjid that was undated - the constructor of the Masjid died in 1492 so you can guess the date it was built!

Next stop was the famous Topkapi Palace Museum. This museum holds a lot of ancient islamic relics from the treasures of the Sultans to the sword of Rasulullah (swt).

Entrance to Topkapi Palace Museum

Topkapi Palace was home to all the Ottoman sultans until the reign of Abdulmecid I (1839-1860), a period of nearly four centuries. In it are housed portraits of the Sultans, the Imperial Treasury, books, maps, guns, suit of armors, the famous Spoonmakers Diamond which is 86 carets, etc.

We also saw old locks and keys of Al Ka'ba as well as some old gutters of Al Ka'ba in addition to one of its (old) doors.

Old Ka'ba Door

Of all the exhibits, there was one room in which we were all more interested in. This is the area where the relics of Rasulullah were kept. We were not allowed to take pictures , of course. Some of the relics we was were the swords of Rasulullah (swt), Abu Bakr, 'Umar, and 'Ali (RA). We also saw what is claimed to be the footprint of Rasulullah (saw), some hair from his beard and his tooth - all of which are in containers.

Footprint of Rasulullah (saw)

We also saw the letter of Rasulullah (saw) to Muqavgas, leader of a Coptic Christian tribe inviting him to Islam. At the bottom of the letter was the Seal of Rasulullah (saw)

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

There is safety and security for those believers who follow the correct path. Therefore, I invite you to accept Islam. If you accept it, you shall find security, save your throne, and gain twice as much reward for having introduced Islam to your followers. If you refuse this invitation, let the sin of calamity which awaits your followers be upon you. You too are People of the Book; Therefore, let us come to a Word Common between us, that we worship none but Allah and shall not equalize anything with Him. Let us not abandon Allah and take others for lords other than him. If you do not consent to this invitation, bear witness that we are Muslims....

In another room, we saw what is allegedly the arm of Yahya (John The Baptist) and a part of his skull as well.

Alleged arm and skull of Yahya (AS)

For lunch, we went to theTopkapi restaurant overlooking The Golden Horn. We had lunch in Asia overlooking Europe! Lunch was lamb kebab, rice, potato salad and vegetables.

Our last stop was The Mosque of Sulaiman.

Suleyman the magnificent ordered a mosque appropriate to his title to be built by the architect Sinan, whereupon the present mosque was begun on one of the hills dominating the Golden Horn. The mosque, and its attendant structures, madrasa, arms—houses, infirmaries, caravansaries, a medical school, hamams (bath houses), Qur'an school, a hospital, cells and shops were begun in 1550 by the architect Sinan and completed in 1557.

Sulayman's Mosque

We went back to the hotel...had dinner and hit the sack. Tomorrow we go home!

Departure Day

So today we leave. The Hajj is finished; the sightseeing is done - everyone is satisfied. We had fulfilled, to the best of our ability I hope, the last pillar of our Deen - may Allah (swt) accept it . After breakfast, we spent the rest of the morning packing, weighing and securing our suitcases.We were allowed only 2 50lb suitcases each. We purchased many gifts for friends an relatives as well as for ourselves - clothing, books, CDs, perfume, etc.

Imaam Zameer said we have to be ready by salaatul Zuhr. We lugged the suitcases out of the hotel and on to the curbside and the scouts/helpers loaded them onto the roof of the buses. We boarded the buses and we were each given a 5 liter container of zamzam water compliments of Sara International Travel.

We departed at about 4pm and arrive at the Hajj terminal of Jeddah airport around 8pm. Traffic was horrendous for this normally hour and a half trip. The Hajj terminal at Jeddah is usually chaotic during hajj season with delays of 8-12 hours being not uncommon. Fortunately for us, we were one of the first groups to depart after the Hajj and the terminal was practically empty!!

This terminal - called The Hajj terminal - is used only during the Hajj season and is dedicated only to the service of pilgrims. It is the world's fourth largest air terminal, after Hong Kong International Airport's, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport's, and Seoul Incheon International Airport's terminal. It sits over 100 acres of ground area, and it is known for its tent-shaped roof and open design. The roof is not actually a tent, but a white colored fiberglass. This terminal has a Masjid, and it can accommodate 80,000 travelers at the same time.

We were able to check in with no delays and no difficulty whatsoever.

Most of the hujjaaj from our group were travelling directly to JFK with only a few hours stop over in Istanbul while some of us will be staying in Istanbul for a day of sightseeing. My family was among the latter group and we were looking forward to it. We planned on visiting some of the old Masjids and a museum where some relics of Rasulullah (swt) is being kept.

Last Day of Hajj - Jamaraat again

Today was basically a repeat of yesterday in terms of ritual - we have to stone the Jamaraat again.

It so happened that a friend of one of our group leaders is studying here in Makkah and he invited us (no not the entire group :-)) to have lunch at his residence. So we piled into a 'taxi' - Saudi style - and we were off.

The 'taxi' was a 1960s Chevvy Suburban that had already driven its best days. It was originally white and was made to carry 9 passengers. But today, this was not to be so since there were 18 of us. So, 9 of us assumed position in the manufacturer's suggested seating inside the vehicle while 6 of us clambered onto the roof of the SUV. The roof was reinforced with racks for just such situations. The other 3 from our adventurous group got to stand on the bumper area behind the vehicle while holding on to the roof racks silently hoping that this was not the day that the racks take leave from the host roof.

Traffic was slow and so we were able to call out to similarly juxtaposed passengers on other 'taxis' passing by. We smiled broadly at each other.

We got to our destination, paid the the driver 10 Riyals each as was negotiated prior to the trip.

Lunch was a sort of Beef stew and a Lamb Stew with a kind of Nan - we all enjoyed it.

We still had to do the stoning today as well and so we decided to do that immediately after lunch as we were now not too far from the Jamaraat - about half an hour's walk.

We negotiated our way through crowded streets, with hawkers competing for our attention.

We arrived at the Jamaraat, did the stoning, and proceeded back to our hotel. When we go back to the main road, traffic was literally at a standstill. Drivers can be seen sitting on the sidewalks, out of their vehicles, trying to ease themselves from the frustration.

Needless to say we decided to walk. Motor cycles drove on the sidewalks, mush to the annoyance of the pedestrians, attempting to get ahead. After about 45 min walking, I noticed a brand new Toyota Landcruiser on the opposite side of the street where the traffic was moving - albeit very slowly. The Toyota was trying to forge ahead of a dilapidated minivan (called a minibus here) - these are also used as taxis. The minibus stood its ground. The Toyota continued to intimidate its predecessor.

Bang! The Toyota bumped the minibus. They stopped. To a New Yorker, the most funny incident ensued. Both drivers came out of their vehicles and approached each other. The driver of the minibus said something in Arabic and then stuck his hand out. The two drivers then shook hands vigorously, hugged each other, and then returned to their respective vehicles and continued on their way! They did not even look at the vehicles! I wondered about the job opportunities for lawyers here :-)

We went back to the camp at Mina. This was the last day of Hajj - those who wish can stay for one more day, but our group would be leaving. We had dinner, gathered our belongings and prepared for departure tomorrow.

4th Day of Hajj - Jamaraat

Today we do the stoning ritual again - this time all 3 of the pillars. After breakfast, we rested and explored the camp. The campsite is home to more than 3 million pilgrims with kitchen and bathroom facilities. Our camp was next to some pilgrims from France and other European countries.

Fruits was readily available. The fruit is fresh and juicy. The Saudis are big on fruit juice - boxes, bottles, cans - all kinds - orange, mango, strawberry, cherry, pineapple, apple, guava.

We set out after salaatul Asr to do the stoning. There were literally thousands of pilgrims on their way to the Jamaraat as well. Sometimes the crowd becomes so dense that it comes to a standstill - shoulder to shoulder - advancing only one small step at a time. We passed thru 2 tunnels carved through hugh mountains - one of them easily about 3/4 of a mile long.



This is a pedestrian only road that is used only during the days of Hajj. We walk for about an hour and eventually made to the Jamaraat. The crowd was hugh - people everywhere - in front of us, behind us, to the right and to the left.

The pelting was uneventful - no stampedes.

The Saudi Authorities have completely demolished the old Jamaraat and are in the process of rebuilding it to better accommodate the pilgrims. I am told that there will be 5 levels when it is completed with separate entrances and exits.


We sent back to the camp site - another hour's walk - and rested and had dinner.

3rd Day of Hajj - EID!

Eid Mubaarak!!

Today is Eid-ul-Adha - the Eid of sacrifice - commemorating the incident of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his son Ismail (AS). We prayed Fajr (We are still at Muzdalifah) and then we set out for Mina. As I said, most of the brothers and some sisters decided to walk - somewhere around 1.5 miles or so - took us about 45 minutes.

This was a pedestrian only road - dedicated to pilgrims alone. It was packed - as far as the eyes can see, there were thousands making the walk back to the camps. There were a few vendors on the road side trying to take advantage of the opportunity peddling flip flops, henna, toys, etc.

Everyone was recite the Talbiya and the Takbeeraat...

Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar- Laa illaha ila Allah. Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar, wa lil lah ilhamd..

We arrived at Mina, dropped our bags and headed straight for the Jamaraat - another hour's walk - to do the stoning ritual. This is the one ritual that everyone is most apprehensive about. Many accidents happen at the Jamaraat resulting in many deaths over the years. We were told that the Saudi authorities have completely demolished the Jamaraat area and are in the process of rebuilding it from scratch to include 5 levels, but as of now, only 2 of the levels are completed.

So we muster our courage and headed out - the crowd was huge! Everyone in Mina seem to be going! The crowd is so huge that we slow down to an almost complete stop due to the massive volume of people much like the rush hour traffic in New York.

We kept going - Labaik Allahumma Labaik... we continued with the Talbiya.

We arrived at the Jamaraat area and there were pilgrims as far as the eyes can see!...

We stoned the Jamaraat which turned out pretty easy. There were hundreds of Police assisting with crowd control.

Back at the camp site it was now time for my newest hairdo (or lack thereof). The men have to shave their heads and the women must clip a third of a fingers length off. I paid 10 Riyals to the local 'Barber' and was satisfied with the result. These 'Barbers' set up shop almost instantaneously around the campsite and do a pretty good job.

I quickly took a long shower - last I showered was 2 days ago!
I relaxed in the air-conditioned tent and took a nap.

2nd Day of Hajj - Arafat

Today is the Day of Arafat - the most important day of the Hajj. Arafat is Hajj - and if one has not gone to Arafat, then his Hajj has not been fulfilled. Today is the day that all pilgrims will bring their baggages of sins in front of Allah (swt) seeking His forgiveness. A day of begging our Lord and Master to forgive us our sins, a day to sincerely repent to the one who created us, a day to reflect on the real meaning of the life of this world.

Allah's Messenger (saw) said,
'When the day of Arafah comes Allah descends to the lowest heaven and praises them to the angels saying,
"Look at my servants who have come to Me disheveled, dusty and crying out from every deep valley. I call you to witness that I have forgiven them."
The angels say, "My Lord, so and so was suspected of sin, also so and so and such and such a woman."
He said that Allah Who is Great and Glorious, replied, "I have forgiven them."
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, "on day have more people been set free from Hell than on the day of Arafah."
[Tirmidhi]

We boarded the buses and set out, each with his own thoughts, each hoping for the forgiveness of his Lord. The Saudi Authorities provides transportation for the pilgrims from location to location. It's no trivial matter to relocate 2 million+ pilgrims from one spot to another within hours!We arrived at about 9:30 am - the atmosphere was hazy and the desert air was beginning to warm up quickly.

Arafat (literally means To Know or To Recognize) was the place where Prophet Adam (AS) and his wife Hawa (AS) met after they were both sent down from paradise.
The tents at Arafat were just that - tents, real tents, no AC or power switches like those in Mina. Every direction one looks, he sees pilgrims dotting the landscape in every direction - on the plains, on the hilltops, each absorbed with his thoughts, attempting to unload his burden to his Lord.
There is something about being alone high on a hill in solitude with the wind only around you that allows one to come to grip with his thoughts. Perhaps that is why our Noble Prophet(saw) himself sought solitude on the Mountain of Light. And so, I sought a hilltop for myself as well.
We all made sincere supplications, for ourselves, our families, our relatives, our friends, the Muslim Ummah - tears stream down the faces of the pilgrims, bodies shook with sobs seeking the forgiveness of the Almighty.
The pilgrims continued the entire day in a state of prayer seeking the pleasure of the Almighty.
The sun wan beginning to set now and we would have to leave and once again Arafat would become desolated until next year. Everyone was hurrying to make additional supplications and with the setting of the sun we boarded the buses once again to set out for Muzdalifah where we will spend the night - praying/sleeping out in the open air - with no tents.

MUZDALIFAH
We arrived at muzdalifah around 8:30 pm or so. We immediately prayed salaatul Maghrib and 'Isha' and proceed to gather the pebbles we would be using for the Stoning ritual.
Like I said, there are no tents here - some had sleeping bags - but most just had a few blankets. The night was cold - about 55 degrees F - with a steady 15 mph biting wind.
We made up our beds and proceeded to settle down. Sleeping was difficult with the cold constant wind but we managed. The men were still wearing our ihrams (2 pieces of cloth) and we were not allowed anything else.

We woke at fajr, prayed and proceeded to get back to the camp at Mina. Most of the brothers and some sisters, too, decided to walk instead of waiting on the bus. The walk was about an hour long.

1ST Day of Hajj - Mina

Today is the day all were anxiously waiting on - we arrived at camp Mina about 1:00am and secure our tents. The tents were filled from corner to corner with thin mattresses, pillows and blankets. The tents were made of a canvas type material, off white in color, draped over sturdy metal structure of brackets and runners. The tents opened at the top sort of like a chimney with a covering to let out the hot air. In the middle of the tent is the main pillar above which are power switches for the lights and for the air-conditioning unit. The tents are permanent structures that are left assembled all year long.

Everyone was excited about the new living quarters. We went to sleep.

We woke up for prayers and breakfast of jam and bread, crackers, fruits and coffee or tea. Today we do nothing much but stay put in the tents. Hajis should make use of the day by reading Qur'an, pray extra salaat, do other zikr( remembrance of Allah (swt)), read Islamic texts, listen to lectures, etc.

We also tried to located others who we know are present at Mina and who came with other groups. There were 3 other brothers from my local Masjid who I know are here as well. I was able to locate two of them.

Dinner was of Casareep Chicken prepared by Brother 'Aabid - a Jamaican brother who studied a Madeenah University and who now resides in Madeenah. Everyone enjoyed it. We went to sleep early.

Tomorrow, Friday, was the Day of Arafat - the most important day of Hajj. Rasulullah (saw) said that "Hajj is Arafat!" All pilgrim will have to travel to Arafat - approx 9 miles from Mina - by bus. The tents at Mina will be desolated come tomorrow.

Day before Hajj

Tomorrow the Hajj begins!

We spent the rest of the day strolling thru out new neighborhood, drank latte, ate Chinese, repack our suitcases with gifts we bought for relatives back home.

The Hajj begins tomorrow and I could feel the excitement and apprehension in the air. Everyone had questions, How do I do this? How do I do that? When should I do the other? - some nervously repeated the same questions.

We are supposed to leave for the camp at Mina tomorrow after Fajr salaat but Imaam Zameer decided to start out around midnight to avoid the chaos.

We left for Mina around midnight, several busloads of hujaaj reciting the talbiya -
Labaik Allahumma Labaik...

The Hajj has begun...

Back to Makkah

The trip from Madeenah to Makkah is about 5 hours under normal conditions. But Hajj is not normal condition with 3 million pilgrims competing for the same resources. Between stopping at the Meeqat to get into Ihraam for 'Umrah (we had to do 'Umrah again since the trip from Makkah to Madeenah crosses the Meeqat), bathroom stops a that include a (bus) fender bender, checkpoints of Saudi Police seeking illegal hajis, we arrived at our place of stay - 'Azziziah - in Makkah at about 1:30pm after about 14 hours!

Nevertheless, all was well, we were just tired, and hot. At the checkpoints, free boxes of food and juice are handed out to all hajis - The Saudis are big on juice - all kinds.

We showered, relaxed. There was some confusion with the allocation of rooms. After being sorted out dinner was served and we went to bed.

Jannatul Baqi

Today we plan on visiting Jannatul Baqi. Jannatul Baqi is a cemetery right next to Masjid an Nabawi. It is said that more than 10,000 of the Prophet's companions are buried here along with many of the Prophet's (saw) close relations including all of the wives of Rasulullah (saw), except for Khadijah (RA), his son Ibrahim who died in infancy, Fatima (RA), his daughter, many of the prophet's aunts, the grandson and uncle of the Prophet (saw) as well as Uthman ibn Affan (RA).

The cemetery is rather simple - a walled in area with walkways. There are no headstones, or tombs or mausoleums - just dirt, some graves have a mound while others became leveled with the ground over time due to the wind with the only marking being a stone to indicate the presence of a grave.

It is a rather sobering sight - the place being tranquil, quiet and surreal with the cold morning wind howling through the intricate design of the fence.

On the way back to the hotel we passed Masjid Gamaama (Masjid of the Clouds) where Rasulullah (saw) pray the Eid salaat. We also passed Masjid Abu Bakr and Masjid 'Ali.

We also visited the local Dates Market where we purchased Ajwah dates. This is a small date that was loved by Rasulullah (saw). Naturally, all Muslims flock to buy it.

We then went back to the hotel has had breakfast.

We leave for Makkah tonight for the beginning of Hajj.