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An American in Makkah
The Hajj experience of Muslim convert Michael Wolfe

I am a Muslim. I revere the same God as my Christian mother and my Jewish father. Allah is simply the Arabic word for the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. I find the absence of priests and rabbis attractive. Islam means acknowledging the oneness of God, surrendering to it, cooperating with the way things are. Being a Muslim, God is as near as the veins in my neck. During the Hajj each year, millions of faithful come to Mecca. The men and women wear simple lengths of unstitched cloth. The garments are a symbol. The person who wears them agrees not to harm plants and animals or fellow pilgrims. No arguments, no violence. We agree to keep the peace. The garments are a great leveler too. Who can tell rich from poor? Millions Descend on Mecca Here I join people from all over the earth, all these human beings drawn together by the call of an idea, by the oneness of God. We have left daily life behind and come to a place hardly belonging to this world, a place filled by the almost tangible presence of God. To preserve its sanctity and protect pilgrims, the sacred territory around Mecca is forbidden to all but Muslims. It lies hidden in the mountains of Saudi Arabia 50 miles from the Red Sea, a modern city of 1.2 million people. To walk around the block in Mecca is to walk around the world. I step out the door and for 15 yards, I’m in Indonesia. Down the street past a couple of stores and it’s Africa. Pakistan is just around the corner and then I’m in Bangladesh. A vast majority of the world’s one billion Muslims—80 percent—now live outside the Middle East. There are more than five million in the United States.


Muslims Perform Sacred Duties The duties of the Hajj are symbolic of the story and obligations of Islam. Before prayer, Muslims wash, representing ritual purity. The walk around the Ka’ba—the black stone block in the great mosque—is an expression of our desire to put God at the center of our lives. Pilgrims also make a journey to Mina and to the plain of Arafat, 13 miles outside of Mecca. Making our way on foot, we trade city streets and buildings for tents and carpets on the sand of the barren plain, giving up our usual comforts, getting back to basics. On the plain of Arafat, we perform the central obligation of the pilgrimage, to be here together from noon until sunset. There is no ceremony. We stroll, we pray, we meditate. The Hajj goes on inside the hearts and thoughts of each of us. This is a rehearsal for that day of judgment. How will we account for our acts? Have I injured anyone? Have I been grateful enough for the simple gifts of life, water, food, friends, family and the air I breath? Before leaving Mecca, we visit the Ka’ba one last time. For most of us, this will be our last glimpse of the shrine. There is an old proverb—before you visit Mecca, it beckons you. When you leave it behind, it calls you forever.

extracted from the source:
http://towardsislam.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=187&hl=

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[ This Message was edited by: dealer3 on 2006-01-19 22:16 ]

[ This Message was edited by: dealer3 on 2006-01-20 18:20 ]
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Posted: 2006-01-19 23:11:28
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This reminds me of Yvonne Ridley who was a Sunday Express reporter who got captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan she was held prisoner by the Taliban she was so impressed by Islam she converted upon her release,now you would think such an experience would put someone off Islam but no,she now works as an active ambassador for the faith..You can read her vonne Ridley interview or vist her site: www.yvonneridley.com
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Posted: 2006-01-20 01:25:16
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yes, she was also a BBC reporter at the time of her capture...she had heard every evil thing you could hear about in regards to the taliban, but when she was captured, she was treated so well and taken care of, she couldnt understand why all these lies were being written and circuated amongst right-wing newspapers all over the world...she looked into Islam and now is a muslim...
she does a show called, 'the agenda', on sky digital channel 836...every morning i think...covers all the news etc etc...
brilliant person!
peace with you all...
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Posted: 2006-01-20 12:43:56
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Also have a read about \"John Walker Lindh\" the American who became a muslim and then joined the Taliban in Afghanistan.


The public has heard little about John Walker Lindh since the media frenzy over his capture in the winter of 2001.On January 19, John's father Frank Lindh delivered an address at The Commonwealth Club of California. Lindh explained that he and his family have avoided the press for nearly four years; he now wants the public to understand the truth about his son, who he says didn't stand a chance of getting a fair trial in the emotional days following 9/11. Immediately characterized as a \"terrorist\" by the press and politicians, Lindh faced a jury in Northern Virginia, just a few miles from the Pentagon. The trial date scheduled by the judge was the anniversary of 9/11. Initially facing 11 criminal counts most relating to terrorism the only charge that John Lindh was found guilty of was violating economic sanctions by supporting the Taliban government, for which the 20-year-old was sentenced to 20 years in prison. FULL ARTICLE
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Posted: 2006-01-29 08:36:56
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very intresting...i think it is typical...of goverments like America, so-called 'democracies'...to be just and fair in anyway...they are simply harsh to scare/deter other people from doing anything aginst them...or even thinking about anything against them...even if it is just and non-violent! but now they are worried...because they are begining to find that people are not afraid...not even of death...people will start to do the right thing...even if it means they will be punished..."no fear"..."stand up and speak up"...is the way to move forward...most definately!
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Posted: 2006-01-29 13:34:17
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I went to Yvonne's site, saw this picture.

It really shows you that those US's Army guys are fighting blindly!


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Posted: 2006-01-29 16:04:15
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i dnt see the point of soo many similar threads about this topic, like trying to prove stuff
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Posted: 2006-01-29 16:14:46
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i think its good that everyone wears the same so you cant tell who is rich/poor because in todays society everyone is judged by how big there wallet is which shouldnt be the case

"The person who wears them agrees not to harm plants and animals or fellow pilgrims" muslims kill animals in the halal way? im pretty sure thats harming animals no offence
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Posted: 2006-01-29 16:29:59
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dont look too deep into things, he was sharing something to those who care.

Plus I didn't see any thread that was about the same topic.

Sorry if it offends you.

@solid, it means harm for no reason or in a way that could be considered torture.
There are numerous points in the Quraan that says we should eat animals (except pork) if we want. And that point in that article is saying that during that time period when you go to Mecca you should be sure to not harm anything, but it wasn't pertaining to food. (is that understandble? sorry if my explanation was off)

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[ This Message was edited by: amnesia on 2006-01-29 15:51 ]
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Posted: 2006-01-29 16:48:46
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i think i understand

the quran says halal is not harming?
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Posted: 2006-01-29 16:53:22
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