MY visit to Saudi Arabia

 

It was two hard days going to Saudi Arabia crossing the desert by Jordan, we had crossed two countries by bus:  first we went to Jordan and from there proceeded to Saudi Arabia. all the travelers gathered in the village square heading to Saudi Arabia, to perform Umrah. Not only was the journey gruelling we had to change our passports to Jordanian passports to enter Saudi Arabia.

‘umrah, the “minor pilgrimage” undertaken by Muslims whenever they enter Mecca. It is also meritorious, though optional, for Muslims residing in Mecca. Its similarity to the major and obligatory Islamic hajj made some fusion of the two natural, though pilgrims have the choice of performing the ʿumrah separately or in combination with the hajj. As in the hajj, pilgrims begin the ʿumrah by assuming the state of  ihram. Following a formal declaration of intent to perform the ʿumrah, they enter Mecca and circle the sacred shrine of the Kaabah seven times. They may then touch the Black Stone, pray at the sacred stone Maqam Ibrahim, drink the holy water of the Zamzam spring, and touch the Black Stone again, though these ceremonies are supererogatory. The saʿy, running seven times between the hills of al-Safa and al-Marwah, and the ritual shaving of the head for male pilgrims complete the ʿumrah.

In its present form, the ʿumrah dates from Mohammad lifetime and is a composite of several pre-Islamic ceremonies that were reinterpreted in monotheistic terms and supplemented by Muslim prayers.