DJ: So why is Mecca the place where all Muslims must go on pilgrimage to?
Mohammed: Well, Mecca is the spiritual centre of Islam and is referred to as the ’mother town’. There are many reasons why it is such a holy city. the first building in which to worship Allah was built here. Muslims believe that after Adam and Eve had been banished from paradise they wandered the earth alone and unhappy until they prayed to Allah for forgiveness. Allah gave them this forgiveness and reunited them at the little mountain of Arafat. To thank Allah for being merciful Adam and Eve built the first simple building for worship nearby.
Mina is also close to Mecca. This is where Ibrahim took his only son Ismail to be sacrificed. Ibrahim had a dream in which Allah asked him to sacrifice his most loved, only son, Ismail. Ibrahim told his son Ismail of the dream and both agreed that they should do as they are commanded by Allah. So they set out for Mina, the place of sacrifice, but on the way they met a man who was the devil in disguise. This man made many good, senseful arguments for why Ismail should not be sacrificed which made it harder for Ibrahim and Ismail to do what Allah had asked. However Ibrahim resisted the temptation and threw stones at the man in order to get rid of him. When they reached Mina Ismail was simply laid face down so that Ibrahim could not see his face and hesitate. However at the last minute Allah stopped Ibrahim and he was rewarded for his obedience with a son, Isaac, by his wife Sarah.
Also the mountains As-Safa and Al-Marwah in Mecca are where the miracle of Zamzam took place. Ibrahim was told to leave his second wife Hagar and his son Ismail in Allah’s care in a dry desert beside Adam’s ancient shrine to God. Allah had seemed to have abandoned Hagar and baby Ismail as there was no water for them. Ismail began desperately to cry out of thirst but there was not a single drop of water in the desert. Hagar frantically tried to help her baby by running from the top of one mountain and then to the other looking for a passing camel train which would be carrying water but she could not find one. Then Allah caused a miracle to help Ismail and Hagar, baby Ismail dug his feet into the sand where Hagar had left him and out gushed a spring of water. Hagar saw this and shouted Zamzam ,the Babylonian sound for rushing water. Due to this well a village swiftly grew where Mecca now stands and now this spring is famous as Zamzam. When Ibrahim and Ismail were reunited they built a square with no roof out of dry stone. Ibrahim stood on a large rock, the Maqam Ibrahim, to lay the last few layers as the building was slightly higher than a man. This building is now known as the Kaba, Arabic for cube, it has been reconstructed on exactly the same place for four thousand years and is a very holy place.
Mecca is also where the prophet Mohammed came to destroy the idols that people were worshipping and where the religion of Islam really first began and Mohammed also performed Hajj to Mecca so Muslims are following his example by going on Hajj.
DJ: So Mary can you tell us about your experience of your pilgrimage to Lourdes?
Mary: Well, when I arrived in Lourdes I was totally overcome by the atmosphere of respect for each other love and caring there. It was almost as if you felt left out and as if you were not playing your part if you were not helping to care for someone who was either sick or disabled. As soon as I got there I noticed all the volunteer Brancardiers helping those in wheelchairs along with the huge number of volunteer hand maidens who were nursing and attending to the sick. The first place in Lourdes which we visited was the Grotto where the blessed Virgin Mary was sighted by St. Bernadette. It was a really deep and emotional experience to stand and pray in that same spot where the blessed Virgin Mary had appeared and where millions of Christians had also stood and prayed over the years just as I was doing.
We also joined in a procession here as pilgrims follow the bishop who carries the blessed sacrament high so everyone can see it . The procession entered the rosary square outside the Basilica where the sick were blessed by the bishop. Next we went to bathe in and drink the healing waters of the grotto. This was an especially sensitive time for Catherine as she was particularly wanting to be healed by the waters although she knew how even though the waters possessed special healing qualities only a few people experience any actual physical healing. Although she did not experience a miracle cure I think Everyone enjoyed visiting the baths as you felt a special emotional and mental healing after bathing in or tasting the water which appeared so directly from God. Also I was particularly impressed by the amount of skilled helpers at the baths and the amount of special facilities there built for the handicapped.
The next morning we visited the first of the three churches we would visit in Lourdes, the Rosary church. Here we took part in Mass with other groups of people visiting Lourdes. It was an a really thoughtful experience as it helped me realise how all the people here had come to worship God just as I had and how similar we all were. It was also overwhelming to think that I was receiving sacrament in a church which was built because the Virgin Mary herself had wanted it to be. During our pilgrimage we also visited the two other churches in Lourdes, the large Basilica church on the hill and the crypt. We took part in different activities in all three churches such as attending and taking part in services, taking part in the celebration of Mass and making confessions of our sins. Also we said the rosary prayers which are devoted to and in honour of the blessed virgin Mary but these were particularly emphasized in the rosary church as she herself had ordered it to be built. When saying the rosary prayers in such a unique and holy place I felt a special feeling of closeness and devotion to the Virgin Mary and also to God which was quite inexplicable.
As well as the activities in the churches in Lourdes there were also outdoor activities in which everyone, including the handicapped pilgrims, could take part. We took part in a candlelight procession through the town. During this procession everyone held candles to represent how Jesus was the light of the world and to represent how there was a special feeling of a presence of God. Whilst this procession took place everyone sung the hymn ‘Ave Maria’ (hail Mary) which is the hymn devoted to the blessed Virgin Mary. These kinds of activities really gave me time to think of my religion in different ways rather than simply sitting in a church. They also made it easier to make friends with other pilgrims and talk about why they came on pilgrimage and what there religion means to them.
I think that Catherine’s favourite part of our pilgrimage to Lourdes was visiting the fourteen stations of the cross which are fourteen statues which represent the fourteen stages which Jesus Christ went through before he was put to death on the cross. The fourteen stations of the cross have been built outside in the woods in Lourdes in a kind of trail format. I think Catherine particularly liked this experience as it would usually be hard for her to go into woods but with everyone so willing to help it was not a problem here. I also thought it was a good idea to have somewhere where you can worship God whilst surrounded by all of his beautiful creatures and creations because it really made me think of just how powerful and creative God is. Also some people visited the stations of the cross without wearing any shoes or socks. This idea of being barefooted was a sign of penance and humility. It also represented to me how in Lourdes everyone was in a way the same, no-one was thought to be any better than anyone else and everyone had come with the same purpose, to explore and strengthen their faith in God.
DJ: It seems that Lourdes is a truly unique place but how does it compare with a pilgrimage to Mecca? Mohammed can you tell us about your pilgrimage to Mecca?
Mohammed: Well my pilgrimage started before I even reached the holy city of Mecca. Before reaching the city of Mecca Muslims must enter a state of holiness called Ihram. To enter this holy state Muslims must have a bath or if this is not possible perform wudu, this is a way of purifying the body so that you are physically and mentally clean and is a sign of respect to Allah. Muslims also have to wear special clothes to go on pilgrimage which are also called Ihram. I being a man had to wear a piece of white cloth over my left shoulder and another piece wrapped around my waist and sandals on my feet. However women don’t have as precise uniform and only have to cover their whole body except their faces, hands and feet with many wearing simple white robes and headscarves. Muslims have to dress like this when entering Mecca as it reminds them that they are performing sacred rituals and must remain in the state of holiness which they have entered. Ihram also symbolises how you are concentrating totally on Allah and have left any connections with normal life behind, how everyone looks the same and is the same in the eyes of Allah, how you are pure as you are dressed in white and must not sin and being dressed so simply is a sign of humility before Allah as the clothes are similar to what a new born baby is first wrapped in. Once in the state of Ihram Muslims must not worry over their appearance and must avoid all sin and respect Allah’s laws even more so than normal.
On my pilgrimage to Mecca I devoted myself solely to Allah as did every other Muslim there and everything I did was in submission to Allah. As I entered Mecca I, along with all the other pilgrims said the talbiyah prayer which is the answer to the divine call to come. On a true pilgrimage all Muslims must perform nine different activities all at a special time and place and in a special order. The first of these activities is to change into Ihram, as I have already mentioned, the second however takes place once you have arrived in Mecca and is called Tawaf. No matter what time it is as soon as they arrive in Mecca a Muslim must, as fast as they can on foot, encircle the Kaba seven times anti-clockwise calling out ‘Labbaika, Allahumma, Labbaika’ which means at your command Lord. This symbolises love for Allah. There is also the Black Stone near the Kaba also standing in the sacred Masjid al-Haram mosque which a Muslim will try to touch or kiss if they get close enough or otherwise salute each time they pass it. This Black Stone is important as it is believed to be from heaven and the prophet Mohammed is said to have used to have kissed it. For me it was an extremely emotional time entering Mecca and seeing the Kaba as it has so much history and it is so important to me that it was very overpowering seeing it after I had prayed towards it for so many years. This circling also represents Umma- unity and brotherhood-as everyone moves together. After this circling I went to the Station of Ibrahim Where I Prayed to rak’ahs (prayer positions).
The next activity I performed on Hajj was Saiy. This is a re-enacting of the frantic search for water made by Hagar. There is a covered passage between the two hills As-Safa and Al-Marwa and beginning at As-Safa pilgrims run along this passage seven times. There is a corridor in the middle for those people who cannot run e.g. those in wheelchairs. This was really special to me to think of the miracle which Allah had performed at the same place where I was all that time ago and it also symbolises perseverence and how Allah will provide. I also collected water from the Zamzam well to take back home to my family but many people dipped their whole robes in the water as the pilgrims robes are the same white robes in which a Muslim will be buried. I then spent the night at Mina the place where Ibrahim went to sacrifice his son Ismail.
The next day on 9th Dhul Hijjah I performed the extremely important event of Wuquf which in English means the stand. I was at the mount of mercy on the plains of Arafat at twelve noon where I stood for six hours until six o’clock in the evening with nothing apart from water and the Qur’an. It was very important to be on time for this event as otherwise my pilgrimage would not have counted as a true pilgrimage -Hajj- but only as a lesser pilgrimage -Umrah. I think that Wuquf was the most spiritual part of my pilgrimage as I just stood and prayed to Allah and read the Qur’an and confessed my sins. If a Muslim confesses any sin at this time the sin will be automatically forgiven by Allah. Standing here with all the other Muslims doing the same thing as me and worshipping Allah in such vast quantities was an overwhelming spiritual high point, especially when we performed the noon and afternoon prayer together, and the relief of being forgiven of sins was an amazing feeling which I will probably never experience again.
After I had spent six hours at the Mount of Mercy I went to Muzdalifah where I spent the night. At Muzdalifah I collected pebbles which would be needed for the next day’s activity. On the next day 10th Dhul Hijjah I arrived at Mina where I took part in the ritual of stoning the devil. There is a pillar in Mina known as the Great Devil and on this day each pilgrim throws seven stones at this pillar. There are three pillars in all and on 11th and 12th Dhul Hijjah everyone throws three stones at each pillar. This represents Ibrahim throwing stones to drive the devil away so that he and Ismail could keep from being tempted, they did this three times so there are three pillars. It also represented to me how I was rejecting the devil in favour of Allah by throwing stones at the pillars. Whilst still in Mina I celebrated Eid Ul Adha which is the Islamic festival of sacrifice. I bought an animal which I sacrificed at Mina and shared with other pilgrims who could not afford their own. This was in remembrance of Ibrahim who sacrificed a ram as Allah spared his son Ismail. I particularly liked this sharing as it brought out a real sense of Umma and a sense of a community where everyone was totally equal as they are in the eyes of Allah. It was also good to know that all other Muslims around the world were also sacrificing animals , worshipping Allah and being generous if they could afford to be and most amazing of all of these things I was in the holiest place I could possibly be at the time and I was surrounded by other Muslims carrying out these rituals. After the festival of Eid Ul Adha I went back to visit the Kaba once more before I left Mecca. This was a particularly emotional time for me as it marked the end of my pilgrimage and would probably be the last time I would ever see this holy building which is so important to me and my religion.
DJ: It seems as if both of these pilgrimages were very special to each of you but what exactly do you, Mary, feel that you have gained by going on pilgrimage?
Mary: I think I have gained a tremendous amount from my pilgrimage to Lourdes. I arrived in Lourdes with doubts and questions about my faith after having a real lack of time it seemed to donate to my faith. However in Lourdes I think that I learnt that you don't have to be in church to worship God and that it can be done at almost any free moment. I also think that I regained a lot of my faith whilst in Lourdes as there was such an inexplicable but holy atmosphere there and I also think that the loving and caring atmosphere has made me into a better person generally as well as a better Christian.
I also feel that Catherine experienced a great deal of emotional healing in Lourdes and feel that now she is coping with her disability much better. I think that seeing all the people in Lourdes many of whom were far worse of than herself made Catherine appreciate what God has given her in life and stopped her dwelling on the thing she feels she is without.
DJ: And How do you feel you have changed since your pilgrimage Mohammed?
Mohammed: Well I feel that I have performed a great duty to Allah by going on pilgrimage and I feel that I have submitted to him as much as I possibly could. I think that I have gained a very strong sense of Umma from going on pilgrimage to Mecca as everyone there was so equal and brotherly. I also feel quite relieved that I have confessed my sins to Allah and feel now that I can pray more easily after praying on the plains of Arafat for so long. I am also very happy that I have finally visited Mecca and seen the Kaba which I have prayed to everyday for so long and I consider it a privilege to be able to use the title of Hajji.
DJ: Well it has been very interesting listening to both Mary’s and Mohammed’s accounts of a pilgrimage to Lourdes and a pilgrimage to Mecca but the two pilgrimages were surprisingly different to one another. The Muslim pilgrimage was very much in honour of Allah as the it was a duty to go at least once and the activities which Mohammed had to do were compulsory and in particular order, whereas Mary decided herself to go on pilgrimage and what she would do once she got there. Both Mary and Mohammed gained important things from their pilgrimages Mohammed gained more relief from his pilgrimage where as Mary gained more enthusiasm about her faith, however both seemed to gain a sense of having a faith community and a sense of everyone being more equal. Both pilgrims visited places in remembrance of religious events to do with their religion and both places had special facilities for the disabled which was one of the main things which brought about the sense of unity as everyone could do everything on each pilgrimage. But anyway that’s all we have time for so we’ll have to say goodbye to Mary and Mohammed and I’ll see you next week on the Holy Hour for an in depth discussion of child and believers baptisms. Goodbye.
