A symbolic journey juxtaposing the rewards and challenges brought about by Islam' s most challenging ritual
Despite being an integral part of Muslim faith, and one of the five pillars of Islam, Hajj was never really a focal point for me growing up. Being raised in a religious family, and having gone through six years at the Calgary Islamic School, shahada, salat, zakaat, and sawm, were all passionately stressed as incumbent upon us as Muslims. We were trained to focus on each wholeheartedly. However, for a reason unknown to me, the pilgrimage to Mecca always seemed to somehow fade away into something which we would eventually end up undertaking at some point later on in our lives. It was rarely ever talked about in any detail, almost discarded as something which would be discussed only when the time came. It is for this reason that when my parents first approached me about the prospect of going to Hajj with my mother, the idea initially seemed somewhat out of place, perhaps even a little odd.
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3/1/09