Mecca After Fifteen Years

Alhamdulillah, I was given the blessed opportunity to visit Mecca mukarramah and perform umrah twice.  My uncle lives in Jeddah and drives into Mecca whenever the family has time, Masha'Allah.  Alhamdulillah, that made my trip much easier and relaxed.

Mecca After Fifteen Years

I had been on umrah when I was ten years old and I couldn't imagine the changes that have taken place since then.  Anxious, excited, and nervous...I could not wait to get there.

My heart began to sink as we passed through the check points along the outskirts.  The first thing you see from miles away is the big clock tower and the hotels surrounding it, while all your heart desires is a glimpse of the haram.

My aunt and cousins began to point out the houses that were lined up along the roads intertwining their way to the haram. 

They told me they were described by the Saudis as the most dangerous areas, ghettos, and homes of the illegal immigrants. 

Signs of poverty  marked the area all around; garbage thrown along the streets and sidewalks, abandoned buildings, graffiti on the walls, and solemn brick and concrete homes layered along the mountain sides.

Crawling through traffic near the haram, the minarets began to poke out between the buildings.  My heart began to beat faster with excitement. 

Surely, the area around the haram is clean and perfect! 

My eyes began to tear up at the sight of garbage along the sides of the roads and the graffiti all over.  Standing in front of the haram, a dark shadow loomed all over from the detested clock tower and its neighbors.  The markets were now replaced with H&M, Starbucks, etc.

How could they get rid of the traditional markets that gave you a glimpse of the past...what it would have been like during the time of the Prophet (saw).

The markets I did remember were pushed back by the malls and over-priced unaffordable hotels into the side roads.  They were overcrowded, filthy, and difficult to get to.

Walking into the haram, I felt my footsteps get heavier.  I cannot explain the hundreds of emotions exploding inside of me.  It was as if I had been separated from someone I deeply loved for years and now I would be reunited. 

When my eyes laid on the Kaabah, it was as if my heart stopped and everything in the world had frozen.  I couldn't hold back the tears.  Nothing can ever explain the feelings and thoughts when seeing the Kaabah.  Nothing can explain the sadness one feels when leaving it. 

Whatever the state may be of the area around, the beauty of the Kaabah can never be taken away.