Beckoning to the Holy Land.

THE FIFTH TENETS OF ISLAM.

The meaning of Islam from its Arabic root word  is peace.  Meaning to say Islam is a peaceful doctrine.  It's the political monger that portray Islam as brutal and terrorist.  This contemporary unscrupulous political leader mislead its followers and the world.  Terrorism is not the teaching of the Koran.

The fifth tenets of Islam is pilgrimage to Mecca.

All Muslims are expected to make at least once  in their lifetime if they are financially able and have good health conditions. Today August the fourth, 2016 Malaysian pilgrims begin to embark the journey to Mecca. This yearly event always make me excited.

The Arafah plain which about 22 km from Mecca. It  is a communal ground for the Hajj.  Where the pilgrim begins it ritual.  This event take place once a year in the last month of the year.  Otherwise it is just a wide and open space.  My wife and I visited the Arafah not in period of Hajj.

My wife and I performed the fifth tenets of Islam in 2007.   The extensive open space is erected with make shift tents for the pilgrims.  In 2007 there were 2.4 million pilgrims congregated here.

Among the gist of the  pilgrimage is to demonstrate all men are equal displayed by wearing the two-piece   unhemmed white sheets. whoever you are be a king or billionaire or  commoner your clothing are the the same unhemmed piece of cloth. 

Bird view of the make shift tents. The tents that accommodated millions of people from various countries, nationals, gender and races. 

All Muslims pray in the direction to Kaaba not worshiping  the Kaaba. Kaaba is a cuboid structure located in the center of the grand mosque in Mecca.  It is the center of world axis.  Circumambulate seven times in counterclockwise around the Kaaba is one of the pilgrimage rituals.