London, NU Online
As world Muslims prepare for hajj spiritual journey, British Muslims who have been graced to visit Makkah on the life-time journey are still living an aura of peace and tranquility, years after taking the soul's journey to Allah.<>

“Taking those very first steps towards the Ka`aba were almost surreal,” Ameenah Khan from London told OnIslam.net, explaining the first feelings of arriving to the Grand Mosque.

“I felt my soul stirred and take flight within my chest, tears started to pour down my cheeks uncontrollably ... I could see Him everywhere, His light, the hope I felt then will always stay with me.

“I stood where the prophets of God stood, I walked their path, shared in their pain and hardship. It was as if the whole of Islam stood with me, within me, united before One God,” she added.

Ameenah is one of hundreds of millions who had the chance to perform the spiritual journey to Makkah.

Every year without fail, Muslims flock to Makkah to testify their faith and walk the path of the prophets of Allah.

For them, the journey is not a simple religious pilgrimage that unifies all Muslims, rich or poor, all races and languages.

Beyond the rituals lies one soul’s journey to the divine, a return to the origin of all things, the onetime one can pretend to be in perfect unison with Allah after leaving behind all worldly things.

“There is eternal beauty in Islam and Makkah carries the stamp of eternity, there God has spoken and is speaking to us,” Ameenah said.

“I thank God everyday for His blessings ... hajj will remain my most treasured experience, it changed me beyond recognition. Today I shine brighter for I carry hajj with me.”

Muslims from around the world pour into Makkah every year to perform hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.

Hajj consists of several ceremonies, which are meant to symbolize the essential concepts of the Islamic faith, and to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family.

Every able-bodied adult Muslim who can financially afford the trip must perform hajj at least once in a lifetime.

No Barriers

The experience of circumambulating around Ka`aba was very special for some pilgrims.

“Can you imagine standing before the very place Prophet Abraham and Prophet Muhammad stood? (peace be upon them) I was in awe of Islam' sheer power and magnetism,” Adham Mohammed al-Kawlani, from Brighton, told OnIslam.net.

“Words cannot describe the deep, out-worldly connection one can experience while circumambulating the Kaba'a with fellow pilgrims.

“Beyond the barrier language, the culture or even the race we all feel the same pull toward God ... Our faces were turned toward Him beyond and in spite of our differences ... Only during hajj did I truly comprehend the meaning of brotherhood,” he added.

Lucia Emerson, a Muslim from Manchester who performed hajj in 2011, described a life-changing trip to Makkah.

“I came into Islam in 2009 and hajj has helped me assert my connection to God and Islam,” Emerson said.

“I performed the pilgrimage in 2011 and while many of my friends advised me to wait a bit and gain some religious knowledge before taking the plunge, I am so glad I did not listen.

“As I asked God to wash away my sins I felt raindrops falling on my face. As I opened my eyes, the sky was as pure clear blue ... At the most sacred of sacred God heard my plight and blessed me with the most beautiful of all gift, faith.

“I will never forget ... The love you take with you last forever.”

This year, an estimated 25,000 British pilgrims will perform hajj to Makkah.

The UK Foreign Office has been keen on advising all travelers to personal safety and health.

Moreover, travel agencies have provided booklets, newsletter and workshops to all pilgrims to enhance their experience and ensure that all are aware of their religious duties and responsibilities.

In London the British Museum and the Museum of Islamic Art have decided to bring hajj to the masses by launching a photo exhibition; Hajj The Journey Through Art, on Wednesday, October 9.

The exhibition will focus on the history of the pilgrimage through the centuries, rituals of hajj as depicted through art and the routes taken and the experiences of pilgrims upon their return.

The exhibition also includes a special section dedicated to the oral histories and objects of pilgrims from Qatar.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq