The Journey of a Lifetime: Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia - Where History Meets Faith

Since the conquest of Mecca in the eighth year of the Hijra, fourteen hundred years ago, the call of the Kaaba has drawn millions of Muslims to the holy city of Mecca. It is more than just a pilgrimage; performing Hajj or Umrah is a journey through history, a retracing of the prophets' footsteps, and a fulfillment of a divine covenant. To understand the significance of this journey, one must know the story of the land the pilgrims walk upon—a story that begins with a father, a son, a devoted wife, and a foundation of pure faith.

 

The First Foundation: Prophet Ibrahim and the Kaaba

Before Mecca became a bustling metropolis, it was a barren valley devoid of people. By God's command, Prophet Ibrahim brought his wife Hagar and his infant son Ismail to this isolated, desolate place. In a final test of their faith, he left them with their belief in God alone. The miraculous well of Zamzam gushed forth to provide them with water, and they witnessed birds soaring there, drawn by the water, which attracted the tribe of Jurhum.

Ibrahim returned several years later. In a pivotal moment of divine guidance, God commanded Abraham to build a house of worship—the Kaaba—for humanity. The Holy Quran beautifully recounts this sacred partnership:

“And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham and Ishmael were raising the foundations of the House, [saying], ‘Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.’” (Quran 2:127).

Father and son worked together, stone by stone, to lay the physical and spiritual foundation for a sanctuary dedicated to the worship of the One and Only God, the God without partner. They prayed that a prophet (Muhammad) would be sent from their descendants and that this House would be a beacon for all humanity:

 “Our Lord, make us Muslims [in submission] to You and from our descendants a Muslim nation [in submission] to You… and send among them a messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and wisdom and purify them.” (Quran 2:128-129).

 God has answered Abraham’s prayer throughout the ages.

 Divine Defense: The Year of the Elephant and Surah Al-Fil

 The Kaaba, the beacon of monotheism, faced a grave threat in the year of the Prophet Muhammad's birth (around 570 CE). Abraha al-Ashram, the Abyssinian ruler of Yemen, sought to venerate the Kaaba by building a massive cathedral to divert the Hajj pilgrimage. When this failed, he marched on Mecca with a powerful army, including a giant war elephant named Mahmud, intending to destroy the Kaaba.

 The people of Mecca, led by the Prophet Muhammad's grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, had no recourse but to rely on God. A miraculous defense unfolded, immortalized in Surah Al-Fil (Chapter 105):

 "Have you not seen, O Muhammad, how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant? Did He not cause their plan to go astray? And He sent against them flocks of birds, striking them with stones of baked clay, and He made them like eaten straw."

 God sent flocks of birds, each carrying small stones of baked clay, which rained down upon the army, annihilating them. This historical event, known as the Year of the Elephant, was a powerful sign for the Arabian Peninsula that this House was under God's protection, paving the way for the advent of the Seal of the Prophets, who was born that year. The Reconquest: Prophet Muhammad and the Conquest of Mecca.

Hijrah 

For years, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the early Muslims were persecuted by the pagan Quraysh in Mecca, and were forced to migrate to Medina after thirteen years of preaching Islam in Mecca. The Kaaba was surrounded by more than a few hundred idols. In 8 AH (630 CE), after the Quraysh broke a treaty, the Prophet (peace be upon him) marched with ten thousand believers toward Mecca.

Victory of Makkah

He entered the city not as a conqueror seeking revenge, but as a liberator driven by mercy. He declared a general amnesty, from which almost all who had opposed him were spared. His first act was to go to the Kaaba. He circumambulated it, and with his companion Bilal ibn Rabah, who called the adhan from its roof, he systematically destroyed the 360 ​​idols that had defiled the Sacred House. He pointed to each of them with his staff and recited the Quranic verse:

“And say, ‘The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. Indeed, falsehood is ever bound to vanish.’” (Al-Isra: 81).

Hajj Rituals  

After the Kaaba returned to the pure monotheism of Abraham, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) established the Hajj rituals as we know them. He delivered his famous Farewell Sermon during his only Hajj in the year 10 AH, thus completing the message of Islam. From that year onward, Hajj became an obligation upon every able-bodied Muslim, as God ordained:

 “And Hajj to the House is a duty owed to God by all people who are able to undertake the journey…” (Al Imran: 97).

Your Journey Today: Following in Their Footsteps

 When you circumambulate, you circumambulate the House that Abraham and Ishmael raised.

 When you drink from Zamzam, you drink the water that saved Hagar and Ishmael. (Be careful not to drink water while fasting.)

 When you stand on the plains of Arafat, you join the multitudes responding to the call of the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad.

When you throw the pebbles at the Jamarat, you remember Abraham's ultimate test of faith in God's command.

 Traveling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj or Umrah is a physical journey to a spiritual center. It is a living historical lesson, a connection to the Prophetic lineage, and a profound act of worship that links every Muslim around the world, regardless of their race or country, to the original covenant of submission to the One God, Allah.

 Prepare your heart as much as, or even more than, prepare your luggage. You are not just a tourist in Saudi Arabia; you are a pilgrim on a path trodden by the prophets, defended by miracles, and completed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). May Allah accept your journey and guide you on the right path.

 Have a successful journey, and may God grant you a blessed and auspicious Hajj or Umrah that will enrich you in this world and the hereafter.