The religion of Islam is based on five foundations- the confession that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad s.a.w is the Apostle of Allah, prayer or Namaz, almsgiving or Zakaat, fasting during Ramzaan and pilgrimage to Mecca. All Muslims know the word of witness, the confession of faith in Allah and the recognition of Muhammad s.a.w as His Messenger.
In recent years the major obstacles to the pilgrimage caused by the pandemic apart from the restrictions imposed by the different countries was broken by the unstinting efforts of the Saudi Government who conducted the Hajj in all its posterity & majesty this year after a major hault of two years. People were able to perform Hajj in all its glory, grace & splendour.
Pilgrimage remains one of the vital pillars of Islam, wisely instituted by the holy Quran as a form of worship which brings Muslims closer to Allah and to each other. It remains a prudent force making for unity in the Muslim world.
Each year Muslims from all over the world, Muslims of every color and race gather in the Holy Land to fulfill their obligation to make the pilgrimage. After almost fourteen centuries the pilgrimage retains its importance for Islam in
spite of the development of new means of communication, for there Muslims from all over the world, religious leaders and common folks, meet and exchange views. Such personal contact is necessary to keep the spirit of universal brotherhood alive. In modern times the improvement in travel facilities has made it possible for large numbers of people to make the pilgrimage even from distant lands, an important factor in bringing the Muslims across the world into closer relations together at one religious centre. It therefore, becomes the largest religious gathering hosting people from Asia to Europe, to Africa and beyond.
The prismatic perspective which I hold about the Holy Pilgrimage can help bridge divisions on the lines of region, religion, language, ethnicity, culture & race.

To continue