abtravels

It was really busy. This was 2/2:30 in the morning. As I mentioned to a friend of mine, it’s very unlikely you will ever find a point in time when it’s not busy. It’s just a question of when it is more busy than other times.

My umrah guide, earlier in the day, had recommended doing Umrah after Zuhr (first afternoon prayers) prayers. This is when the sun was most likely at its highest and temperatures would reach about 28 degrees celsius. I was really hesitant about this as I was worried about the heat.

But the good thing about this time is that this is the point of the day where the crowds are the thinnest. This means it’s easier to do the Tawaf if you can stand the heat. It will also give you an opportunity to get closer to the Ka’bah which will reduce the distance needed to travel in circumambulation which will speed up the process and also give you the chance to get closer to the black stone.

The black stone is believed to be a stone that was sent down to earth by God which has absorbed the sins of those who have kissed/touched it, causing it over the years to turn black. It is now located on one of the corners of the Ka’bah and protected by a handful of soldiers. 

You can kiss the black stone whilst in Tawaf if you can do so safely. This absolutely means no pushing or shoving. If you can’t (you probably won’t), every time you pass the black stone, you are meant to raise your right hand and say Allahu-Akbar (God is Great).

We started our Tawaf from the corner of the black stone marked by some green lights at the top of the mosque. It was insanely busy, especially the closer you try to get to the Ka’bah.You circle the Ka’bah in an anti-clockwise direction.

I had intended for it to be more spiritual for me than it actually was, and I’ll be very truthful about this. I think the main worries that I was having were mostly safety. I did say small prayers as I walked around but I was quite easily distracted in the environment that I was in. You had to be really aware of your surroundings and of other people. Not only to keep yourself safe but to keep others safe. 

There were elderly people. Bless them, who were performing Tawaf and I was really intent on pilgrims being mindful so I kept note of where this elderly gentleman was on my right.There was a lot of pushing and shoving. As most people are barefoot as well, you need to walk carefully and watch where you’re stepping.

One thing I really didn’t like and I would discourage are the men who either lock their arms with one another or barge through crowds with their hands on the shoulders of their friend in front. Like how kids act out a train in nursery I think. 

I get why they do this as it makes it easier to form a corridor and essentially ram through the crowds so you can move – it is very effective until a soldier intervenes. But imagine having to dodge this multiple times. The worst ones were when these groups rather than facing the same direction as everyone was moving, they would cut across in front of you to move closer to the Ka’bah which stops you and everyone behind you in our tracks. It ends up like a big pile up on the motorway. 

Not only is this incredibly frustrating but dangerous as stampedes have been caused in peak seasons this way. People have died. So I strongly discourage this please. It’s dangerous and not fair on other pilgrims. Calmness and consideration for your brothers and sisters needs to be paramount. Not only religiously/spiritually but for safety. 

By the way, no children are allowed on the ground floor of the Grand Mosque to circle the Ka’bah. This makes perfect sense and I’d be very surprised if a parent thought this was a safe thing to do. If you have children, you need to take them to the first floor or above, of the Grand Mosque and use these floors to do Tawaf. So just keep this in mind if you decide to bring young children.

There is a lot of noise as you can imagine. You can hear the big groups making loud dhikr – a form of chanting. I can see the benefits of this as it’s one of the most effective ways to get your mind to a state of worship in that environment. And doing this with others means you have more safety so you can watch out for each other. 

Being by myself, there were far more things I had to manage. I still prayed and made supplication each time I passed the black stone as my Umrah guide – who I am incredibly thankful for – ensured that I was close to him and that I was kept safe. Also when circling the Ka’bah men are to uncover their right shoulder during Tawaf. My umrah guide was very helpful in this and each time the cloth became loose he would help with rearranging it. He was also helpful in manually tightening the money belt so that it was usable which was incredibly helpful. He made sure throughout that I was safe and okay.