My Mama, The Hero

Please, if you will, say a prayer for my Mama. She is headed to Jordan tonight, and will soon be in Saudi Arabia to perform hajj, which is the required pilgrimage of all Muslims. She will go to the kaaba, the holiest earthly place for Muslims. This is the place we all turn to face in prayer, and it was built by Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael. It later became a place full of idols, and Prophet Muhammed returned it to its roots of monotheism.

Mama (and her brother) will run back and forth seven times to re-enact where Abraham's wife Hagar frantically searched for water for her son until the angel Garbriel revealed the zamzam well. This is holy water, and people still drink it today.

Another part of the pilgrimage includes going to Mount Arafat, where it is said all prayers are answered. When you are done praying and turn your back on Mount Arafat, it is said that all of your previous sins are forgiven. I once saw a video on hajj, and I could not stop crying when I saw how moved people were at this point of the pilgrimage.

The end of this pilgrimage is a day of celebration called Eid al Huda. This day is in commemoration of the Muslim belief that Prophet Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, for God. Animals are slaughtered and food is sent to the poor.

I miss my Mommy. She is the most wonderful woman that I know.

I told her that I was going to miss her so much. She said she would miss me too, but that God had invited her and that she had to go.