So next monday I'll be leaving for Qatar, my 28th country, to visit my mother, her sister and my cousins. I will also use it as a jump off point to go into Saudi Arabia and perform Umrah or "the lesser pilgrimage".
Umrah is when Muslims travel to visit Mecca and perform ritual acts that symbolize the deeds of Ibrahim (Abraham) and his wife. From circling the Kaaba, the building that Ibrahim built after being tested by God to kill his own son; to running back and forth between two hills to symbolize Ibrahim's wife's frantic search for water as she was about to die with her son Ishmael. We then drink from the well of Zamzam, the well that Angel Gabriel created by touching the tip of his wing to the ground. Finally, we symbolize Ibrahim's struggle against the Devil by throwing stones at three separate pillars. The Devil tempted him three times as he took his son to sacrifice, each time he rejected him. We then sacrifice an animal as he once did.
This takes place over the course of 10 days. Most of the time is spent reflecting on your life and your sins. It's hard not to when you are in the middle of the desert with pilgrims from all over the world, dressed in the only attire allowed (a hemmed white sheet, another hemmed white sheet pants, and sandals).
Many people from every background come to perform this act. Though not Hajj, the fifth and last pillar of Islam and the mandatory pilgrimage every able Muslim must take once in there lives, Umrah wipes your sins clear and allows you to be reborn.
Though I'm not the best Muslim, or person for that matter, I'm 25 years old now and I need a spiritual journey. Though I've disconnected from Islam and mostly been turned on to the power that resides in this world rather than those that are promised in the after-life, I feel like it would be a misstep if I didn't seek out my religion one last time in a substantial way.
I drink, I smoke, I sometimes eat pork (only if I'm really hungry), I've had premarital sex with several partners, I can be a heartache for family, I sometimes act selfishly, I sometimes act lazily, I steal almost everyday if you count torrentz (and I should), but I try to be honest, I try not to judge people, I try not to hate anyone, I try not to hurt anyone, I try to learn from everyone I see, I try to teach to everyone I see, and I try to help others.
I hope it is an enlightening trip.