MINA, 4 February 2004 — It was “the journey of a lifetime”. That is what Hassan of Johannesburg, South Africa, said after completing Haj. Along with his daughter Shamima, a fresh graduate in medicine, they are part of a very small contingent of South African pilgrims this year.

Hassan, a businessman, has been thinking of performing Haj for the past seven years. Every year, however, something made him put it off.

“This year once again, I was not sure that I would be able to perform Haj. But God made my dream come true and here I am, along with my daughter, among millions of our brothers and sisters in faith. It is a unique experience,” he said.

His daughter considers herself fortunate to have performed Haj at 24. “I am luckier than my father. He waited for seven years to fulfill his dream while I wished this year and God granted me what I wanted.”

In his tent beneath the King Khaled Bridge, near the Jamrat, Hassan said Haj was the manifestation of God’s unity.

“For a person who grew up in an apartheid culture, such a gathering of so many nationalities of diverse cultures and languages is a novel experience and it reinforces my faith in Islam. In South Africa many people, including whites, are embracing Islam because it preaches equality and unity and professes respect for other beliefs.”

Another South African, Ihsan from Cape Town, was unable to get his Haj visa in South Africa. He refused to give up his plan and decided to come by road. “I contacted a tour operator and he suggested that a group of mixed nationalities, but mostly Indians, were leaving on Jan. 28 for Haj and I should talk to them. The group leader, Ali Imam, agreed to let me join the group and here I am.”

Ihsan says that his journey to the House of God has changed his life.

“I have been reborn. My whole life is being redefined. The sheer presence of so many believers chanting “God is Great” is amazing. I am going to dedicate my whole life to the service of Islam,” said Jassat, an engineer.

Yousuf, from Cape Town, arrived in Makkah on Jan. 10 and now he wants to live here. “Please help me. I just want to live here and clean the Holy Haram every day,” said an emotional Yousuf.

He said he was completely overwhelmed by the grandeur of the House of God. “It is an experience beyond belief and could not be explained in words. For a black like me who lived much of his life with apartheid, such equality and oneness is pure ecstasy.”

He was impressed with the hospitality of the Saudis and pained by the Jamrat tragedy.

“For a country which has spent billions of dollars for the glory of God and His Messenger that such a tragedy occurs frequently is a matter for embarrassment. Some solution must be found.”

He said he wanted to perform Haj every year but knew that it is impossible and that he should give others a chance to perform Haj and have the same experience he had.