Omani pilgrims reflect on sacred days of Haj

Makkah: Over 6,000 pilgrims from Oman are now in the holy city of Makkah performing the annual Haj pilgrimage and are united to one goal of asking God for forgiveness and repentance from their mistakes committed in the past.

One of them is 47-year old Mohammed Al-Barwani, an oil and gas specialist who manages to juggle between Islamic jurisdiction and his professional specialisation.

“The time of Haj is the time of meeting people from different backgrounds, nationalities and professions. This is part of the spirit of Haj to share knowledge and experiences while you submit yourself to God,” Mohammed explained the essence of Haj.

He also explained that tolerance is the essential part of the pilgrimage. “When you meet a lot of people, whether you talk to them or not, you need to be tolerant. Not all of them will be in the right frame of mind because they are here with just one focus.

The focus to be forgiven by God. So, sometimes, during the Tawaf, (circling of the holy Kaaba), someone may seem to be aggressive, pushing people and you need to forgive them to help them get forgiven by God for their past sins,” Mohammed added.

Mohammed is part of Wifaaq, a group that arranged about 100 Omani pilgrims for this year’s Haj session. But he is not the only one in the many Omani groups who shares the same sentiment of tolerance, patience and repentance.

Sheikh Hatim Al-Abdulsalam has dedicated his life towards Islam for many years and repeatedly reminds everyone of the benefits of successful Haj practices.

“There are many benefits of performing the Haj, not a matter of being forgiven for what you have done in the past. It is also the time of soul-searching to look deep within yourself for what kind of life you went through during your lifetime. It is time to change for the better. When you go back home, you should dedicate more time to help people,” Sheikh Hatim, told Times of Oman.

He also reminded all Haj goers to meditate when they are in Makkah and cast their minds back in the history of Islam.

“A lot of events happened in this holy city. We need to recall the history because Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) dedicated his life to serve his followers. There are dedicated places and we need to visit those places and meditate on the original blessings and goodness and their messages to the mankind,” Sheikh Hatim added.