Something i got through email, and i thought it was worth sharing.
On Friday afternoon, the 9th of February, I performed umrah, and I waited nervously for Saturday the 10th to arrive. For the first time Australia would be represented at the washing of the Kaaba ceremony, and I had been granted the honour and privilege of representing Australia and hundreds of thousands of Muslim Australians at this extraordinary event.
It started at 5am, I presented myself at the Conference Palace, where we were invited to breakfast with nominated representatives of the Islamic diplomatic corps. Following breakfast we were taken up to the top floor of the palace, to a prayer room, which overlooked Masjid-Al-Haram, a spectacular view from above, I was captivated by our ability to see the pilgrims performing tawaaf, it was an extraordinary sight.
After Fajr, we were escorted to the palace restaurant, where I spoke with other diplomats, anxiously awaiting the big moment. At about 8.30am we left the palace for the Haram. Hundreds if not thousands
of Saudi security personnel were on hand, and the police with hands locked together, formed a pathway for us into the mosque. It was an impressive show of security. We walked into the mosque into a viewing area in front of the Kaaba. A huge roar of excitement swept through the Haram as the gold doors of the Kaaba were opened, and a large wooden staircase erected to facilitate entry inside Islam’s holiest shrine.
After a short wait, a group of us were taken by the security police into the courtyard, the police once again had formed a clear path for us, and checked our id cards. As we were led up the staircase, my heart pounded with anticipation, excited and humbled by the great honour that had been bestowed upon me. I was tremendously excited, and filled with joy. As I walked up the steps, I touched the golden doors. Inside the Kaaba, I was immediately struck by the sweet scent of burning incense, the simple beauty and serenity of the Kaaba’s marble interior, there were three beautiful marble columns in the middle of the Kaaba. I was impressed by the divine elegance of the Quranic calligraphy that adorned the walls. I immediately prayed 2 rakaats at the wall on my right, and then proceeded to perform 2 rakaats at each wall, until I had completed all 4 directions. I made dua and touched the walls, before I was led out. I then kissed Hajr -al Aswad, the scent was sweet and quite strong.
Later, as I wandered back to my hotel, it felt as if I had been in dream, a beautiful dream where I traveled to the center of the Muslim universe, the symbol of all that is holy and pure, but it was not a dream, it was
reality, and my heart and mind will never quite be the same again, because each time I face the Qibla to perform Salaat, I can picture the room inside, the Kaaba now has a whole new meaning to me.
Members of the Saudi royal family, Ulema, and military later performed the actual washing of the Kaaba, with buckets of zamzam water and wooden straw brooms. Pilgrims sought to pick a straw of the broom, or wash their prayer mats in the water that had cleaned the Kaaba. It was an amusing sight to see a Saudi police officer being chased by pilgrims for his broom and water.
A great day, and a wonderfully vivid and deeply moving experience, salaams .
[This message has been edited by Girl from Quraysh (edited April 17, 2001).]