Marjaan from Afghanistan says: "30 years ago at the age of 25 I fought the Soviets. Their planes were dropping bombs so all 260 of us hid in the underground tunnels. The explosions were devastating, and the tunnels collapsed, I was stuck underground without any water or food.

After three days they dug me out, 240 of my friends were dead, only 20 survived. I lost my legs, my skull was cracked, my shoulders broken, my ribs damaged and I can not eat from my mouth any longer, I am fed through my nose but Alhumdhulillah (All praises are due to Allah).

Since then I have spent years at hospitals in Egypt, Germany, Pakistan and finally for the past 9 years I am here in Saudi Arabia. I have 11 children back at home but I am alone here. If I have the option of getting driven to the Masjid and there is some sort of pathway I can use alternatively, I opt for the other pathway, because there is more reward in there for me.

I rather push myself then be taken in the bus just so I may get some rewards from Allah. You see under my wheelchair? Thats my Ihraam. I have done 13 Hajj so far, inshAllah this year will be my 14th Hajj."

 

 

"I am from Algeria and she is from Afghanistan" - Haji
"How do you two communicate? She doesn't speak Arabic and you can not speak Pashto?"- Admin
"We communicate with our hearts. We don't need a language. Our hands are enough, our love is enough.

 

We are all one. It doesn't matter what race or background you have.

 

Everyone here shares the same Kalimah (Muslim testimony of faith). That's all that matters."- Afeef from Algeria (right) and Zainab from Afghanistan (left)

 

 

"People can weigh themselves for 1 riyal. My mother passed away in Burma and my father works at a car shop. I'm 8 years old and this gets me around 30-40 riyals a day (about $10).

 

My father doesn't want me to work and discourages me but I want to work." Haji
"Why?" - Admin 
"Because I want to study." Naseem from Burma

 

 

Abu Hasan from Iraq continues by sayin his story, 
"I want to take a picture of you" Admin 
"Here I have a picture of me in my pocket" Haji 
"No, No I will take it from my phone" Admin 
"Ok where did the picture go I want one too!" Haji
"You need a phone that I can send it to" Admin 
"Anyway, I don't understand. For the past 12 years I have been raising sheep and selling them so I can save for Hajj. I am currently 75 years old" Haji 

His friend who is his neighbor next to him says "He is actually 80, but he has a memory problem. He does wudhu comes for prayer, when the prayer is about to begin he forgets he did wudhu and goes back to do wudhu. He is my friend I remind him when he forgets."