Sharjah 24: Last Tuesday night, the Arab Cultural Club in Sharjah, in collaboration with the Emirates Friends Of Senior's Citizen Association, hosted an event titled "The Hajj Journey in the Past." Researcher Fatima Al-Mughni spoke at the event, which was attended by Ali Al Mughni, Vice Chairman of the Club’s Board of Directors, along with several cultural and heritage enthusiasts. The session included an exhibition of various gifts and souvenirs that past Emirati pilgrims brought back from their Hajj journey.
Fatima Al Mughni began by highlighting that Hajj has been a longstanding practice among Emiratis, driven by their strong faith and desire for divine reward. Despite the immense hardships, they traveled by sea and land, crossing daunting deserts to reach the Sacred House of God. For them, the journey was both a sacrifice and a spiritual quest, often prepared for before Ramadan.
Al Mughni explained that the journey was far more arduous than today’s travel, with no fast transportation options. Pilgrims would bid emotional farewells to their families, often leaving wills as their return was uncertain. Most traveled by land on camelback, enduring months-long journeys through scorching deserts with scarce water supplies, traveling in convoys for mutual support.
Despite these challenges, the pilgrims embarked on their journey with great joy and eagerness to visit the holy sites. The days leading up to departure were festive, with family and neighbours gathering to bid farewell and provide provisions. Some journeys were by sea, involving multiple legs from Dubai to Bahrain, then to Saudi Arabia, and finally by land to Makka, with the return trip taking months.
Upon returning, green flags adorned their homes, gunshots celebrated their arrival, and fireworks mixed with sweets, nuts, and flowers were scattered in joy. Well-wishers flocked to greet the pilgrims, who brought blessed gifts from the Holy Land such as Zamzam water, Ajwa dates, Qurans, rosaries, prayer rugs, and other sacred items. Children received simple souvenirs like hand-cranked picture viewers depicting Hajj rites.
The session included contributions from elderly attendees who shared personal experiences or stories from that era. Heritage researcher Mohammed Naguib Qaddoura discussed Hajj journeys from across the Arab and Islamic worlds, often documented by scholars and writers. These accounts enriched our understanding of regional geography, cultures, and historical contexts, adding to the cultural heritage of the Hajj.
Qaddoura also noted the longstanding spiritual connection between the UAE and the holy cities of Makka and Medina. He mentioned that the Emirati poet Ahmed bin Majid, who visited Makka as a pilgrim and composed a poem known as "The Makkiyah," is an example of this deep spiritual bond.
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