Inside Mecca (2003 TV Movie) User Reviews

True to life stories of Muslims about hajj

[naurimas-1 · 8/10 · 15 August 2005]

This documentary made by National Geographic is interesting, true to life and informative. The plot is based on the stories of 3 people traveling to Mecca to perform hajj. Preparations, troubles and religious insights of the Muslim professor from the States, black journalist from South Africa, and the businessman from Indonesia are disclosed during their journey to Mecca and their actions in Mecca. It was interesting to find some facts about the city, religious rituals. Racial problem. In one episode the black man even in Mecca suffers because of his color in Mecca in the tent of his countrymen, therefore he decides to leave it. Also it was interesting to see satellite photos, religious Western paintings associated with famous religious figures associated with Mecca, also comments by the religious which were used in this movie.

film worth watching

[hveley · 8/10 · 17 April 2006]

Before watching the documentary I had little education and experience with the Muslim culture. After having the chance to view the film i was amazed at the way you were immersed into the lives of the Muslims that were being followed. You are given the opportunity to see and travel the road just like you would if you were in fact participating. The film also does a good job at explaining the biblical theories behind the rituals that are being performed as well. Without this I think that many people would have a harder time relating to the experiences. Both people of no or different religious backgrounds can watch this film and just learn. The only thing that I saw wrong with the video was the fact that there was no Arib. I would have found it interesting to have seen the pilgrimage from their point of view as well. They did a good job at showing a woman's point of view as well as two men of different economical stages in their lives. On a side note the makers did not only just focus on the religious aspects of the hajj but also the racial and gender issues that come into play. All in all though I think that this film could be used to broaden the horizons of those with only the stereotypes to base fact on.

Inside Mecca - a great look into one of the most spiritual journeys in the world

[swissfamily6 · 8/10 · 4 June 2012]

When looking for a religious film to watch I knew that I wanted to watch one about Islam because I wanted to be more informed. After watching "Inside Mecca" I am extremely glad with my choice of film because it provided me with a much brighter and more knowledgeable outlook on Islamic beliefs and rituals. This movie explains and depicts Islam's hajj, which is a pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia that is one of the five pillars of Islam. One of my favorite aspects of this movie was that it showed the journey of hajj from the perspectives of three people who broke the mold of Muslim stereotypes. There is a white Texan female, a black South African man and a Malaysian man. Before watching this documentary I ignorantly presumed the majority of Muslims to be Arab this movie taught me that only about 20% of Muslims are Arab. I thought that these three characters all had beautiful stories and reasons for being Muslim, especially the man from South Africa who adores how Islam accepts all genders, races and social statuses because he has seen so much racism throughout his country that he is now looking for peace through hajj. This movie does not only give the audience insight into who actually worships Islam but it also gives history to why they travel on hajj and it gives specific reasons for why Muslims partake in the numerous days of rituals. From this movie I have learned that Mecca is not simply going to visit the Kabba, but instead it is a spiritual journey that people choose to join in order to strengthen their relationship with Allah. This movie did get slightly boring at times but seeing how much emotion people feel when experiencing hajj and simply seeing the masses that attend was certainly incredible and gives perspective to those like myself who know very little about the Muslim faith.

Fascinating throughout.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 3 July 2013]

As I watched this documentary, I was struck by how difficult it must have been to make this film. After all, the religious authorities in Mecca would not allow non-Muslims to film there and I am pretty sure there must have been TONS of logistical difficulties getting this thing made. So, I really appreciate all the hard work that went into making this one.

This film is about the Hajj--the Islamic pilgrimage that Muslims do in Mecca each year. However, before arriving in this Arabian city, the film begins in three different countries--and follows three different believers (from the US, South Africa and Malaysia) throughout their journey. As the journey progresses, the narrator does an excellent job of explaining each step and its significance. Overall, a one of a kind experience--one that is really well made and fascinating throughout. A must for anyone--not just if they are Muslim.

Very interesting

[zhanerkebatyrbayeva · 10/10 · 7 November 2020]

Inside Mecca is a documentary film by National Geographic. The film illustrates a pilgrimage to Mecca, embark on hajj. It explains the religious rules of Islamic Hajj pilgrimage. The main characters of the film are Ismail Mahboob, Khalil Mandhlazi, and Fidelma O'Leary. All of them are different, they came from different countries, have a different ethnicity, speak different languages, have different social status. But there is one thing that unites them. It is their religion "Islam". All three of them went to embark on Hajj. The film shows and explains different aspects of religious traditions as the rules of Muslim communities and rules of pilgrimage through different perspectives. This review will discuss how the religious traditions such as the meaning of equality in the Islam community and some arguments about the rules of the religion were highlighted in this documentary movie. There is an emphasis on being equal before God in Islam. This means that God does not separate people by their color, race, or wealth. Thus, being patient, toleranta and supporting each other is essential, especially during the embark on Hajj. This was highlighted in the movie, too. Before Hajj, all pilgrims wear a special cloth called Ihram. They walk 5 miles together, pray together and embark on Hajj together. Despite the fact that Ismail was a wealthy man, he left all his belongings and wear only Ihram as everybody did. He prayed and embark as everybody on the Hajj pilgrimage. Also, the movie showed an assistance during the Hajj. Fidelma says that there was a happy moment for her when the African man helped her to find a space and said: "Alhamdulillah and praise be to God." "I really was welcomed," she says. This exactly shows support in the Islamic community. Thus, the equality is very important during the Hajj in Muslim community. On the other hand, despite the fact that there is a rule of equality in Islam, the movie shows that it is not always the case. For example, people can get a VIP buffet, upgraded buses, and better tents with fewer people for extra money. It is explained that "even if it is important to be equal before God, there is no prohibition on comfort as long as pilgrim can pay for it". Hence, it is unclear what equality mean exactly in Islam. Also, there is still a stereotype concerning Muslims. Fidelma is an American woman with blue eyes and Irish ethnicity. She faced some inequality during the Hajj as people were staring at her. "Strangers tried to tell me what is like to be a Muslim and ask me if I am really a Muslim. I think they forgot for a moment that you can only be here if you are Muslim. It can be upsetting," she says. Khalil also felt uncomfortable as he wasn't treated as others due to his skin color. He complains: "It is very painful to see this condition during the Hajj since we are here always in one community." Thus, the movie demonstrated that the Islamic religious tradition of equality is not always met as was expected. The movie also shows a pack of rules for doing Hajj, but also it mentions that there are still some misunderstandings regarding the religious rules. For example, in order to get a visa in order to enter holy places of Muslim, a person has to provide a certificate from the Mosque proving that he/she is a Muslim. Likewise, the Saudi Embassy requires male relative permission for a female to travel. As she was divorced, she asked her son to give her an official agreement. "I have never read any restriction in the holy Quran. But I don't mind, because in Roman you do what all Romans do" says Fidelma. Thus, even if there is nothing written in the Quran about those rules, there are still existing rules of the government regarding religion. Another misunderstanding happened during the ritual called the Jamarat, throwing stones at the walls. It was unclear how many stones should a pilgrim throw to Satan. While Fidelma mentioned that 47 stones are needed to be thrown, while another person said that there should be 49 stones. "There is a confusion about how much punishment Satan should get," states the speaker in the movie. Hence, the amount of pebbles is conroversial. Those misunderstandings show the arguments on the rules of Islam still occur nowadays. In conclusion, the documentary movie "Inside Mecca" effectively showed and explained the Islamic tradition of pilgrimage from different perspectives of three different people. The movie also explained the term equality in Islam and some stereotypical vision concerning other races and ethnicity. Also it demonstrated some disputes in religious traditions as rules to get a visa to embark on Hajj or the amount of stones needed for Jamarat ritual.

Documentary movie about the Hajj

[gauharanuar · 10/10 · 4 November 2018]

The movie "Inside Mecca" produced by National Geographic Television is a documentary film about the Arabian city Mecca which is regarded as a sacred place for Muslim people. Not only for local Muslim people but believers of Islam all around the globe are also coming to this city to make one of the holiest things in their religion to make pilgrimage or in Arabic termed as to make Hajj. The making of pilgrimage is one of the five pillars for Muslim people. In other words if believers of Islam can physically and financially can afford making Hajj they will be obliged to do that at least once in their life. This tradition was done by the Prophet Muhammad and his followers and further continuing until our times. This movie professionally describes and shows the most important doings of Muslim people in the period of Hajj. In other words, by showing each step of making Hajj, we can see the major details which are made by Muslim people to fully and accurately complete their pilgrimage. In addition, the movie seemed to me to be describing not only positive sides of making pilgrimage but focused also on difficulties occurring during Hajj facing each Muslim and showing that it needs big patience for Muslims to complete their Hajj and therefore, this action can be counted as one of the ascetic actions for the sake of the God rather than just traveling to another city. The movie chooses three Muslim people who are interviewed in their preparation to Hajj, their emotions and reactions to different cases were shot during Hajj and after that. These actors are selected from different countries and nationalities. What is interesting and catches my attention is that all of these people before the Hajj were showing their desire to make pilgrimage and they also showed they are not doing it because they are obliged to do but by the movie we can see their true love to their religion and the God. We can also see it firstly from their long preparation to Hajj. Firstly, as we understand by the movie there is required permission to go to Hajj for women from any man within their relatives or husband. And our American actress asks permission from her son which idea she does not like however she accepts it as a part of rule of making Hajj and obeys it. In the movie appeared other problems which were not easy to accept for them but they tried their best to tolerate and solve all faced problems. This movie was produced in 2003 which is 15 years before from now. It is not so early from now and the movie is also very qualitative with good voice and well acted actors. The movie is also bright and instantly catches attention with interesting moments. However, even though the tradition of pilgrimage and its stages are not changing significantly, there could be added some changes of making Hajj due to constantly changing unstable world. For example, the documents required for making pilgrimage could be changed such as the requirement of the permission for woman from husband or any man within relatives which is nowadays sounds weird because if your husband or relatives are unbelievers or they might be unhappy with your pilgrimage. This may be left from ancient tradition and now could be criticized and turned into preferable status however it could also left unchanged which is unknown. Such kind of rules and laws for making Hajj could be changed due to time. In addition, the city of Mecca and other places for making pilgrimage could be changed to comfort the process of making Hajj for Muslim people which was described as difficulties for Muslim people in this movie. Therefore, updated movies should be produced about the Hajj for Muslim people and may be for non Muslims also to be involved in the process of contemporary situation of the Hajj. In conclusion, overall this movie very well describes the details for making Hajj and shows how it is exciting to make pilgrimage and at the same time how it is hard to be patient for difficulties in the way of the making Hajj for Muslims people. However, as it is older movie compared to this time and more changes could be occurred after the movie was produced, it will be more accurate if updated movies about making the Hajj will be produced. Overall, I liked the movie how it is shortly shot and have described the significant facts about the Hajj and Mecca. Interesting moments and qualitative pictures with professional actors were catching the eyes of audience and made more interesting about the history of the Islam. My recommendation for further development of movie if it is thought of gaining more audience might be to document film not only from three people's sides but to include other Muslim people too with different cultural and social backgrounds which might turn movie into level of more entertaining and appealing to audience.

Inside Mecca

[musaferewaqt · 10/10 · 23 July 2018]

An informative video. perfect for newbies who have no idea about mecca and great for those who may have some knowledge. Good perspective for someone who may not be muslim.

An interesting look into the practicalities of your average Muslim's Hajj

[ian-867-600255 · 8/10 · 10 December 2013]

It's one thing to promise, at some distant point in one's life, to make a long and arduous journey through the desert to a holy city. It's quite another thing to actually do it. In the National Geographic documentary Inside Mecca, the camera follows three Muslims from three very different countries: a professor of neuroscience from Texas, a radio host from South Africa, and a corporate executive from Malaysia, on their pilgrimage to the most sacred site in Islam. Throughout their journey, they experienced numerous tests to their faith, as well as saw the true scale of Islam as a religion. The documentary also provides the viewer with the details of the Hajj, and tells the story of how it came to be and the difficulty in organizing it today. For me, this documentary was a whole new look at a religious tradition I was only vaguely aware of. I knew that Muslims had to visit Mecca at least once in their lives, and I knew that had something to do with standing around this big black box, but I never knew what any of it meant or what else was required. The documentary provided lots of helpful back-story, so I learned all about the Hajj and the religious history behind it. Normally in these types of documentaries, the religious story is told through reenactments - some aspiring B-list actor in nativity clothes tries to act like Abraham while the narrator talks. But I liked that in Inside Mecca, they told the stories through just voice and landscape shots. It kept the documentary from feeling forced or artificial. Really, its primary focus wasn't the history of the Hajj. The documentary was about the Hajj today, and how an ancient pilgrimage exists in a 21st century world. In this the documentary excelled, as following three specific characters helped give me a sense of what it would be like to actually journey to Mecca. They describe a lot of the modern inconveniences of travel - the bureaucracy of getting a visa, long bus rides, crowds, and getting strange looks in a foreign country. I particularly empathized with the woman from Texas, who was white and so got a lot of flak about being a "real Muslim". I could understand her frustration, as I feel the same every time I go to Korea and get treated like a tourist. I also enjoyed learning about the organizational leviathan that is running the city of Mecca. Iyad Masani, the Minister of Hajj, said "If you can imagine having 20 Super Bowls, in one stadium, where two million people will come… and if you add to that that these two million people will actually be taking part in playing the game, it may give you a glimpse of the preparations needed for Hajj." Especially when they showed the tent city at Mina, or the hordes of people walking towards Arafat, I really got a sense of how big an event this was. If there's one thing this documentary accomplished, it was showing me what going to Mecca would actually be like. Mundane scenes, like one of the people packing their luggage or trying to put on their ihram taught me more about the Hajj than many of the facts. I didn't just learn about the traditions behind the Hajj, I learned about what it meant for Muslims today. Even as an atheist, I quite enjoyed Inside Mecca, as they were impressively non-biased throughout the documentary. I would highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn about the Hajj, or anyone who just wants an interesting look into Islam today.

Inside the plurality of Muslim identity...

[danelakhmetova · 6/10 · 2 April 2020]

The director of "Inside Mecca", Anisa Mehdi, is of half-Iraqi and half-Canadian descent. It is perhaps not surprising that someone like Mehdi would wish to explore issues of identity, which are at the core of this movie, in more depth in their own professional work. In this review, I will argue that this documentary film's main purpose was to expand the borders of what being a Muslim means in the understanding of people both inside and outside the religion, although perhaps for the latter group to a greater extent. This was done through the choice of main participants and the demonstration of historical facts behind the rituals of the hajj amidst a number of cinematographic techniques to support it. The 2003 National Geographic documentary follows three individuals on their way to the journey that every Muslim dreams upon doing at least once in a lifetime - the hajj to Mecca. It gives us an insight into the participants' different backgrounds, preparations for the road, and eventually the struggles and the bliss that they have to go through to be able to call themselves Hajji or Hajja. Another exploration that this film pursues is the historic significance of Mecca to both Islam and non-Islamic religions. First, the participants of this documentary had been chosen to represent various racial, national, and even religious past and backgrounds. This was to show, for both Muslim and non-Muslim populations, the diversity of those individuals that might be committed to Islam, especially since completing the hajj is considered the most valid proof of one's dedication to this religion. These individuals come from Malaysia, South Africa, and the United States and all of them speak English, bringing them closer to an English-speaking audience watching the documentary. As the documentary rightly pointed out, there are currently more than a billion Muslims (with the majority of non-Arab background) in the world growing their numbers each year around all continents and nations, including the United States and Europe, where Muslims have been for long undoubtedly marginalized and discriminated. The shots from afar of Kaaba and other places around Mecca help people to see the uncountable number of people that practice and dedicate themselves to Islam before we even take into account that people at Mecca replace each other all the time with new people coming and leaving throughout the whole year and also that many Muslims would never be able to accomplish such journey. Even for some members of Islamic faith, as was shown in the documentary, and more definitely so for non-Muslims, it might be strange to stumble upon someone from a different background than what is generally assumed to represent a Muslim person. For example, Khalil Mandhlazi, a black South African male pilgrim to Mecca, was not so much accepted allegedly due to the color of his skin, even in the circles representing his own country. Similarly, Fidelma O'Leary, a white American having a while ago converted from Catholicism, also voiced problems of needing secondary confirmation of her being an actual Muslim from the mosque that she attends in order to be able to obtain a visa, along with the fact that she has surprised many individuals she met in Mecca who inquired where she was from and if she was, indeed, Muslim. However, eventually, Khalil managed to find a group of Malawi pilgrims to pray with, with whom he felt more accepted, and Fidelma felt that she was "welcome" after a brief encounter with a man who greeted her nicely. This was to show for the non-Muslims (and probably to encourage those within the Muslim faith to do the same) that Muslims can be accepting of each other despite the differences and are not as exclusivist or nationally/ethnically/racially isolated as one might think. Second, the rituals were, in my view, successfully explained to the general non-Muslim audience of other Abrahamic religions, for instance Christians or Jews of the United States, who might be to various degrees struggling to understand what the significance of them was. The specific explanation of the hajj and the rituals accompanying it in the film helped overall to connect Islam with the other Abrahamic religions, the connection that tends to be forgotten in the wake of rivalries between believers of these faiths, again for both Muslims and non-Muslims. Even though Mecca had now become the most sacred of all places for the Muslims most dominantly, according to the historic background presented in the film through a couple of expert opinions, this place had had a profound connection to all Abrahamic religions even before they emerged as world religions. In fact, as a scholar of Islam claims in the documentary, it was Abraham, "the father of Jews, Christians, and Muslims", who besides advocating a submission to one deity, created the concept of pilgrimage to Mecca, that is the hajj as we know it today (14 min). The use of European paintings portraying Abraham, Ismail, angel Gabriel and the like, which are closer to the audiences coming from the Western countries, was an effective technique to describe those stories to an otherwise skeptical community that might not identify with Muslim faith. Many things described in this documentary are seen as important to other non-Islamic religions, thus it makes audiences coming from those backgrounds understand the significance behind what most Muslims seek to achieve once in their life - the hajj. Other things were, in my perspective, aimed not only at the non-Muslim religious and non-religious audiences, but also specifically at those within the Islamic community of believers itself. For example, a woman does not need to wear hijab on the daily basis or have a husband, for that matter, to call herself a Muslim and attempt to do the hajj. Fidelma, who is also a professor of neuroscience, does not wear head garments every day and has been divorced. The importance of charity in Islam is shown and more importantly how Muslim members of non-dominant ethnicities within the religious community can give as much or even more attention to upholding some values, such as the significance of giving to those in need, that are integral to Islam and life of a Muslim believer. Upon arriving to Mecca, Khalil is shown as being not at ease with "hungry and poor" kids and later decides to buy and take a patch of food to those communities in need that tend to live above the city, thus bringing some difficulty to those like Khalil wishing to engage in charitable activities. In conclusion, "Inside Mecca" showed the extent of what kinds of people can identify with Muslims despite the stereotypes that both people of Muslim and non-Muslim identities might have. One of the film's main arguments is that believers of Islam can be of all ethnic and racial backgrounds coming from a wide range of countries geographically distant from each other, such as Malaysia, South Africa, and the United States, as was shown through the three cases depicted in this documentary. Furthermore, the movie establishes that what Muslim individuals believe in and practice, of which the most vivid example is the hajj, is not completely separated from the origins of other dominant world religions, most importantly Christianity (as per the majority of the assumed Western or American audience of this film). For the audience coming from the Muslim community itself also, "Inside Mecca" gives some questions and limitations to think about, such as the importance of charity, the presence of female headwear, or the existence of racial prejudices within the community.

Film Review on the film "Inside Mecca"

[mukhtarametov · 10/10 · 4 April 2021]

The film "Inside Mecca" is a documentary film directed by Anisa Mehdi in 2003. As the name suggests, this documentary is about the most important sacred place for Muslims, the city of Mecca as well as Kaaba centered inside this city. From the beginning to the end of the film National Geographic tried to make the film easier and better for the audience to understand how the "hajj" (pilgrimage) is performed in the city of Mecca and to show all the steps of this journey by interviewing and showing three pilgrims from different countries at the same time, namely from the United States, South Africa, and Malaysia. In my opinion, by implementing such a strategy, the filmmakers were able not only to demonstrate the process of the hajj in a deeper and better way, but they were also able to convey the idea and message that all humans are equal in Islam, regardless of wealth, race, nationality, and many other factors.

One of the scenes showing the equality of God's creatures takes place when pilgrims were in the same white sacred clothing during the hajj, called "ihram". All pilgrims are required to wear it, that is, all pilgrims must be in the state of ihram during the hajj. This special clothing does not have any stylish decorations with ornaments or patterns. It consists of only two large white towels: one, called "rida", wraps the upper part of men's body and another one, called "izar", covers the lower part respectively. This serves as a symbol of equality since everyone wears the same clothing that makes it impossible to distinguish whether the pilgrim is rich or poor. For example, at the beginning of the film "Inside Mecca", we are introduced to its three main heroes - Fidelma, Khalil, and Ismail. The first personage, Fidelma, is from the United States, and she is a professor at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. The second hero, Khalil, works as a radio commentator in Moutse Community Radio Station (MCRS) in South Africa. The last personage, Ismail, is from Malaysia, and he is "an executive with all the trappings of success" ("Inside Mecca", 9:40). It can be seen that these three people differed from each other by factors like nationality, race, and wealth. However, when they entered the holy city of Mecca, where the Prophet Muhammad was born, and donned ihram to perform their hajj, they became indistinguishable from other millions of pilgrims like them.

Another episode that takes place in the valley of Mina also shows the equality of all humans in Islam that were descended from Adam and Eve. During the scenes from the valley of Mina, the audience can see many tents that were built for the pilgrims. But what is more important is that all of those tents have the same design, size, and color, which visually illustrates that all of the servants of Almighty God should be equally treated. As Khalil said, "we are here always in one community not looking to the color and not looking to the race or whether you are rich or you are poor" (34:10). Therefore, the valley of Mina provides equal services for everyone by making the same tents and placing the pilgrims in those same tents.

Rituals like "tawaf", where pilgrims walk around the Kaaba and circle it seven times, staying on Mount Arafat, throwing rocks to Satan, and performing namaz in Masjid al-Haram are not differentiated and considered to be performed by all the pilgrims. In other words, there are no rituals where pilgrims are differentiated by gender, race, or wealth, i.e., there is no such thing that only a suitable part of people perform a certain ritual and the rest cannot since they are not allowed. The film clearly shows how all of the three heroes stay on the Mount Arafat, on the valley of Mina, and enter and circle the Kaaba. We cannot see any episode where Khalil, Fidelma or Ismail, or other pilgrims were differentiated and not allowed to perform a particular ritual. But, instead, the film shows the audience how all the pilgrims stay on the same line, shoulder to shoulder when they perform namaz. For example, at the end of the documentary, we are shown how Fidelma did prayings and performed namaz with other pilgrims staying in the same row. We can notice that during namaz people listened to Imam and all of them did the same movements by repeating after him. During this ritual, people's heads were always looking to the ground without looking to the sides. Because a person performing namaz directs his body and soul to the God, who always watches after him or her, and he or she knows that they are standing in front of Him. There are no lines differentiating people by their wealth, authority, and many factors like that. Everyone - the rich and poor, the black and white - stands in the same line and performs the same namaz by doing the same movements. Doing tawaf around the Kaaba is also the same for all pilgrims. The film, in the episode at 54:58, shows us this process from the bird's eye view. Millions of pilgrims walk around the Kaaba, and as Fidelma said, "there are millions of other people and you are like an ant and your significance is suddenly down to zero" (54:12). Because everyone is equally allowed to circle the Kaaba and do other rituals of the hajj as other pilgrims.

Overall, I liked the film, especially its strategy when the filmmakers tried to show it from the three perspectives at the same time. Demonstrating three pilgrims from different countries they could convey the atmosphere of the hajj and its procedures. This certainly made the film easier and better for the audience to understand and see what the hajj is and how it is performed. I give a maximum or the highest possible rate to this documentary. I especially want to point out how they were able to convey all the possible information about the hajj to their audience just in 55 minutes. However, I think that they did not only show the process of the hajj but they also could convey the idea that Islam treats all humans equally by showing three people from different countries with different nationalities, races, and wealth. We can observe it from the episodes when pilgrims wear the same white clothing, ihram, and when they were placed in the same tents in the valley of Mina and did the same rituals during the hajj. I think this documentary will be interesting for those people who want to go to the sacred city of Mecca to perform the hajj and want to know more about its procedure. Therefore, I recommend these people to watch the film by Anisa Mehdi.

Revelation Movie

[arnayeleuova · 7/10 · 17 April 2020]

Inside Mecca filmed by National Geographic reveals the hajj stories of three Muslims coming from different backgrounds with each experience being very unique, but united under one faith of Islam. The documentary introduces us to the hajj journeys of Muslims coming from South Africa, Asia and America. Hajj is a way for them and for every other Muslim to express their religious solidarity and faith in one God. This pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam and it is an obligation for every Muslim to perform it at least once in their lives. It takes from five to six days to perform the hajj in the city of Mecca and its surroundings. All the Muslims from different backgrounds endeavor to visit the holy city of Mecca and replicate the sacred rituals performed by and associated with the holy prophets Ibrahim, Ismail and Muhammad. Performing hajj needs a vast preparation and dedication from the pilgrims due to the spiritual prominence of the event. For many pilgrims it takes a great effort to prove their commitment to Islam and be able to actually enter the Saudi Arabia. Once in Mecca, the pilgrims enter a state of "ihram", which symbolizes the spiritual purity and makes Muslims abstain from materialistic pleasures and focus on their faith and inner selves. In the state of "ihram" pilgrims ought to dress in white cloth, which would equalize everyone under one faith of Islam, because before God everyone is equal and no one could be either differentiated or discriminated. However, the movie sheds the light on manifestations of discrimination faced by the pilgrims that represent the minorities in Mecca. Racial and gender discrimination are often present even in the holy city and some of the pilgrims face physical hardships due to their appearance. Nevertheless, the challenges are incomparable to the spiritual and emotional changes that occur during the holy journey of hajj. The movie clearly illustrates how religion and faith are meaningful to every pilgrim, but at the same time it reveals unforseen discrimination faced by the minority groups. The pilgrim from South Africa represents the Muslim minority at his homeland, and he is very eager to be united with the vast Muslim community united under one faith and one aim of fulfilling their religious duty. He has been assured that he will finally acquire both inner peace and spiritual unity with the outer world of like-minded people. For him, nothing matters more than his affiliation to Islam when he is in Mecca. However, because dark-skinned Africans represent minority in the Muslim world, the hero happens to face racial discrimination in Mecca, his spiritual capital. The pilgrim from USA had a very similar experience, because she was raised in a Catholic family in a very conservative environment of Texas. Her experience of conversion to Islam was to an extent unprecedented for her community, hence she failed to gain support even from her closest ones. Taking into account all the hardships she faced on her religious path, she always remained very purposeful in visiting Mecca and performing the hajj. She understood that white American, not accompanied by a men, would be a very rare case even among the three millions of pilgrims. However, she is hurt every time someone asks if she is Muslim, even though non-Muslims are not even allowed to visit Mecca. For both of the pilgrims who faced discrimination it was very upsetting not to connect with the outer world during their hajj experience. However, those obstacles were clearly negligible in comparison with the spiritual enrichment they gained. They try to step back from all the challenges and keep their temper, because everyone has to remain in the state of "ihram" while in holy city of Mecca. As they focus on their inner selves and the prayers, the pilgrims connect to the religious rituals, events and locations on every step of their journey. Ultimately, hajj becomes spiritually enriching for each individual despite all the challenges faced. The movie provides us with a great perspective on the hajj. The event is often seen by non-Muslims as a mere pilgrimage, so it makes a great deal in revealing all the challenges and importance of the event for a Muslim. It gives an insight into the preparation processes, because Mecca welcomes several million people in duration of a week. Henceforth, it takes government to be very inventive in accommodating all the pilgrims and maintaining the order. The perspective on the hajj chosen by the screenwriter and the director, Anisa Mehdi, opened up many important angles of Islam's central event. The movie image illustrated the density of the crowd and the dedication of the people to the rituals very clearly. All the concepts and deeds were well-explained for a broad audience, providing just enough details and insights to get an understanding. However, there is definitely a room to work on the sound and musical accompaniment, as it often distracted rather than complimented the image. Nevertheless, Inside Mecca is a great movie to get acquainted with some of the central concepts of Islam and get historical insights into the holy hajj pilgrimage.

immature !!!

[darweech · 1/10 · 23 January 2014]

Very disappointing by National Geographic, very low quality from all perspectives as a movie. can't you at least choose a music that is more related to the context? why in such a crowded context we hear only the voice of 3 people? can't you reflect and give more time to the event as a total? you are calling the movie "Inside Mecca", so reflect it all and not only the personal story of 3 people.

it's also obvious you brought all the negative connotations in Mecca and emphasized them. did you make the movie to criticize the whole thing? then why not telling it clearly and name the movie something like "errors of hajj"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7q_LcqbvKI This short film in the link, made by a normal person using a home video camera reflect it to me better that National Geographic, congratulations!!!

Review "Inside Mecca"

[zarinasadyrbayeva · 10/10 · 9 November 2020]

Every person needs support that will give him hope, faith, strength, as well as an explanation of some of the things that he does not understand. People find this strength and support in religion, and this is the main thing that helps to develop a person's worldview. The same characteristics of religion, in particular Islam, can be seen in the National Geographic documentary "Inside Mecca," directed by Anisa Mehdi in 2003. The film tells the story of three pilgrims: Khalil from South Africa, Fidelma from the United States and Ismail from Malaysia. They joined two million of their fellow Muslims during the great Hajj in Mecca, spending several days following the journey of the Prophet Muhammad. The documentary effectively presents the main idea of the Hajj - the cleaning from sins and the establishment of faith. Besides, there are unique images which provide a rare opportunity to get familiarized with important structural landmarks of Mecca, the center of pilgrimage, which cannot be observed by representatives of other faiths because the law of Saudi Arabia prohibits those who do not profess Islam from entering the Holy City. In this review, I want to highlight different conceptions of Islam, such as the notion of equality and peace, reverence of the Prophet Muhammad, the significance of dark power that I have noticed while watching this movie. First of all, Islam is the direction of humanity on the right path leading to peace and holiness, indicating what the meaning of life is. By making a pilgrimage to Holy places, Muslims express their love, obedience and humility to God. It emphasizes the concept of human equality as the participation in the Hajj is collective worship. During the trip, people tend to temporarily abandon the everyday hustle and bustle, worries, privileges of civilization, social status, race and entirely devote themselves to praying (namaz) and worship of Allah. In Islam, the most important is the strong belief in one God and the morals of the Quran in a person's heart. As we could see, men were dressed in white attire, ihram, which makes all of them look the same and be equal, despite various economic and educational accomplishments. For example, before his trip, Ismail took only a few clothes to Mecca as his pilgrimage was not about material merits but more spiritual salvation. Despite the considerable difference in the origin and social status of pilgrims, there will be almost no quarrels and misunderstandings among them, because in the Quran, it is written that "Whoever intends to perform the Hajj during these months should not engage in sexual intercourse, commit sins, or engage in disputes during the Hajj" (Surah al-Baqarah, verse 197). Also, in the reading "Major Themes of the Quran" by Rahman, it is written that "concerning distributive justice, the Qur'an laid down the principle that wealth should not circulate only among the rich ... these words were spoken in the context of the distribution of booty among the poor Meccan immigrants" (p.41) which states that it is crucial to help low classes so they will not feel disadvantaged. It is essential to do this not only for the sake of God but also from honest intentions. In the movie, Khalil was bringing the food for those in need. He says that charity is one of the tenets of Islam and Allah asks people to take care of others as much as possible. Therefore, in the end, it was shown that after the rite of throwing the stones, it is advisable to make a sacrifice. The sacrifice is performed in Mecca and is distributed to the poor around the world, showing Islam as giving hope for the forgiveness and mercy of Allah through the right intentions and actions of people. Secondly, with respect for Prophet Muhammad, the follower spiritually reborn and wants to be closer to him during the Hajj because Prophet is considered as a "messenger of Allah". As it was shown in the movie, according to traditions, each pilgrim must perform the tawaf during the Hajj, which is the going round the Kaaba counterclockwise seven times as did Prophet Muhammad. This rite symbolizes a unity, monotheism and harmony of the world. Also, people should go to Medina where Prophet Muhammad is buried to feel closer to the Prophet and pray beside him. Moreover, in order to forgive their sins, they go to Jabal ar Rahman which is a small mountain in the Arafat Valley. The mountain was known because the Prophet prayed there and said that the best prayers were offered on Arafat and that "Arafat is Hajj". According to the "Cambridge Companion of the Quran," by enhancing himself with the knowledge of the Prophet's good deeds, a Muslim becomes able to carry the ideas of his religion to others in order to establish goodness, harmony, integration and justice, by not paying attention to those who ridiculed or insulted him. It was shown when African pilgrim said in the end that "God is great. I thank him for bringing me this place, to see where all these events happened. When I return home, I must give away what I learned with others." The next function of Islam is giving protection, guidance, hope and support for people in their lives. It is no accident that people, as a rule, in difficult moments of life turn to religion, which helps to drive away anxiety, sorrow and other dark forces. For example, the film showed how pilgrims in Mash'ar al-Haram collect stones and prepare for the rite of "Stoning Satan." In "Major themes of Quran" is written that "Satan works as an anti-man force trying to seduce a man from 'straight' (right) path instructed by God" (p.18). That is why by throwing stones at the idols of Satan, at this stage of the Hajj, the pilgrims clean themselves of any deception, debauchery, and satanic forces. Although their weapons are insignificant, the grandiose wave unity defeats the enemy, no matter how strong he may be. The pilgrims thus reproduce the struggle of Ibrahim with Satan. According to the lectures, Ibrahim underwent the most difficult trials from God as he had to sacrifice for the sake of God his beloved son Ismail. Satan tempted Ibrahim three times to abandon the Lord's decree. However, he, in order to drive away satanic temptations, seven times threw stones in his direction. Therefore, a pilgrim should get to know his inner and outer devils, and with all his might remove from himself that which prevents him from clearness and approaching the God. To sum up, this movie impressed me in an immeasurable way and gave a better understanding of Islamic beliefs. It supremely transmits the emotions and concerns of characters that help to understand the significance of Hajj in the life of Muslims by describing the standard Hajj practices and traditions interestingly through the prism of specific stories of Fidelma, Khalil, and Ismail. The movie shows that religion represents self-control, faith, and spiritual satisfaction for a person. I recommend this movie because it has such power which illustrates the religion in the way of the purpose of life and a tool of a person's attitude toward the world. It demonstrates that religion is essential for people in terms of spiritual development because by creating religious ideals for themselves, people begin to help others gratuitously, selflessly, and become kinder and fairer, despite the sneers from the outside.

Inside Mecca by Yasir Ahmad-A accurate documentation of the Hajj

[william-l-fletcher · 10/10 · 1 June 2013]

National Graphic's, "Inside Mecca" makes use of unique access to Islam's holiest city to follow three different Muslims of very different backgrounds as they go though a five-day quest for salvation. "Inside Mecca" is able to capture the spiritual look, and claustrophobic feel most experience during their pilgrimage. Through three different viewpoints and the experiences of the participants, the viewer follows not only their physical journey, but also their spiritual one. One of the five pillars of Islam, the hajj is required of all who can manage it. Each year, Muslims from all over the world travel to Mecca to praise and give thanks to God, to ask pardon for their sins and to renew their spiritual commitment through rituals. This well made film gives a glimpse of a place most will never see or understand. I found this film accurate, and informative.

Inside Mecca- Movie Review by Komila Nassyrova

[komilanassyrova · 8/10 · 8 November 2020]

The central subject of the movie revolves around the Islamic religious tradition themes and origins. Along with depicting Islam, the movie incorporates the story of three pilgrims from three different corners of the world who are heading to commit pilgrimage to Islamic centre - Kaaba in Mecca. This movie review argues that the film managed to narrate the important principles and aspects of Islam in a significantly proper manner. Illustration of Islamic characters such as brotherhood, charity, equality, monotheism and pilgrimage to Kaaba in the movie can be considered accurate and consistent with the Quranic and general Islam knowledge. To start with, The narrator mentions that Islam places primary emphasis on "being equal before God" and highlights the frustration of Khalil from South Africa when he is treated differently because of his race. Khalil tries to explain that believers are equal before God no matter what colour, race, or social position one has and insists on the essence of brotherhood. Indeed, his statements are in consistency with Qu'ranic verses about the bond of community. Particularly, the Quran numerously stresses and declares all believers as "brothers" and that those are impregnable "as a building reinforced with lead". Rahman also confirms that the equality of all human race before God is the essence of human rights wherein goodness and virtue are the only distinctions that can be present among men ( Fazlur Rahman, Major Themes of the Quran, p. 45). Thus, the appearance of brotherhood and equality principle of Muslims that is depicted in the movie can be seen as an effective attempt advocated by Islam. Secondly, the film reveals the importance of charity and support of the poor in Islamic tradition. One of the pilgrims references command of Allah to look after mankind and Kahlil confirms that he always practises charity for the sake of God and strives to live the Islamic ideal. Indeed, because of their difficulty to remedy, the Quran emphatically criticizes socioeconomic disparities that prevail among Meccan societies. Thus, the Quran actively calls believers to help and feed poorer people as "in the absence of concern for the welfare of poor, even prayers became hypocritical". What is more, the basic vulnerable traits of man- pettiness and narrowness- are manifested when they withdraw from helping those who suffer financially. Importantly, pilgrims in the movie repeatedly confirm that they practise charity for the sake of God since "Quran exhorted Muslims to spend in the cause of Allah and thus establish credit with God so that God can repay you manifold" (Fazlur Rahman, Major Themes of the Quran, p.39). The film and characters reveal the necessity of charity as a duty and a part of the ideal Muslim which is actually accurately supported by many verses of the Quran in Islamic tradition. Thirdly, the narrator highlights the monotheistic feature of Islam and that it is Abraham who established most of the Islamic traditions and submission to one God. Indeed, Abraham is the father of three monotheistic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam, within which submission to one God is central. As noted by Fred Donner, the Quran does not refer to Islamic followers by "Muslims" but rather "believers" which further indicates that those are the ones who believe in one God ( Lecture on How Isam Began). Importantly, Quran states that believers should follow the holy books perpetuated by earlier messengers and believe in what "was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaak and Jacob..." who are known as the prophets in Christianity and Judaism ( Lecture on Quran and Tafsir). As Abraham is the father of monotheistic religious traditions he can be considered as a leading influencer of how these religions established themselves. The approach with which movie properly represents Abraham as a major influencer of the monotheistic Islamic religion is another aspect that is maintained by central themes and nature of the Quran. Last but not least, documentary also narrates the origination of Islam in Mecca and the role of Mohammad in it. As mentioned in the documentary, Kabaa is older than Islam and has been a pilgrimage direction since the pre-Islamic period. Later, Mohammad the prophet attempted to clear the Kaaba of idols and to return the Kaaba to the Islamic faith, thus, establishing it as the centre of Islamic pilgrimage. Indeed, those claims are true as in the pre-Islamic period, people of the Arabian Peninsula were very decentralized and trajectory in their religious tradition and exercised various polytheistic religions worshipping different ancestral gods and goddesses. People of Arabia would come to Mecca to trade and perform pilgrimage in temples and religious institutions that incorporated various representers of polytheistic idolatry faiths from across Arabia. Importantly, Kaaba also obtained a large number of idols and statues of different Gods ( Lecture on The Origins of Islam). So, as narrated in the movie, one can see that the claims of the dominance of idolatry and pilgrimage to Kaaba yet in pre-Islamic times are consistent with historical facts and are depicted in a true manner. What is also consistent, Mohammad the prophet's goal was "to essentially convert the Kaaba or to return to a monotheistic religious tradition and once again becoming the centre of Islam" (Lecture on The Origins of Islam). Consequently, one can see that narrator depicted the Kaaba's history and Mohammad's role in it in an effectively truthful manner. To recapitulate, the paper argued that the movie was able to effectively depict the aspects and beliefs of Islam to a larger extent. The documentary included the depiction of many aspects and themes of Islam. This paper analyzed the consistency of brotherhood, charity, equality principles and origins of Kaaba pilgrimage in accordance with Quran verses and lecture materials.

Credible? Clear?

[sandugashandamassova · 8/10 · 8 November 2020]

The movie "Inside Mecca" explains Islamic rituals, by showing journeys of pilgrims with various backgrounds. Particularly, the movie highlights information about the hajj, pilgrimage of Muslims. I think that the movie does not effectively explain the hadj and other related Islamic rituals, since it lacks explanations of some crucial Islamic concepts. Moreover, not all descriptions and explanations of religious rituals in these movies are credible and reliable. First of all, the movie begins with a description of Kaaba's importance. It says that "..before creation, there was a holy place, celestial house of God, called Kaaba". The narrator continues saying that Kaaba's replica on Earth is located in Mecca. However, reliable theologists' papers do not confirm it, in other words, there is no information about the existence of God's celestial house in documents related to Islam. Secondly, the movie includes some important facts. For instance, the movie presents that although the majority of the Meccan pilgrims are Muslims, also Jews and Christians go on pilgrimage to Kaaba. Professor Fred Donner agrees with it, saying that even from early ages Muslims considered some jews and Christians "their society", i.e. Muslims defined "people of Books" as one society with them. Additionally, when the movie offers some history behind the Kaaba and the black stone, the narrator highlights that the stories are myths. Since there is no reliable evidence for such stories as Abraham using the black stone in construction work, it is important to mention that stories are mythical. Mainly, the information from the movie mentioned above are important, and the narrator effectively presented it. Mainly, Dr Umar in the movie claims that Kaaba is the centre of Muslims' religious mentality. There is no enough evidence to claim it, as the central concept of Muslims' mentality is worshipping God, which should not necessarily be done near Kaaba. Although all Muslims pray in the direction of Kaaba, their mentality's centre is the concept of taqwa, which can be translated as piety and fear of God (Rahman, 28). In addition, it is noted in the movie that Islam propagates wearing the modest clothing and that in Saudi Arabia female modest outfit includes covering hair. There is no clear evidence to claim that covering a woman's hair should be done only according to Saudi Arabian standards of modesty. Covering hair is also practised in other countries, so it is not about standards of modesty of certain society, and majority Muslim scholars states that it is obligatory (azan.kz, umma.ru). Additionally, the narrator refers to Muslims' verbal praise of God as songs, which is not a linguistically suitable word for describing this. It is important to note that at the beginning of the movie they tell about travelling rules of Saudi Arabia, especially the requirement for women to bring the permission document by a male relative. They say that it is illogical, and also the narrator does not explain this requirement. Rahman states that, according to Islam, men are responsible for their female relatives. Particularly, he says that economic sufficiency of woman reduces the superiority of her husband over her and that such male superiority over women has purely functional nature. Rahman refers to Qur'an's 4:36 verse on this matter (Rahman, 49). Although, the movie clearly described every stage of the hajj process, and offer several theories about their historical basis; the movie failed to completely explain the importance of hajj. The reason is that pilgrims in hajj aim to not only "relive" the experience of prophets, and this worship has its mental philosophy.

Rahman says that "wholistic view of Islam" is an inseparable part of Muslims' salvation, and only physical movements of prayer are count as full worshipping process. I think that movie should have added more information about religious terms, such as jihad or taqwa. For instance, jihad is considered the main obligation of a Muslim, and this term means total endeavour to please God, which is written in Quran as "with your wealth and lives...to make God's cause succeed" 9:40 (Rahman, 64). So, I think that the lack of explanation of such spiritual concepts in Islam is the main disadvantage of the movie since these spiritual concepts are a crucial part of hajj and other Islamic rituals. In conclusion, the movie described all stages of hajj in some historical details, mentioning that some of these historical theories are mythical. The move showed hajj, pilgrimage, of 3 Muslims with different backgrounds, which lead to differences in the hajj experience. Generally, some Islamic ideas and certain parts of its religious practice were shown and explained. However, since some claims do not have credible evidence, and the movie did not include an explanation of some crucial concepts of Islam, the movie does not effectively explain and describe the hajj and other Islamic rituals.

the raw and personal behind the Hajj

[adiyaaldebekova · 7/10 · 13 April 2020]

The National Geographic documentary "Inside Mecca" does a great job of introudcing its viewers to Islam, and to the sacred tradition of the pilgrimage - or the Hajj. The movie is very well structured, as it begins with the very basics - it explains what Hajj is, thus acquainting the viewer with the concept that may have been foreign to them previously. Then, it dives "inside Mecca," and follows three different people who are on their pilgrimage, in order to tell their stories, and help the viewer understand what the Hajj means not only on a social, but also on a personal level.

The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and it is mandatory for anyone who is in the right health to do it. However, what goes beyond this is often left unknown - and for many people outside of Islam, the Hajj is simply this - a pilgrimage. What often goes unnoticed is all of the work and preparation, all of the individual stories and experiences that go into the Hajj journey; and this movie does a great job at portraying the realities of the Hajj, rather than keeping it an abstract idea. Another important aspect of the movie, is that it shows all of the preparations that happen not only on a personal level for each individual pilgrim, but also on the societal level - it shows how people that live in Mecca work as a community to provide for the Hajj.

Furthermore, the movie does a great job of showing the diversity of Muslims, and shows how three completely different people can be connected with one another. How three people from different backgrounds can share something so sacred to them; thus hinting that perhaps, we, as people, are not so different after all.

The movie, however, is not limited to just the Hajj - it also shows how and why the three pilgrims came to Islam; and what the religion means for them. In today's world, we often dismiss religion, and ignore its followers. However, this film does a wonderful job of reminding us how sacred faith can be to a person. It introduces the viewer to the concept of equality, and that in Islam - in front of Allah, everyone is equal, not matter their cultural, racial or economical background.

However, the movie also shows the other side of the coin. It shows all of the difficulties that go into the Hajj. It shows how the pilgrims struggle, and how the journey can be physically exhausting. Furthermore, it sheds light on all of the discrimination that happens on the Hajj; and this shows that even religious people are still people, and not all follow the right moral principles, even on a sacred journey like such. It was heartbreaking to see how something that is supposed to be so holy and so sacred can be so full with hate and discrimination. Fidelma and Khalil were the pilgrims that had to face racial discirmination, and were mistreated simply for the way that they look; even though in faith, everyone is supposed to be equal. The Hajj is supposed to be the journey that unites muslims, because they all gather there for the same reason, for the same end goal - even if each and every single one of their journeys is personal and, therefore, different. But, just like anything in life, it is not perfect, and does put its pilgrims through many (sometimes unnecessary) challenges. The movie does highlight, however, the importance of the pilgrimage, and the effect that it has on everyone who follows through with it. People on the pilgrimage go there with an open heart; they all are at their most vulnerable, and this emotional state unites them all.

Furthermore, the film also introduced us to the practical part of the pilgrimage - the rituals and the procedures that need to be carried out when one enters the holy city. The pilgrims have to be cleansed and have to declare that they are spiritually ready; they have to be dressed modestly and all have similar clothes. All this is done in order to appear equal before God, and even this ritual highlights the theme of equality, that is supposed to be present in Islam.

However, despite being very profound contentually, it is not as advanced technologically. One of the things that have stood out to me was the quality of sound. Whenever there was a soundtrack, it was overpowering and it was very hard to focus on the words of the people in the movie. Furthermore, the quality of the movie is very poor - the lighting and the shots not only do not flatter the people and the settings, but they are also very awkward to the eye and not aesthetically pleasing. Many may argue that small details like such do not matter. However, if a person feels negative emotions towards the technical aspects of the film, they may subconsciously translate this dislike and direct it at the content. Therefore, the technical moment is very important, and I think it struggled in this movie.

Immerse to the Hajj

[arystanbakyt · 9/10 · 17 April 2020]

National Geographic's documentary, directed by Anisa Mehdi, Inside Mecca, talks about one of the five responsibilities that Muslims must carry out throughout their lives, the hajj. Supporters of Islam believe that if Muslim is in good health and has the financial ability to go on a pilgrimage, then he should do this at least once in his life. The movie presents a more knowledgeable outlook with step-by-step and detailed procedure of Hajj. Starting from physical as well as inner preparation, all the way towards the mosque of Al-Masjid Al-Haram where Islamic center, Mecca, is located. It depicts major rituals: traveling to the valley of Mina, trip to Arafat, throwing a stone into Satan (so called "battle with devil" when people are fighting against inner urgings that they have towards evil), returning to Mecca in order to circle the Kaaba. The Hajj rituals are explained in a such a way that it is clear not only to Muslims, but also to the non-Muslim community. In subsequent chapters, I would briefly review the movie. First, the film showed how diverse Islam is. Three selected pilgrims from different continents: one from the USA (Fidelma O'Leary), another from South Africa (Khalil Mandhlazi) and the third from Malaysia (Ismail Mahbob) really correspond to their position. Assigning this role to them, I believe that the director intends to demonstrate Islam is not only religion of Arabs. Personally, I myself, surprised when the narrator said only 20% of Muslims are from Arabic countries. Moreover, it should be noted that three people are not actors; these are people who experienced the Hajj. This factor also played a decisive role when they expressed their true feelings in which pure belief manifested. I am sure, deep immersion in such emotion would not be possible if there were an appointed actor. Secondly, I found out that everyone in Islam has a equal level of respect, state and priority in Hajj despite their real life status. Rich men and poor, educated and illiterate, white and black, all look the same. However, from the movie we see the scene where Fidelma shared the story when she surprised many pilgrims who were in Hajj and asked for confirmation whether she is a true Muslim (although they knew that only Muslims could be there). In addition, Khalil was also discriminated because of his skin color. Someone will argue that these factors would arise as a result of a long day walking under the Sun and in an emotional state. Nevertheless, I perceived this behavior as a lack of Muslim qualities in a human being rather than the problem in Islam itself. This documentary film clearly left such kind of impression in me. Under whatever circumstances would person be, he or she never should be rude towards others. This applies not only to Islam. Any self-respecting person would agree with me. Thirdly, as I understood, the main action that pilgrim should do is the immersion to state of Ihram. At this point, I want to mention interesting similarity between Ihram and one lecture from Ethics course. John Rawls in his "Theory of Justice" had mentioned that in order to come up with the better laws and rules people should put under Veil of Ignorance (the state of "blindness" where they would be excluded from social status and personal characteristics that is crucial to come up with justified decisions). Veil of Ignorance, in itself, really similar to idea of Ihram (not vice versa, Islam has existed since the 7th century, Rawls was born in 1921), a state of purification, state when you met face to face with God, analyzing all previous deeds and go home with a firm intention to change something in your life. Therefore, implying the fact that morality in philosophy could be found in Islam as well. The other moment when all living creatures stopped their routine for a while, when shops closed, movements throughout the city froze and the streets became a place of worship truly demonstrates how Muslims are in touch with the Creator. Finding other place where people would leave their properties to be in touch with their God would probably be very difficult. Taking into account that it happens five times a day and last for a whole life is signs of divinity in the nature of person. Watching the scene when people from different nationalities in one place, concentrated in one direction, worshipping one God is really touches the inexplicable inner feelings. Looking at how passionately people are doing dua's, sometimes even cry, is astonishing. By doing so, they seemed getting inner peace by addressing all the concern one-on-one to the God. "Inside Mecca" could able to travel me into Hajj environment and experience it in myself. Passion and attitude of Muslims from all over the world towards Allah is impossible to describe. To conclude, I came to the decision that being a Muslim is not a label, it is the state of inner fulfillment and behave that you have towards others.

Inside Mecca - goals

[aigerimzholdas · 7/10 · 7 November 2020]

Inside Mecca is the National Geographic documentary directed by Anisa Mehdi in 2003. It depicts the journey of different people around the world to Mecca. It introduces the intimate experience of pilgrimage that thousands of people do every year. The documentary is primarily focused on three people who intended to perform Hajj. This performance of Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam religion and as devoted Muslims, they spent several days imitating the journey of Prophet Muhammed. They follow the frustration, excitement, and struggle of a journalist from South Africa, a professor from the United States, and a businessman from Malaysia. The documentary successfully portrays the main goal of Hajj yet it perhaps intentionally distorts the rituals that Hajj consists of. The documentary effectively depicted the main idea of Hajj - clearing sins and strengthening the faith. In Islam religion, the purpose of the pilgrimage is to connect with God and deepen the faith by tracing the footsteps of Ibrahim and Ismael and Prophet Muhammed. It also involves imitating Hagar's search for water. It requires a state of pureness (ihram) and abstains from bodily pleasures, anger, and arguments. In this way, these practices give Muslim connection to the divine, so that now they entered this state of profane, they cannot sin or get angry. This film depicted these practices very well because they managed to show the intimate experience of each person. They also feel connected to the divine through Kaaba. The film claimed that if you have a glimpse of Kaaba, you are already lucky enough. According to Islam religion, they do not worship Kaaba, they worship what it represents - the house of God. That is why it is quite understandable why those people in the film got overwhelmed. For example, there was a scene when the professor from the USA starts crying and saying that she waited for so long to be there. She was vulnerable because perhaps she felt the most connected to God, which is one of the ultimate goals of Hajj. This connection is very important because it helps to resist human nature who tends to sin and fail the tests of Satan (Rahman, 1994) Moreover, the cloth they have to wear during Hajj is white. As the documentary states, it is done to show equality regardless of your social status, nationality, or ethnicity. This idea of Islam religion is depicted effectively by showing these people from different continents are in the end blended with other thousands of people who are also in white. Perhaps this white color also symbolizes that after Hajj people are reborn, and in Islam people are born pure, without any sins (Lecture materials). Lastly, perhaps one of the most important aims of Hajj is to make people better. Thus, the final day is dedicated to coming from ihram, and distributing livestock to the poor. Even the idea to chase out the evil from their lives is a good representation to sin less and become a better person. For example, the businessman from Malaysia stated that he wants to be "a better father, a better worker, better leader, and better subordinate". As a result, these core Islamic ideas that inspire people to be better and strengthen their faith after pilgrimage are captured quite well in this film. This is ultimately what Rahman (1994) states in explanation of the Quran, that a person is the only one responsible for their acts of good and bad. By doing this Hajj, our characters in the film are showing their human agency since it is in human nature to know the difference between good and bad and to choose. However, upon closer examination, I can notice some intentional choices that were made to perhaps hinder the perception of Islam. Even though I appreciate that the film chose three people with a completely different background, it also seems that they wanted to emphasize that conventional Muslims are not welcoming towards "outsiders". For example, the professor talked about her experience that sometimes "true" Muslims questioned the authenticity of her faith. During the Hajj, we can see the way the radio host is discriminated against because of his skin color. This forms the perception that traditional Muslims even in the Hajj have these biases and judgemental prejudice as if these rituals are done superficially instead of fully committing to the experience with the whole heart. Also, the tents that were built by the government completely contradict the idea of equality. People wear ihram to erase any differences among people, but the tents offer VIP surfaces for those who are willing to pay more. This highlights the social inequality by offering the rich more comfortable conditions during Hajj. Lastly, In the documentary, the ritual of casting stones in Mina to throw them at Satan, who comes to seduce people to do bad actions is ridiculized. They depict how some people throw away their belongings as well hinting that perhaps the Muslims take the ritual in a literal meaning. Thus, instead of working on themselves, they are willing to complete these rituals in an extreme way hoping that it might help. Overall, I think the documentary is a good insight into the Islamic world of performing Hajj. It successfully depicts the motivations, expectations of Muslims who decided to go to Mecca. I would recommend this film to those who have prior knowledge about Islam to notice some details that were distorted. It is important to mention that this was filmed in 2003. Maybe the experience of Hajj completely changed in 2020.

Film review REL 110

[madinabekbergenova · 8/10 · 8 November 2020]

What aspects of that religious tradition does the film highlight, criticize, or explain? Does it do so effectively?

"Inside Mecca" is a documentary film that tells about a pilgrimage to Mecca by covering the stories of three Muslims from different continents. These people are the main characters of the movie: Fidelma O'Leary from Texas, Khalil Mandlasi from South Africa, and Ismael Mado who comes from Malaysia. The movie clearly shows all the rituals which are performed during the Hajj. Although the heroes of the film have different cultural backgrounds, they have the same religious goal which unites them in the holy place. This review will show that the movie does emphasize the crucial concepts of Islam such as equality, the sacred space and supporting weak by analysing different passages of the documentary and behaviour of main characters. The movie highlights the importance of the equality in Islam. According to Rahman, the goal of the Qur'an, which is the first source of Islamic law is "an ethical and egalitarian social order" (Rahman, 38). In one of the episodes, there was mentioned the term "Ihram" which was a special attire for men. Namely, "Ihram" constitutes for two pieces of cloth which are the same for everyone and men have to wear it during the pilgrimage. In this outfit wealthy and poor, literate and non-literate people do look identical. For example, Ismael holds a high job position and is very successful, but when he comes to Mecca he leaves his comfort life and wears "Ihram" which makes him similar to other Muslims. In addition, the second main hero of the documentary Khalil Mandlasi emphasizes the aspects of brotherhood and sisterhood in Islam and considers Hajj as "a chance to see an ideal world in action". Khalil comes to Mecca from South Africa and strongly believes that despite the fact that people have different races and different economic statuses, they are all equal. It could be clearly seen from the experience of another character called Fidelma. Both of these heroes are the representatives of different nationalities, however, they feel themselves the same as other Muslims. Although, Khalil and Fidelma face some discrimination in Mecca, their ideals of Islam do not change to a great extent. Especially, when Khalil was circling around the Kaaba with other Muslims he gained that brotherhood and felt the equality which was clearly seen from his emotions. Therefore, by showing the significance of "Ihram", motivation of Khalil to witness the Islamic brotherhood and depicting the stories of people with different background the movie underlines the concept of equality in Islam. The next aspect of Islam which is emphasized in the movie is the significance of the city Mecca and the most sacred site Kaaba. As it was shown in Eliade every religion had its own holy space which was a point of reference for the followers of the particular religious traditions (Eliade, 24), and Mecca is a sacred place in Islam. At the beginning of the documentary, it is pointed out that Mecca is "a year round destination for Muslims and considered to be a sacred territory where hunting and fighting were prohibited". Moreover, Mecca played an important role even in pre-Islamic Arabia when people believed in many Gods and the Kaaba was the centre of various rites and rituals (Lecture The Origins of Islam). However, the Prophet Muhammad cleared Kaaba from idols and people worshipped to one God. The movie does demonstrate that the Kaaba is a symbol of worship to one God and millions of Muslims circle the Kaaba and pray during their Hajj. Furthermore, the main characters of the documentary were highly excited to visit Mecca and the Kaaba and were very happy to feel the atmosphere which was present in that holy place. Thus, the passages which contain interviews with the main heroes and different rituals such as going around the Kaaba clearly depict the significance of these places in Islam. Apart from equality and sacred space, the documentary shows how crucial it is to help poor people in Islam. It is worth mentioning that according to the Qur'an, Muslims should support vulnerable parts of society and take care of them (Rahman, 46). In one of the episodes, Khalil Mandlasi buys products for children of immigrants who live in Mecca in the "ramshackle houses" and tells that it was not the first time when he was doing that. This example clearly demonstrates that Muslims should provide help to those who need it. In conclusion, "Inside Mecca" is an exciting documentary that demonstrates all the stages of annual pilgrimage to Mecca and tells the story of three pilgrims. So, by discussing the experiences of these people and different passages of the movie, this review shows that the film highlights the Islamic concepts of equality, importance of Mecca and Kaaba and significance of supporting vulnerable parts of society.

Reference list: Daniel Beben, "The Origins of Islam" (Lecture, Nazarbayev University). Eliade, Mircea. The Sacred and the Profane: the Nature of Religion. San Diego: Harcourt Inc., 1987. Rahman, Fazlur. Major Themes of the Qur'an. Minneapolis : Bibliotheca Islamica, 1994.

Main concepts of Islam

[rauanamangeldiyev · 6/10 · 8 November 2020]

The film describes the main concepts of the Islam religion. The video achieves this goal by showing the "Hajj" (Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca) from the inside and taking as main characters of the plot three different people from various parts of the world with their own nation, wellbeing, skin color, race. The plot of the film describes the concepts of Islam like monotheism; the importance of taking care of the less fortunate people than you; the existence of evil and good; equality of everyone before Allah. Firstly, the core concept of Islam, monotheism, is explained in the movie. It is explicitly shown that people do not worship Kabba, they worship what it represents - one God. All rituals of "Hajj" such as Tarwiyah day, the path to Mecca and Mina, Arafat, Feast of Sacrifice, haircutting, and Tawaf are mainly purposed to worship only one creature along the journey. However, according to lecture materials, Five Pillars of Islam states there is no God but Allah. Thus, we can understand the first main concept in Islam, that Muslims have only one Allah and no other divines. Secondly, in Islam, there is not any priority, and all are equal before Allah. In the film, the equality of people was significantly highlighted by showing three different Muslim pilgrims from different countries and who have no similarity except the faith. According to the film, no matter who you are: woman, man or child; what is your nation; what is your skin color, no matter, there are Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood, which brings all Muslims together. Thus, by delving into the daily life of each character, the viewer can see how they are different in terms of well-being, profession, lifestyle and etc., however, when we see them with other millions of people in Mecca, who pray without any distinction (in two pieces of the towel), the viewer can grasp that in Islam all people are equal in front of Allah. On the other hand, there were some critics, which was mentioned in the video, about racism and discrimination. For example, Khalil from South Africa was disappointed when he was not treated well with other South Africans because of his skin color. Also, we can see some class discrimination in Mine's tent city where they rely on the rule that there is not any prohibition on comfort as long as pilgrim may pay for it. These incidents provide information about some de facto exceptions of rules in certain real-life situations and it was clearly shown in the film. Moreover, the movie emphasizes the next concept of Islam implicitly, which is the "Sharia", the unique set of rules. According to lectures, the Quran is not taken from third-party narration about prophet Muhammad, instead, the Quran and Sharia are direct instructions of Allah to people. Therefore, in the video, all rituals of "Hajj" were shown explicitly, sequentially, and in details, because it was said that "pilgrims actually have to be within the clearly marked boundaries of Arafat or their Hajj may not be counted". Hence, we can understand that in Islam, rituals must be followed strictly, because there exist Allah's direct will and directions as a set of rules (Sharia). Furthermore, the film highlights the concept of good and evil. It was clearly discussed in the part about "jamarat", where believers did stone Satan. It could give a clear understanding that for Muslims there exists the concept of "good and evil; justice and injustice; righteousness and sinfulness". By the "jamarat" ritual pilgrims seek forgiveness and reject evil. The concept of good and evil can be considered as one of the cores in Islam because everyone must distinguish them without any gained knowledge: avoid the action, which brings suffering for others and approach to good. As a next point, the helping of poor and less successful people than you is described in "the feast of sacrifice" part of the film. The plot of the film revealed that with the largest ritual sacrifice, pilgrims help poor people all over the world by supplying them with food, because each pilgrim must sacrifice one sheep, or seven pilgrims must give one camel at the end of the Hajj. It can be clear that the film plot is bounded with the topic of Hajj and Kaaba, thus the plot does not describe the concept of "help" fully, for example: by showing the ritual of Sadaqah or by showing the content of Surah, where Allah says about his/her/it love to gentleness and love. To sum up, the film could clearly highlight the main aspects of Islam such as monotheism or worshipping one God, social equality, the concept of good and evil, and supporting vulnerable parts of the society by showing the main rituals of Hajj and experiences of main heroes. Also, the film could convey all core concepts of Islam in giving a framework of Hajj.

amateur jerky hand held camera distracting

[filmalamosa · 2/10 · 19 April 2012]

This film shows what a hajj entails to Mecca and its surroundings. If only the hand held camera had not been so jumpy, I found this distracting as I tried to focus on what was going on. Surely there are ways to reduce this!

The story such as it is follows 3 Moslems on their hajj. A white female Texan, a Black South African and a Malaysian businessman.

I learned a few things I didn't know but kept thinking how much more beautifully the movie could have been shot...it is amateurish with the jerky motions mentioned above, no unique camera angles, and no cinematography input of any note.

I guess in the spirit of the Hajj one should not criticize however... The topic gets a 10 this movie a 2...

Moview review

[alibekbolat · 8/10 · 12 April 2020]

A documentary movie by the National Geographic, Inside Mecca, directed in 2003, illustrate the story of the Hajj, the Holy pilgrimage to Mecca, which is one of the five obligations of every Muslim believer. The film is shown from the side of three different Muslim believers from different parts of the world: from preparation for the Hajj to its completion. To the positive aspect of the film can be included a detailed explanation of all the stages of the Hajj. The film tells you what type of clothes is required to be selected, what routes there are to Mecca, where to live and so on. In addition, it shows the significance of each stage of the Hajj, their historical and religious interpretations, meanings and importance. Consequently, the movie can be considered as the small preparation for the Hajj and see what is worth doing and what is not, what difficulties you will have to face. Personally, I am glad to see that the film showed the Hajj from all sides, illustrating both advantages and disadvantages, not as a religious film showing the greatness of one religion. For myself, I was left with a not very pleasant impression from the movie about the Hajj and seeing some of the disadvantages of the Holy pilgrimage pushed me to study the process even more. It is common knowledge that the Hajj is the commitment of every Muslim believer, traveling to the Holy Mecca and see the Kaaba, the house of God, in what direction Muslims pray 5 times every single day, for these true believers to see this place with their own eyes is magnificent, astonishing and breathtaking. However, despite the sanctity, pilgrimage is also a place of business, a place where money is made through the Muslims believers, a Holy place where people who position themselves as true believers, despite the rules and laws of Islam, can allow discrimination based on race, nation or material condition. Hajj is for the rich. According to Islamic laws, only wealthy Muslims can go to the Hajj, which should not be financially difficult for them, and all other ways such as loans and debts are not considered as an acceptable. In every country where pilgrims go to Mecca, there are travel companies controlled by religious institutions, which is considered as significantly profitable. There is no single common price for all Muslims, because depending on the thickness of the purse, pilgrims can afford not only a pilgrimage, but almost a luxury trip. Upon arrival, in addition to the group depending on the country, the financial component also divides people into different subgroups: it is obvious that the rich will stay in the best luxury hotels, and others in tents. But even there, not everything is so smooth: referring to the film, the guide admits that they have different conditions depending on the payment and even have VIP pilgrims. They have the best conditions, a pleasant, cool and quiet atmosphere, with delicious food and so on. While others are left into overcrowded tents. In addition, near the place of pilgrimage unfold markets where sell all sorts of religious things and not only. This can be carpets for prayer, souvenirs with the symbols of the Kaaba or Mecca, and even parts of the wardrobe that even do not relate to religion: ordinary leather bags and clothes, which indicates an ideal time and place for business. Probably another costly event during the Hajj is the sacrificing. Each pilgrim has to make a sacrifice or join in groups of 7 people to make it cheaper. However, this number of sacrifices for 2-3 million each year certainly brings profits for the livestock business of the country. Being a citizen of a country where there are not many pilgrims is relatively more difficult. Consequently, the heroine of the film from Texas has a harder period, because for the sake of faith in Islam, and later because of the pilgrimage, which led to conflicts in the family. According to Islamic law, only Muslims have the right to go to the Hajj, but the unawareness of some people makes itself felt: after all, the heroine often had to catch glances at herself, as well as stupid questions in the form of whether she is a Muslim or not. Khalil, a South African citizen, impressed me the most, as a positive and strong Muslim who truly believes in Islam, for whom the Hajj is probably the most important event in his entire life. However, even in such a Holy place and in a Holy time, racism was not canceled: Khalil had to leave the South African group because of racial discrimination, and in the future will join the black African group of Malawians. Probably, it is painful for a Muslim to be judged and treated according to the color of his skin, rather than for his faith, actions, and pure heart. In the conclusion, it worth mentioning that the pilgrimage is the most important event for a Muslim, it is required by his religion. Pilgrimage, a kind of imitation of the actions of past Holy people: running of Abraham's wife searching for water between the hills of Safa and Marwa, and eventually drinking the sacred water of Zamzam, stoning the Devil like Abraham itself and walking around the Kaaba 7 times as the prophet Muhammad did it before. Seeing the most sacred places with your own eyes, visiting them, and performing one of the five duties certainly strengthen Muslims' spirit and faith. However, modern Hajj, looking at the film, I see more as a commercial project of Saudi Arabia, which dramatically increase its budget through the Hajj as through tourism each year. With site the two most Holy cities of Mecca and Medina, the house of God Kaaba, this country is able to exert pressure on all Islamic countries if wishes, forbidding the pilgrimage for the conflicting countries. Moreover, there is a universal difference between the poor and the rich: with having money, pilgrims can perform the Hajj without the same difficulties, be in a cool place when it is 50 degrees outside, eat the best food and live in the best room, have workers who will carry all your heavy things, and sometimes even you. After all, the Hajj, in addition to duty, is a test of strength and faith, when a person goes for the sake of faith suffers all difficulties, some travel on foot all the way to Mecca, which is now very rare. I am really sorry that I obtained more negative impressions during the really good documentary film, and that my entire review is focused on the criticism of the current pilgrimage.

Film review

[aizhanrakhmetova · 10/10 · 19 April 2020]

In this film review, I will be writing a review of the awe-inspiring film called Inside Mecca. This film is about the Hadj which is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all Muslims wish to do that in their life. The film represents what happens during Hajj including its seven stages. Importantly, the film tries to show not only physical actions that people do during Hajj, but it represents the reasons for every stage, the feelings of people, and their motivation to do those actions. The review will be about the importance of Hajj for the characters in the movie. Inside Mecca displays the story of three Muslims making their Hajj by emphasizing their feelings from the time of preparation to Hajj at their home till the end of their pilgrimage. Those three Muslims are Ismail Mahbob, Khalil Mandhlazi, and Fidelma O'Leary who are from Malaysia, South Africa, and America. Even though those people are from different parts of the world, their aim and reasons for performing Hajj were the same. All three of them like all Muslims decided to perform Hajj that tests both the body and soul because of their true belief in Islam. As Fidelma said during the movie: "I don't know why anyone would wanna go spend a week with three million sweaty people in the heat of the desert unless they really were doing this for the love of God", Muslims perform Hajj to revive their relationship with God which plays a crucial role in their life. In the beginning, all three people were very happy and motivated during the preparation for Hajj. At that moment, the film shows various backgrounds of those people which clearly emphasizes that the Muslim population is very widespread all over the world. Even though they live in very different places with different cultures, their love and belief to only one God are the same. It shows the powerful side of Islam which is equality. Every person who wants it can become a Muslim, and I think it is a true representation that Islam is a religion for all mankind. The film talks about the background and everyday lifestyle of those three Muslims separately. The story of Fidelma O'Leary is very unique and it is not possible to watch it without feeling her sincerity. Although she was not from a Muslim family and did not have any Muslim friends, she could find spiritual peace in Islam and "just embraced it and loved it". One of the reasons for her conversion to Islam was that she does not understand why Jesus worship God if he is God in terms of Christianity. As it is given in the film, Muslims don't worship the Kaaba, but they believe in one powerful God. Additionally, in the book called Cambridge Companion to the Quran, it is written that Jesus is God's servant and His Prophet while for Christians Jesus is God. It seems to me that the abidance of the idea of one God and the actions that confirm Muslims' belief in this idea was the big reasons why she decided to convert to Islam. God is one, but people may recognize Him and come to Him in different ways. The story of this brave woman who did not refuse the religion even though her relationship with her family was almost breaking down shows unbelievable support from God that Muslims are able to feel. In addition, the film tells the story of Khalil Mandhlazi who is from South Africa. He was talking about equality and the primary importance of the pure heart in his religion all over the film. It is very important to mention that the concept of racial equality in Islam is fascinating. However, the film has the fragment where Khalil was upset about the situation in which some people were served differently because they had more money. He said: "it is very painful to see this condition happening during the Hajj since we are here always in one community not looking to the color and not looking to the rest or whether you are rich or poor". Importantly, he showed true patience that every Muslim should have in spite of that situation. Another character was Ismail Mahbob. His personal story was about motivation to live better. After finishing his Hajj, he said: "I want to be a better father, a better worker, better leader, better subordinate I want to play a better role". This is a clear representation of that the Hajj and the religion itself motivate people to live better, and it is very good. Finally, I believe every person deserves to live an ideal life for him. The film represents the Hajj as "an ideal world of Islam in action", and it is amazing to see true happiness in the face of people having their ideal world during performing the Hajj.

Insight into the Hajj

[aruzhann · 9/10 · 8 November 2020]

"Inside Mecca" is a National Geographic documentary that invites viewers to accompany three pilgrims on their Hajj journey and explore the intricacies of pilgrimage and religion from the inside. During the film, three characters go through seven stages of the Hajj, each of which reflects a historical event and has a symbolic meaning. In this review, I will analyze the key elements of their journey and argue that the movie effectively elucidates the key doctrines of Islam such as equality, unity, piety, purity; and emphasizes the importance of following the right path.

The film begins by introducing the main characters - an American woman with a Christian background, a black South African man and a wealthy Malaysian. These people of different socio-economic status are united by a common faith and goal to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj. Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, rooted in the pre-Islamic traditions of Arabia. Transformed by the Prophet Muhammad into a monotheistic tradition, Hajj is the duty of any Muslim who can afford it physically and financially. The rites and rituals of the Hajj are centered around the "house of Allah" - the Kaaba and have a symbolic meaning (lecture "Early Islam"). It is important to note that although "Mecca is a God's holy house" and the Kaaba is the most sacred site, Muslims do not worship them (Ishaq, p.86). They worship what they represent - the symbol of the Oneness of God. Thus, every year in the last month of the Islamic calendar, millions of Muslims perform the Hajj as a tribute to God. As it is shown in the movie, the pilgrims are of different ethnicity, age, marital and economic status, but they follow the same spiritual path and believe in One God. They are one and equal before Him and, as it was mentioned by Rahman (1994): "The essence of all human rights is the equality of the entire human race, which the Qur'an assumed, affirmed, and confirmed. It obliterated all distinctions among men except goodness and virtue (taqwa)" (p. 45). These aspects of Islam - unity and equality - are especially emphasized in the film.

The next part of the documentary depicts the stages of the Hajj: circulating the Kaaba seven times, praying on mount Arafat, staying overnight in Muzdalifah, running seven times between al-Safa and al-Marwa, stoning of the devil in Mina and farewell tawaf. All these rites need to be performed in a state of Ihram - spiritual purity that requires patience, curtesy and respect. This is a great challenge for both body and soul that the pilgrim's faith must meet. Moreover, these rituals take place in historical sites and imitate the journey of Abraham and the Prophet Muhammad, thereby strengthening the connection with history and God. The example we see in the film is the ritual of running seven times between the hills of al-Safa and al-Marwa, as a tribute to Hagar's despair. According to the narration, Abraham left Hagar and Ishmael in the desert, and when they ran out of supplies, Hagar began to run desperately between the hills in search of water. In response to her struggle, God sent the Angel Gabriel to help her and a spring of water appeared in that place. Another ritual from the movie associated with Abraham is the stoning of the devil. It is believed that when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, the devil tempted him to disobey the will of God, but Abraham resisted and stoned the devil. The ritual performed by the pilgrims symbolizes the importance of following the right path and resisting evil. Similarly, the rest of the rituals and the pilgrimage itself emphasize the necessity of being pious. In its turn, piety is considered the most crucial trait of a religious man. As Rahman (1994) noted, "It (piety) denotes the fully integrated and whole personality of man, the kind of "stability" which is formed after all the positive elements are drawn in" (p.28).

Throughout the journey depicted in the documentary, the main characters make every effort to follow the right path. For instance, although Khalil Mandhlazi from South Africa, was discriminated and unwelcomed because of his skin color, he managed to let go pain and anger and did not violate the state of Ihram. Also, he donated food to local poor families, which seemed to me an especially beautiful gesture, because the Hajj does not require it - it comes from the heart.

It is believed that no pilgrim returns home the same person. The Hajj is intended to deepen the faith of Muslims and strengthen their connection with God. However, the Hajj, like so much else in everyday life, can challenge patience and force people to choose between good and evil. The mission of a religious man is always to choose the good, the right, the just - to choose God.