Bosnian Hajj Pilgrims Šuta, Zećo, and Omerčajić: Only When You Stand Before the Kaaba Do You Understand the Greatness of Hajj!

Becoming a Hajj pilgrim is not a title one simply carries with their name. It is an experience that, as Bosnian pilgrims in Mecca recount, changes a person from within and leaves an indelible mark. On the second day of Eid al-Adha, our pilgrims continue their activities.

“It cannot be described, nor can it be felt until one comes here, until one enters the Grand Mosque of Mecca and sees the Kaaba and the Black Stone,” Šećo Šuta, Ahmet Zećo, and Safet Omerčajić tell Patria, attempting to put into words what Muslims from Bosnia and Herzegovina feel thousands of kilometers away.

In the heart of Mecca today, millions of people from all corners of the world converge. Different languages, different skin colors, different cultures and countries, but the same intention and the same emotion.

In white ihrams, without distinction between rich and poor, important and unknown, all stand equal before the Almighty.

“When you hear so many male and female pilgrims reciting ‘Allahu Akbar’ in unison and invoking the name of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), then one feels something that cannot be explained,” they say.

It is precisely in this scene that many first feel the true strength of the Ummah, a unity that erases borders and differences among people. At times, they say, you feel as if the entire world is breathing to the same rhythm.

A feeling that cannot be described in words

But Hajj is not just spiritual beauty. It is also a great trial, both physically and mentally.

“The huge crowds during the rituals require a lot of patience and strength. Thousands of people move at the same time, and at certain moments there are jostling, especially during Tawaf and the visits to the ritual sites,” says pilgrim Zećo.

Omerčajić notes that it is difficult, especially for the elderly and those with weaker health.

“The crowds are large, people push, and the temperatures are very high. Fatigue sets in, but you endure it all somehow,” says pilgrim Omerčajić.

Last night, they performed Tawaf, one of the most emotional rituals of Hajj. Moving around the Kaaba, in a river of people that almost never stops, lasted about five hours.

“We were in Tawaf for five hours. Sometimes you can barely move due to the mass of people, but no one gives up. Everyone wants to complete the ritual and everyone carries their own prayer in their heart,” says pilgrim Šuta.

While speaking of fatigue, there is no regret in their words. On the contrary, there is gratitude for being among the millions who have been given the opportunity to come to the holy sites of Islam.

After last night’s Tawaf, today they head to Mina to perform the second ritual of stoning the Jamarat.

“It’s hot, it’s hard to stand for so long, but no one complains much. When you know you are performing something that is Fardh (obligatory), then one finds patience,” say the pilgrims almost in unison.

Mecca lives to the rhythm of Hajj these days. Rivers of people flow incessantly towards the Grand Mosque, Mina, Arafat, and Muzdalifah. At every step, you see exhausted faces, but also tears of joy, raised hands in supplication, and smiles of people who believe they are living the most important days of their lives.

A sense of peace prevails among the pilgrims

Bosnian pilgrims say that only here does one realize how transient the daily worries we carry from home are.

“When you see so many people who have left their families, jobs, and countries to come here solely for worship, then you start to look at life differently.”

Despite the fatigue, sleepless nights, and high temperatures, a sense of peace prevails among the pilgrims, which is difficult to explain to those who have never been on Hajj.

“The body gets tired, but the soul is full,” say Šećo Šuta, Ahmet Zećo, and Safet Omerčajić at the end of their conversation with Patria.

And perhaps it is precisely in this sentence that the entire essence of Hajj is captured, a journey on which one feels their own weakness, but also the strength of faith that guides them through every step.