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One never tires of gazing at the sight of the House of Allah, the Kaa'ba. The site upon which the mercy and blessings of Allah are constantly descending. There is truly nothing comparable to the House of Allah on this Earth. People wish time would stand still so they could keep gazing at the Kaa'ba; their thirst is never quenched, rather it increases. Once, while on a visit to Washington, people told me that a woman had accepted Islam and had some questions for me. They told me that many non-practicing Muslim women had started practicing again due to her. At prayer time she would dress in her best clothes as if readying herself for someone special, and would become oblivious to everything around her as soon she started praying. After a brief question and answer session, I asked her what prompted her to accept Islam. She sighed and started explaining; "I was a Jew and my husband was a Christian who was posted in Saudi Arabia for some technical work. Everyday I used to see M...

"Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar" - God is Great, God is Great. I wake up to the sound of the call to prayer on my second day in Mecca. It is five in the morning when I leave my hotel to go to pray at the Grand Mosque, but you would never know it was so early . The streets are overflowing . People walk briskly as they compete to secure their place as close as possible to the Kaaba, the building inside the Grand Mosque towards which all Muslims around the world pray. Suddenly, amidst all the hustle and bustle, the voice of the imam - the prayer leader - echoes throughout. The prayer has started . As if choreographed, the millions of pilgrims form almost perfect rows, all facing in the same direction . And then: silence . All that can be heard is the voice of the imam. No one talks, no sound of traffic, not another noise . The order and discipline in which the pilgrims lined up to perform the prayer is astounding . High alert Over breakfast we decide that we will go to film the Sau...