Braving the scorching Saudi heat, Mecca resident Amer Abdullah distributed free tea and bread to worshippers performing the annual hajj pilgrimage, honoring a long-standing tradition in Islam’s holiest city. | AFP
Before hotels and high-rises sprang up in Mecca, locals used to host pilgrims in their homes.
“This is an honor passed down through generations here,” Abdullah said, pouring tea into a paper cup.Hospitality, already firmly rooted in Saudi culture, gains even more currency during hajj — one of the five pillars of Islam that all Muslims with the means must undertake at least once in their lives.According to Muslim tradition, they are “guests of God”, meaning they must be provided with accommodation, food and drink even if they cannot afford it.
“It is a great honor to serve God’s guests,” he said, handing food in a blue plastic bag to a pilgrim.“I depend on these meals because I am unable to afford them,” he said. “We buy water and cool it well, then we start distributing it once or twice a day after prayers,” said Mecca resident Hamza Taher, 25.
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