Matchmakers ply their trade within Islam's holiest mosque.
By Rym Ghazal | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor from the December 5, 2007 edition
Mecca, Saudi Arabia - In the midst of overlapping murmurs of prayers in a sea of white-cloaked worshipers, a woman's voice interrupts the collective trance as she asks: "Are you single?"
For hundreds of years, Mecca has been the sacred meeting point of millions of Muslims from across the world. They come to perform the hajj, the annual major pilgrimage, or umrah, a minor pilgrimage that can be performed anytime.
Matchmaking is a profession that's at least as old as Mecca. But until now, say Saudi scholars, it hasn't been practiced at Islam's holiest site.
"These days, practicing Muslim men are having a hard time finding practicing Muslim women," explains Um Mohammad matter-of-factly. She's carrying a tiny blue notebook to jot down personal information about potential brides that she meets inside the Haram Mosque where Muslims circumambulate the holy cubed structure, the Kaaba.
Dressed in a black abaya – including the face covering known as niqab – and sporting black gloves, Um Mohammad (who declined to give her full name) is one of several matchmakers who can be seen approaching "pious" young Muslim women as they pray or perform rituals.
"Devoted Muslims come here, and so there is a better chance of finding a good match," says Um Mohammad, standing no taller than 5 ft. 2 in. She says she makes a minimum of 1,000 riyals ($268) plus gifts, such as perfume, from grateful mothers.
Um Mohammad says she's working for several mothers to find "chaste" wives for their sons in a place that's annually visited by around 3 million people for hajj. This year, the pilgrimage begins Dec. 18.
Aayesh Masri, a 22-year-old Saudi woman who was approached by one of the matchmakers, isn't troubled by the mixing of matchmaking and prayer.
"Why not? It is done under sincere intentions and it is no different than when potential suitors come to your home to meet your family," says Ms. Masri.
Saudi historian Omar Tayeb isn't surprised, either. "Matchmakers are everywhere in Saudi. They find brides in supermarkets, malls, and mosques. Why not near the Kaaba?" he asks.
Modern pilgrims have also grown accustomed to seeing a variety of not-so-sacred activities near the sacred Kaaba, the cube that every Muslim on the planet faces during the five daily prayers. Worshipers often scramble and push to touch it. Some even rip off a piece of the kiswa – the black silk cloth with gold-embroidered calligraphy covering the rock – as a religious souvenir.
Other Mecca mementos can be obtained more easily. Local entrepreneurs, for example, have long worked the holy marbled white grounds.
"Scissors! Tissue! Prayer book! Only one riyal [about 27 cents]," cries out a boy of 6 struggling in the white sea of pilgrims. One of the rituals of the pilgrimage involves cutting one's hair. Tissues are used for wiping off sweat from the arduous walks between sacred sites.
The vendor's older brother is not far behind, selling Islamic stickers and passing out leaflets for his father's business – Koranic ring tones and customized prayers rugs.
From the corners of the mosque, sheikhs give public lectures, while religious police roam the crowd in search of "indecent conduct" and pickpockets.
Still, some Muslims see the matchmakers as another facet of the spreading commercialization of Mecca, which comes at the expense of its sacredness.
"There is nothing holy about having Pizza Hut right next to the holiest site in Islam," says Mohammed Abdullah Attar, a religious scholar in one of the all-boys' schools in Mecca.
The recent rise in oil prices is creating a new construction boom, funded mainly by members of the Saudi royal family. Some pilgrims comment disparagingly on the new glass-garbed, Vegas-style towers and glitzy five-star hotels encircling the holy site. Several of the towers are part of the Abraj al-Bait Mall (Arabic for "Towers of the House"), referring to the Kaaba's nickname, "the House of God." The mall is a complex of seven 30-story towers, still under construction but already promising to be one of Saudi Arabia's tallest – and most controversial.
"Mecca should be a site of religious contemplation and not a distraction of overpriced materialistic things," says Dr. Attar.
Saudi officials say that the expansion of hotels, stores, and restaurant chains is simply to care for the growing numbers of pilgrims. The city has always had shops and small restaurants, but the numbers were smaller, in part because travel to Mecca was difficult. The roads weren't paved, and there weren't enough hotels.
But after the oil boom of the 1970s, roads were paved, housing expanded, and the influx of pilgrims rose from tens of thousands to millions. Safety figures into the expansion, too, say officials. In some years, hundreds of people have died in stampedes.
"The changes in Mecca are well planned and studied, and are there to cater to the needs of visitors and residents," says a Saudi Interior Ministry official who asked to remain anonymous.
The building boom, notes Mr. Tayeb, is also justified by the spread of Islam. There are more Muslims who must come to Mecca each year.
Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering Mecca, so the commerce still has a distinctive Islamic flair. Koranic verses can be heard playing in some restaurants. And every arriving pilgrim with a cellphone is sent a text message in English and Arabic from the Saudi government: "You are now in Mecca! The dearest place to Allah and his messenger – Peace be upon him – on earth."
Tayeb, the historian, says the traditional Saudi families here in Mecca feel "disappointment" over the modernization, but have accepted it as a reality. And he accepts the presence of matchmakers, as he does the other changes. The Mecca of his childhood is now gone, he says, adding: "The only thing that remains the same is the Kaaba."
"There is nothing holy about having Pizza Hut right next to the holiest site in Islam," says Mohammed Abdullah Attar, a religious scholar in one of the all-boys' schools in Mecca.
I have to say, I never quite understand sentiments like these. Is Pizza Hut unislamic?
When we go to Makkah Shareef are we not suppossed to eat. Allah has given us the Blessings of Pizza so why would it be unislamic!!!! Whats pizza got to do with the price of chips???
I think it is to be taken in the context that follows, i.e. "Mecca should be a site of religious contemplation and not a distraction of overpriced materialistic things," and "Some pilgrims comment disparagingly on the new glass-garbed, Vegas-style towers and glitzy five-star hotels encircling the holy site".
I think the fuss is ridiculous. Makkah is a city like any other city, not only that, but they have to accommodate for millions of people visiting at one time! If any city needs to stay up to date and modern it is Makkah!
This idea that modernisation somehow takes away from the spirituality of the place is so backwards. Since when did we have to be living in tents and riding camels to be spiritual?
We need to modernise it to a degree........... however there are still places like Jannat-Al-Baki that still have the same spirituality, and there are many places of Zerayaat That are still very awe inspiring and spiritual.
I first visited way back in 1996, and even then it was quite modern, in my opinion as long as, we are not touching those places we should keep the same, modernisation cannot be harmful. People need to earnto make a living, if we are to be honest we need these slight modernisations, to maintain our rather precarious lifestyles.......... Even in 1996, i stayed for 2 weeks and lived on chicken and chips from KFC, just outside the masjid in Medinah........ Aaaaaaaah those were the days.
I"m all for nice hotels to stay in and what not but it needs to be like Masjid Nabwi, You have a masjid, a big court yard and then far away are the hotels. In the haram, you have buildings 10 times the size of kaba staring down at you while you are standing next to the kaba. How about some room to breathe ppl? Take those hotels back about a 100 ft, a little walk to the haram won't kill you, it'll only erase your sins, one step at a time.
As for mcdonals and all these franchises and fancy stuff, that kind of mondernziation we don't need over there. These money greedy commercialization can stay 3-5 blocks away from the haraam. The point is to focus on your spirtuality and rejuvnation, not go on a vocation and enjoy the same luxuaries you get at home.
I do agree with you brother, some of the buildings there can be overwhelming, however it's upto the Saudi government to put a stop to all the fancy stuff.
Things like McDonalds and Pizza Hut are not really necessary there and as you mentioned it i thought more seriously about it, only at the time i was there i was more concerned about getting my children to eat in the scorching heat.
Thankyou for opening my eyes.
format_quote Originally Posted by islamirama
I"m all for nice hotels to stay in and what not but it needs to be like Masjid Nabwi, You have a masjid, a big court yard and then far away are the hotels. In the haram, you have buildings 10 times the size of kaba staring down at you while you are standing next to the kaba. How about some room to breathe ppl? Take those hotels back about a 100 ft, a little walk to the haram won't kill you, it'll only erase your sins, one step at a time.
As for mcdonals and all these franchises and fancy stuff, that kind of mondernziation we don't need over there. These money greedy commercialization can stay 3-5 blocks away from the haraam. The point is to focus on your spirtuality and rejuvnation, not go on a vocation and enjoy the same luxuaries you get at home.
Why don't they build a new city for the hotels, maybe in a ring around the old one? The Masjid and its countyard can be expanded, incorporating the historic sites and other holy places like the graveyards or the Prophet (peace be upon him)'s birthplace into the structure of the Masjid, perhaps in their own small courtyards.
Large paved areas can be built outside the Masjid, like in Medina, which will help reduce crowding and the risk of stampedes.
I think this will help reconcile the needs for expansion of the Masjid and the city's facilities with the conservation of Makkah's historical buildings and the protection of Makkah's spiritual value. Ancient sites will be much more accessable if they are within the confines of the Masjid itself rather than under hotels. This is what has been done with Masjid al-Nabi in Medina, where the traditonal Ottoman centre of the Masjid (including the green dome) still exists along side the newer Saudi expansions.
The only people who loose out are rich guys who want to have luxurious penthouses overlooking the Kaaba, but I don't really care about them because Hajj is meant to be a spiritual experience, not some kind of penthouse holiday.
People are also intent on arguing that 'Makkah is a city and needs to grow as a city, so preserving old stuff is not going to work'. But look at Rome, they have even more ancient monuments than Makkah, but are a much bigger city! They didn't need to destroy any of their heritage!
I do agree with you brother, some of the buildings there can be overwhelming, however it's upto the Saudi government to put a stop to all the fancy stuff.
Things like McDonalds and Pizza Hut are not really necessary there and as you mentioned it i thought more seriously about it, only at the time i was there i was more concerned about getting my children to eat in the scorching heat.
Thankyou for opening my eyes.
When I was there last year, the latrines in mina were filthy and disgusting. It would make one go on a diet till getting back to makkah so they don't have to go there. You had to stand on top of the latrine to shower and the cleaners would use a brush to clean the latrine and then use the same brush to clean the walls of the stall. Talk about impurities!
The saudi royals are real royal pains, they can't think far ahead their self-centered egos and their money to do long term planning. Every 5 yrs or so they spend billions of dollars to buy the land around the haraam to expand it when they could have bought all this land 30yrs ago and develop it as the need arises over time.
And the only reason you see all these 50 story high hotels bring built at the door of the haraam is because the royal pains in the b**t have a share in the investments and hotels being built as well as all the other western western burger life being imported. The king had his palace right next the haraam.
Why don't they build a new city for the hotels, maybe in a ring around the old one? The Masjid and its countyard can be expanded,
I love this suggestion... they should build a sattelite town near Mecca for accomodation and commercial buildings and connect this place with Mecca via monorails.
and then they can expand the Masjidil Haram area... Imagine kaaba without tall buildings surrounding it...... just the mosque...
Yes. As well as redoing it. i can try and find the pics and post it if you'l like.
No its ok..ive seen some pictures...
to those who complain, when they go simply dont stay by the haram or use these facilities. Stay a few miles out and walk/taxi/bus it to the haram if close upto date hotels are so bad.
im not saying over elaborate fanciness is fine, but making modern hotels for the pilgrims? great idea
I"m all for nice hotels to stay in and what not but it needs to be like Masjid Nabwi, You have a masjid, a big court yard and then far away are the hotels. In the haram, you have buildings 10 times the size of Kaba staring down at you while you are standing next to the kaba. How about some room to breathe ppl? Take those hotels back about a 100 ft, a little walk to the haram won't kill you, it'll only erase your sins, one step at a time.
As for mcdonals and all these franchises and fancy stuff, that kind of mondernziation we don't need over there. These money greedy commercialization can stay 3-5 blocks away from the haraam. The point is to focus on your spirtuality and rejuvnation, not go on a vocation and enjoy the same luxuaries you get at home.
format_quote Originally Posted by amani
No its ok..ive seen some pictures...
to those who complain, when they go simply dont stay by the haram or use these facilities. Stay a few miles out and walk/taxi/bus it to the haram if close upto date hotels are so bad.
im not saying over elaborate fanciness is fine, but making modern hotels for the pilgrims? great idea
Yes, I have no problem with the modernizing and updating of hotels, shops etc. The last time i went, some hotels were in dire need of upgrading.
However, like Bro Islamirama says, we dont need all these tall and un-needed buildings being built right around the Haram. Where's the respect for the Kaba? Speaking from memory, they are building a big gym or something next to the Haram with skylight and all. Why cant this be built some place else?
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When we go to Makkah Shareef are we not suppossed to eat. Allah has given us the Blessings of Pizza so why would it be unislamic!!!! Whats pizza got to do with the price of chips???
format_quote Originally Posted by islamirama
Re: Marriage match-making in Makka
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