"I feel comfortable."

The only words I could utter as I traversed the traffic jammed highway to Makkah. The pleasant air filled my lungs, and there existed something that calmed my heart, a calm I had not felt since the days of my golden youth.

There is something about this land, something about the way the people talk, smile, do business. Iman, the country smells of Iman. And it warms me inside, in that place I haven't felt warmth in a long time. Everyone here is nice, every single one, even the police. It pervades, its in the air, how can one be mean? The world around me is full of kindness. Strange people hand me food. They jump at the opportunity to give me dates and water, even tea, to break my fast.

On this journey to Makkah, I find a land as modern as my own, yet somehow embodying a more perfect society. All along the highways there are large street signs that say "Alhamdulillah, La illaha illallah, Allahu Akbar." It is a beautiful place, full of remembrance of Allah. It calms me somehow, as if I were approaching Jannah. Ah, this peacefulness I cannot describe, a joy deep in the heart, I cannot find it, it just cools me inside. The cool air, the cleanliness, the spirit, the beautiful spirit that fills the air and cleans you inside, washes away all the years of worldly dirt that has clung to my longing spirit.

I shall not waste time in trying to describe the Haram Shareef, for its magnificence would destroy ink, pen, and paper in exploring its glories.