Step by step, I leave all materialistic matters and privacy behind me until I sleep outside underneath the clear sky. To return to God is to return to oneself. Everything that ties you down in this world slowly disappears. Your choices and strength of belief surface. It is a learning experience.

In most of our deeds we follow in the footsteps of the Prophet, peace be upon him, but not for the sa’i. Here, you follow in the footsteps of Hajar, like the Prophet peace be upon him used to do. Hajar and her son Isma’il…

My advice is based on my personal experience and a matter of priorities. I’ve seen pilgrims arrive to the city of Makkah and immediately starting to perform voluntary – non-obligatory – deeds of worship. You have traveled for hours, sometimes more than a day, to get there.

The Tarawih Prayer starts this night, so I stand next to my brother-in-law in line as the imam starts with surat Al-Baqarah. Now I really knew, Ramadan is here! I have a job to do at a customer’s office this night, so I work till 3 AM and then get in the car…

It is well above 30° Celsius and we are making our way through Aung Mingalar, a Muslim getto in the port city of Sittwe, Burma.

A Turkish-Dutch organization, Milli Görüş, took part in an international campaign to get in touch with people across Europe called ‘Hello, We Are Muslims,’ handing out white roses to passersby.