MECCA: In the blistering heat of Saudi Arabia’s Mecca, Amer Abdullah, a resident of the holy city, is defying the scorching temperatures to distribute free tea and bread to pilgrims undertaking the annual hajj pilgrimage. This act of hospitality honors a longstanding tradition deeply ingrained in Islam’s holiest city.
Accompanied by his five sons, the 45-year-old Saudi man spends his evenings serving warm beverages to exhausted Muslim pilgrims. “For the people of Mecca, there is no higher honor than serving pilgrims,” Abdullah expressed to AFP ahead of the commencement of hajj rituals on Sunday. He further shared that his father and forefathers had also embraced this duty, and now he is passing it down to his sons, with sweat forming on his face as he spoke.
In earlier times, before the emergence of hotels and high-rises in Mecca, locals used to host pilgrims in their own homes. However, despite the modernization of the city with luxurious accommodations and air-conditioned shopping malls, the deeply ingrained culture of hospitality has remained intact.
Each day at noon, Abdullah and his sons prepare vacuum flasks filled with tea and hot milk. They meticulously pack hundreds of loaves of bread into tightly sealed plastic bags before embarking on their nightly distribution. They set up near the Grand Mosque, which overflows with worshippers, some of whom rely solely on handouts throughout the four-day pilgrimage. Abdullah acknowledged the significance of this tradition passed down through generations as he poured tea into a paper cup.
Hospitality is already deeply rooted in Saudi culture, but it gains even more prominence during hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam that all Muslims with the means are obliged to undertake at least once in their lives. This year, more than two million pilgrims from over 160 countries are expected to participate. According to Muslim tradition, these pilgrims are considered “guests of God” and must be provided with accommodation, food, and drink, even if they cannot afford it.
Across Mecca, young men distribute free meals, often consisting of rice, chicken, or meat, to pilgrims who patiently queue up for their turn. Faisal al-Husseini, a Pakistani businessman residing in Mecca, has been distributing hot meals daily for weeks. “It is a great honor to serve God’s guests,” he remarked while handing food in a blue plastic bag to a pilgrim. For Mahmoud Talaat, a 47-year-old Egyptian visitor, these handouts serve as his sole source of sustenance during the pilgrimage, as he cannot afford meals otherwise.
This year’s hajj falls during the summer season, and the timing based on the lunar calendar poses a challenge for worshippers, who must endure the outdoor rituals in sweltering temperatures exceeding 42 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit). To help pilgrims cope with the heat, young men distribute bottles of frozen water. Mecca resident Hamza Taher, 25, explained, “We buy water and cool it well, then we start distributing it once or twice a day after prayers.” His brother Anas, 22, added that they are not the only ones providing assistance, stating, “All of the people of Mecca are racing to help.”
While the tradition of hosting pilgrims in Mecca’s homes has diminished in recent years due to infrastructural expansion projects by Saudi authorities, many residents still cherish the memories of this centuries-old custom. “When I was growing up, we used to host pilgrims in our homes,” shared a Mecca resident who preferred to remain anonymous for privacy concerns, adding, “It was a beautiful tradition.”
While some practices have faded, newer ones have emerged, such as a state-led initiative by the education ministry that involves hundreds of Mecca’s school children assisting with hajj. Their responsibilities include aiding wheelchair-bound pilgrims and guiding non-Arabic speakers to holy sites. Seventeen-year-old student Sultan al-Ghamdi stated, “I am completing what my ancestors started hundreds of years ago.”
