when malcolm talks about his journey on the Hajj, he references numerous times to how the Muslim customs which once seemed uncomfortable to him, were now everyday routines.
"...and sleeping with eight or ten others on a mat in
the open. I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing
but the sky overhead I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim
brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land-every
color, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike-
all snored in the same language" (Haley 350).
when malcolm talks about sharing food and drinks with all the different men on the pilgrimage, he feels like a part of the "brotherhood." even though everyone were of different races and from different countries, they all found common ground when following Allah.
when reading this, i realized another similarity between the Jewish and Muslim faiths. malcolm accounts of sleeping under the open sky, while being in the most sacred place in the world. Sukkot begins on the fifth day after Yom Kippur, which is the day of atonement. Sukkot pays tribute to the forty years of exile that the Jews had after escaping from Egypt (What is Sukkot?). on Sukkot, one of the traditions is for Jews to build a sukkah (pictured below).
"the sukkah represents the Clouds of Glory, which are representations of the Shechinah, which means Divine Presence" (Why do we build a Sukkah?). the rules for a sukkah are that it must have at least 2.5 walls, and be created so all or most of the roof shows the sky. this is because only the part under the sky is kosher, so it is more sacred. i have spent the night and had dinner in a sukkah, and i can tell you that it is a purely amazing experience. just like malcolm said it was amazing sleeping under the stars in a place with pure peace and love around him, being under the stars on a Jewish holiday is transforming. it is also amazing to think that all over the country and across the world, even in israel, people are all under the same night sky, full of prayer and hope. one day, i would love to go to israel, and meet those who live in a place so rich with history and tradition. however, for the time being, merely being able to connect because of the sky is just as astonishing.
works cited:
Ellis-Christensen, Tricia. "What is Sukkot?" WiseGEEK: clear answers for common questions. 10 Mar. 2009 .
"Why do we build a Sukkah? - holidays sukkot the sukkah." Askmoses.com - Torah, Judaism and Jewish Info - Ask the Rabbi. 10 Mar. 2009 .
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