Travel · Writing

We took a glimpse and we were in awe…

jacquelineobyikocha

Sheikh_Zayed_Mosque

We had driven past the mosque along the express sometime in the past and its magnificent structure beckoned to my eyes….

We had no idea that we could visit as non-Muslims, but following inquiries we were duly informed of the visiting hours and the required observations.

We earmarked a day to visit Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

A lot of people may not know this, but the Grand Mosque was started as a vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was known for adopting a tolerant version of Islamic faith and for staying far away from fanaticism or extremism.

He imagined a place of worship that would help people come together. To understand Islam and to see it as a religion that has a message of peace, tolerance and diversity.
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A leisurely 2 hour drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi; with pit stops made at gas stations for a run to the loo (when you have children with you, prepare your mind for such incidentals) and to grab a cup of Tim Horton’s or Starbucks coffee and donuts.

We had eaten before leaving, yet an expedition has a way of rousing the nibbling juices.

It was blazing hot! Around 41 degrees Celsius if my guess was correct, but thankfully, there are shaded areas as you walk to the location where you have to obtain a compulsory ”Abaya” for the ladies before venturing into the mosque.

There were bus loads of tourists queued to acquire one, but the process is swift and efficient. They had loads and loads of Abaya! Soon we were on our way.

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The shiny starkness of the white marbled building that literally glinted in the sun left me bereft of words to describe my thoughts.

We had to leave our footwear in a sea of footwear a mile long at least and walked into the mosque which was refreshingly cool.

I observed that the marble flooring outside the mosque, which I had expected would be baking hot was cool. It must have had some sort of cooling system because our feet did not roast!

The splendour! The magnificence and the entire experience was sublime.

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It stole one’s breath away and pulled at the inner chords of warmth and peace deep within you.

It left the heart feeling full and at rest.

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I realized that, we all, are on the same quest for the same thing which is centered on Love, Peace and Acceptance, even though peoples means of arriving at that destination differs.

I think that the confusion lies in our minds as faulty humans and not in the hands of God. Our genetic make up does not have any religion stamped on it. We are first created humans before anything else!

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Allah Akbar means God is greater than anything else on Earth and that is not debatable! A Muslim enters the ritual of prayer and divine presence after uttering Allah Akbar. It is akin to the sign of the Cross made by Catholics and I am Catholic!

Indeed, God is the Greatest! God does not promote violence or lies!

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

P.S. Unfortunately some of the videos that I took are not uploading and my pictures don’t do justice to the Mosque!

In fulfillment of Writing 101 – Day 13 Assignment: compose a series of vignettes. I am doubtful about my take on the assignment, but if the Truth be told, I am leaving it as it is.

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Published by jacquelineobyikocha

A wordsmith with a vivid imagination, an eager mind and a burning desire to carve out tales. As I journey with my muse to that land of all possibilities and self discovery, I hope my personal evolution will serve as a beacon of inspiration for anyone who chooses to stop by.

57 thoughts on “We took a glimpse and we were in awe…”

      1. Of course. I know what you mean; I took a trip to Spain and Italy, and the pictures and videos I have don’t begin to contain the beauty. What we can tell of it, you did a fantastic job of capturing though! 🙂

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      3. It really is. That is such a wonderful idea and so funny you mention it; when I was little I would blink really hard (if that makes sense) and make a ‘click’ noise to try to keep an image in my mind. Worked for a couple days but then I would forget. Ha, what a great thing if that were real though! 🙂

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  2. Wow! Your words are interesting and those photos are captivating! That mosque is breathtaking but your beautiful family is, I think, your greatest blessing! 🙂

    I cannot agree more with you final sentence, too!

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    1. I wish I could paint a better picture and when we were asked to do the vignette, I decided to do this (whether it fitted in or not ***laughing out loud***) The place is really gorgeous. I loved your take though. Very sweet and touching.

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  4. Wow. what a great experience. Your post presentation is awesome and it feels like i am there already. I am not a Muslim and i have never been to a mosque before but my love for them is the same cuz we call on the same God and one unique thing i discovered about them is their taste for the best. But i think you have aroused my taste for exploration. I can sight your wonderful family.

    Love and blessings:)

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      4. Hi Jacqueline. This is my second visit to your “About” page and sincerely i must say you are indeed a great writer. your sense of expression and your stream of intellectual wealth is well translated to your writing. It’s really a blessing to have found your blog. You deserve all the recognition the blogosphere can offer. your work is a blessing. Keep it up. Cheers:)

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      5. Prince, words like these are the only inspiration and encouragement that I need. They are delightful. I read your inspiring articles as well and I am glad we connected over here. I will be walking along with you in the blogosphere and enjoy the moments. Kind regards and God bless 🙂

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  5. This is a such a beautiful post 🙂

    “I realized that, we all, are on the same quest for the same thing which is centered on Love, Peace and Acceptance, even though peoples means of arriving at that destination differs.”

    I loved these lines. Peace, Love and Acceptance are destination of all humanity.

    I wish you very best.

    Love and light ❤

    Anand 🙂

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      3. Yes there is so much more to a place than the views alone, the sounds smells, and atmosphere really round it out. but your photos have definitely put it on my list to visit if I am ever in the vicinity

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  7. So let’s add “mind reader” to your list of talents. I was just thinking yesterday, and was going to suggest, you post more pics of Dubai. It seems like such a fascinating place…and you’re right there!!! Some of us will probably never get the chance to visit…so I enjoy seeing many different places through other people’s blogs. This is a wonderful post and I so enjoyed experiencing this mosque with you and your family. I think it’s the first time I’ve seen your husband!!

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    1. I will post some photos now and again. Never say never! When you retire and have the time on your hands, you will take that time to cruise and travel to places that you have penciled down. I realized that I had never put him up too! I hope he doesn’t find out 🙂

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  14. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and your photos and videos! The mosque is so stunning, both inside and out. That top photo from outside is so breathtaking and otherworldly, I could believe it was a model built for a movie about the future, or on some wonderful advanced society on some other planet (I am a Star Trek fan, can you tell?). A thing of such grandiose beauty could not possibly exist here, in my own world! But it does, and you were there, that is simply amazing.

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  15. I am utterly speechless…for me, anyway! These photos are absolutely wonderful. I “liked” many of the previous comments …agreed with them, or they answered questions that I have. The abayas, are they worn by tourists or are they optional. Loved seeing your family…and you.

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    1. Thank you Gradmama. The place is very lovely indeed! The female tourists must also wear the abayas to enter the mosque or cover their heads with shawls as long as their body is properly covered. No showing off of the body.

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I love it when you decorate my heart with your words..