Like a benevolent mother opening her arms to all the children in the neighborhood, Africa held its arms open for successive waves of refugees from Arabia. In turn, the immigrants brought with them the light of Islam and shared it with the people of Africa. This was the quid pro quo between Africa and Arabia: Africa gave protection to the Arabs. In turn, the Arabs shared their faith...

For millions of Muslims around the world, the pilgrimage to Mecca is a lifelong dream. It is a journey of the heart, a physical and spiritual migration towards the House of Allah. While Hajj is the obligatory pilgrimage performed at a specific time of the year, Umrah serves as a voluntary act of worship that can be undertaken at almost any time. It offers a unique opportunity to cleanse the...