Pakistani actor, model and singer Fawad Khan completed his first Hajj this year and actor says that the best part of it was the lack of attention.
In an interview with Arab Times Fawad Khan shared the experience of his first Hajj and how it took him back to his childhood memories.
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The 36 year old actor shared, “Being one among 2.4 million people is the easiest thing on earth,” he said. “You feel comfortable because you are in the same space with other people who bare their hearts to God. You feel just like any other person among them. And you are not under media scrutiny as you are on normal days.”
While speaking about being crowded by fans wherever he goes he said, “But I enjoy the anonymity now and then, it feels nice to be a face in the crowd, in a way, it is very refreshing. People during Hajj are so busy and caught up in what they are doing that they don’t have time for these things. They are very considerate. They are very careful about what they are doing.”
Khan also revealed that he spent part of his childhood in the Saudi capital Riyadh, where his father was employed.
“I was in Riyadh from 1986 to 1992 as a child,” he said. “My mother is a very pious woman and when my father was posted to Riyadh, she would say, ‘I will never miss an opportunity to perform Umrah,’ so we used to perform Umrah every year.”
“Khoobsurat” actor also praised his Saudi hosts.
“The Hajj was made very easy by the ministry. The facilities made everything comfortable despite the blistering heat,” he said.
He further added, “The arrangements were seamless. At Jamrat, where the stoning ritual takes place, there is a sea of people coming down and you feel like it is going to be impossible. Then you get into the crowd and you start moving slowly but comfortably. There is still space to move even though it looks like it is impossible. And then, suddenly, you are done.”
“Humsafar” actor said, “The whole experience was very spiritual. I remember on the night before the trek to Arafat, there was a wind blowing and it suddenly started raining, and lightning was streaking the sky. It was humbling and it felt like someone from on high was talking to us.”
“A close associate said to me, ‘When the call comes from Allah, you must go.’ So when we got the invitation from the Ministry of Media, we happily accepted it.”
In conclusion Khan said, “The Kingdom has embraced the world with open arms.”