The sheep and the goats is a reference to the the New Testament parable in which Jesus describes Judgement Day as God separating good people from bad people like the shepard separates obedient sheep (the good) from stubborn goats (the bad). I think my previous posts focused on everything good about the kingdom, the sheep. To present a balanced and fair picture, I'm going to throw in some goats.
One Goat: On our four hour drive from Madinah to Makkah we stopped to use the restroom. I waited to use the toilet when a woman cut in front of me. I didn't think anything of it until it happened a second time and yes, a third time. Annoyed, I left no room between myself and the door. As I stood there barricading the door like a crazy person, I realized that not everyone in the world understands the concept of waiting in line.
Two Goat: Crowds. In almost all the mosques I went to, other worshippers bumped me and stepped on me as I prayed. A big problem, more for hajj than umrah, is trampling. Crowds can get dangerous fast. I tried getting out of a tightly packed elevator when a huge crowd pushed me back onto the elevator. Scary.
Three Goat: Construction work never ends in Makkah especially around the al-Haram. Hotels are being put up left and right to accommodate pilgrims. This gives the area around the al-Haram a modern, albeit cluttered look. In comparing Madinah to Makkah, I liked Madinah a lot more than Makkah and I think it's because Madinah though modern retained some old-world charm like the morning bazaars.
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