Daniel: no Muslim, no Mecca

Submitted by Dr-RJP (United States), Feb 6, 2011 at 15:09

You said that "As far as i know, anyone permitted into Mecca, whether for 'umra or hajj, is considered a Muslim by the Saudi authorities.'

The reverse is true: you cannot enter Mecca if you are not a Muslim - but only a true Muslim is allowed to make the Hajj. Here is where the definition of "True Muslim" gets problematic as far as Malcolm X is concerned.

Malcolm wanted to make the Hajj on his first trip to Saudi Arabia in 1959 but the Hajj committee turned him down because he was not a true Muslim.

Meanwhile, Malcolm had impressed Prince Faisal so much that the Prince pleaded with King Saud to let Malcolm go. Saud said that Malcolm would have to become a true Muslim first.

Malcolm had written that he went to Mecca to "prepare the way for the honorable Elijah Muhammed to go on the Hajj" but there is no way in Hades that Elijah Poole/Muhammed would ever have been allowed to go.

Prince Faisal became King Faisal in 1964 and Malcolm saw this as an opportunity to go on the Hajj with King Faisal's blessing. Faisal said, "Yes, you can go, right after you convert to Sunni Islam."

Now you know the real reason why Malcolm converted to the Saudi Orthodox faith.

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