Thousands from the region joined millions from across the world at this year's Hajj pilgrimage.
Many from the UK recently returned from this journey of discovery.
Before he went we asked Zaheer Mahmud to keep a diary of his journey. Zaheer spent nearly a month on the Hajj and here he recollects some of his experiences.
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I was quite reluctant to write a diary because as I later learned the Hajj is quite a personal thing. But a promise is a promise.
>> Thursday December 6.
I join up with my group at Manchester Airport. On the flight over like many others I am a liitle apprehensive and don't really know what to expect.
>> Friday December 7.
Arrived at the hotel still in state of Ihram and immediately headed towards Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah to perform Umrah.
This involved Tawaaf, Saee between Safa and Marwa (two locations in the Masjid) and the head being shaved.
As I arrived to start Umrah I was accompanied by an old fellow Mohammed Khan who needed assistance. I referred to him as My baba' (old fellow). The name kind of stuck. It seemed almost everyone my age had their own baba with them. As is Allah's will our meeting helped both of us.
So the Umrah took longer than anticiapated due to huge crowds. People ask what does it feel like when you see Allah's house (Kabah Sharif) for the first time. Well, it cannot be explained in words it can only be experienced. May Allah grant every Muslim this opportunity.
There is so much pushing as people try to touch the Kabah. But there just as many people holding back and watching from the sides. I decided to do the latter.
After completing the Umrah we went back to the hotel. I could not locate my slippers so ended up walking back barefoot.
>> Saturday December 8.
A 70 year old man (not my Baba) goes missing from our group. He had not returned from completing his Umrah. The family from Halifax made the relevant enquiries but were informed that they would have to wait until he turns up somewhere. A bit harsh I think but what can one do?
The days now are spent reading namaz at Masjid Al-Haram. The little time in between after Ishaa namaz is used to rest, shop and socialise and carry out further ibaadat.
>> Sunday December 9
In my group there were people from around the North of England. Even some fellows from Nottingham. Some people I recognised and others who I became friends with. There is common bond between people and I find the evenings a good time to talk to everyone.
I begin to notice an increase in people arriving and the crowds gather pace.
>> Monday December 10.
I sorted out my mobile sim after ringing home from the local PCO and getting an ear bashing from my father. This kind of felt good because I realised they cared about me even though they have a funny way of showing it.
>> Tuesday December 11.
Performed an extra Tawaf. Bottle neck situations going in and out of Masjid Al-Haram are getting bigger and more time needed to go to pray and come back.
People were laying their prayer mats at entrances on roads leading into Masjid Al-Haram.
>> Wednesday December 12.
Continued meeting people and went to perform another Umrah which involved getting back into ihram and getting a taxi to Masjid Aisha and returning to Masjid Al-Haram to perform tawaaf and Saee Safa and Marwa.
>> Thursday December 13.
Performed another Tawaaf and then was taken on a tour of special locations in Makkah. These included Jannatul Mala / Arafat/ Cave Hira and Cave Thaur. Some people climbed up to these points but I remained below to observe the surrounding barren areas. Truly a sight to behold.
>> Friday December 14.
The old man who went missing on the Saturday reappears outside the hotel looking dehydrated, hungry and bruised. His family cannot believe their eyes. Even I get emotional.
Also I was at my first Jumah in Makkah. For this I decided to get myself on to the top floor.
The temperature is 35 degrees but I enjoyed the sweat running down my forehead whilst lying there waiting for the Khutba.
>> Sunday December 16.
After Maghrib this now became the first day of Hajj (8th Dhul Hijjah) we ended up leaving for Mina at approx 11pm after having been told to get ready for transfer at fajar time on Sunday. The waiting around requires patience. The authorities have to control the movement of three million people from Makkah to Mina in one day.
>> Monday December 17.
Spent the day in Mina. Food not all that but it did not really matter because the only thing on your mind is the completion of Hajj. Bearing in mind you are in Ihram so you remain very careful in what you do as many things which are normally permissable are not.
>> Tuesday December 18.
After Fajr we made our way to Arafat. Silly me, I decided to walk the distance on my own (14-15km). The journey was okay as I took two bananas with me and will power.
Half way I thought of hitch hiking but luckily met someone who understood me and we had a strange conversation and got so enthralled in politics that the rest of the journey passed quickly.
When I arrived at Arafat I had no idea where I needed to go or what I needed to do. So I rang my group to find out but was told they were still in Mina awaiting the coach.
Waiting around I meet up with a few people from Leicester who are also lost and we eventually (four hours later!) get to the tent in which my group is located. I had lost all hope in finding them but Allah always knows best.
I arrived in time to read Zohar and Asar namaaz and then spent time in Zikr and duaa asking for forgiveness. I joined in one dua taking place outside the tent.
At Maghrib time we left Arafat to make our way to Muzdalifah.
Oh decided to walk again (8-9km) got to Muzdalifah and again had no idea of where our group was located so ended up walking around for several hours.
At midnight I made an executive decision (something I am renowned for!) and told the other three people I was with that we should make our beds beside the roadside and go to sleep. Also collected pebbles to throw at the Shataan (devil) approx 70 at Muzdalifah.
>> Wednesday December 19.
Read Fajr namaz in muzdalifah and left for Mina this again took us several hours to find our camp in Mina and at around 11am arrived in the out tent. Went to sleep for an hour and then made our way to stoning the Jamrah Al-Aqaba.
Found this to be very easy as there are now two levels and the pillars for stoning are a lot wider.
I was also stoning for my baba' I was helping which again was relatively easy.
We then came back to the tent to get confirmation of Qurbani and had my head shaved and was able to get out of Ihram.
>> Thursday December 20.
Went to perform Tawaaf-e-Ziyarah this involves performing seven circuits around the Kabah and then doing the Saee of Safa and Marwaa.
This was quite eventful, as the old fellow I was with did not meet me back at our agreed location so I spent an extra hour looking for him and then decided to make my way back to the hotel, where he was lying on the sofa sipping a cup of tea.
Then a family in our group lost their child in the Masjid A-l-haram and the child made his way back to the hotel and we had no way of contacting the family, so we waited two hours for them to come back.
I then came up with one of my bright ideas and got my baba to agree to travelling from Makkah to Mina on motorbike.
We got this reluctant Bengali rider to entertain this notion but when we got to the outskirts of Mina the police stopped us. He was not supposed to be operating anywhere near Mina Camp.
The police took away his keys. And we felt really guilty. But things are never what they seem. As soon as I had paid him for the journey and wished him well he got his spare keys out of his pocket and rode off.
We continued our journey into the Mina camp by wagon ride and then walked. It only took several hours, as we did not have a clue again where it was. But as always with Allah's will we found it.
>> Friday December 21.
Completed the stoning ritual at Jamaraat and spent the rest of the day reading namaz and left for Makkah in the afternoon.
Spent the next few days in between leaving Makkah performing Tawaaf Al-Widah and did a little bit of shopping.
>> Tuesday December 24.
There are journeys and then there are journeys! The Medina from Makkah journey meant waiting for the coach to pick us up from the Hotel (16 hrs wait) then the actual journey to Madina took 15.5 hrs due to coach driver taking a 6-hour nap.
But all this did not matter to me, as I was very ill and slept through most of this.
>> Tuesday December 25.
Days such as Christmas day do not come into your thought process. I did not realise it was the 25th. Me the patriots of patriots!
In Medina you simply got to Masjid Al-Nabvi 5 times a day to pray namaz and as it is the resting place of our Prophet (PBUH) you go there to give salaam and ask for his intercession.
>> Wednesday December 26.
Travelled to historical locations such as the other Masjids in Medina and a eye-opening visit to the date factories.
>> Thursday December 27.
When Benazir Bhutto was killed there was a chatter amongst the Pakistanis about it - not that this was earth-shattering for me.
I was more concerned with my health and ability to continue performing my namaz as I felt things were now catching up on me.
>> Monday December 31.
One pilgrim said he got a text of someone wishing him happy New Year. I didn't know what day it was. Continued as per normal going to the Masjid to perform Namaz and giving our salaam our Prophet (PBUH) and his companions.
>> Tuesday January 1.
Spent the rest of my few days contemplating my return to the UK and future plans in how I will continue in my life and what I have learnt from this experience.
My lessons learned were very basic - be patient in life, take others into consideration and be willing to forgive and above all remember Allah all times.
>> Friday January 4.
Returned to the UK. Despite everything there is a real sadness when you leave. During my journey I had met many people of different races and backgrounds.
My experiences will differ from someone else's and if I have made any mistakes in this diary please forgive me. But one thing we will all have in common. The memories will last forever.
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