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ENG 101

Submitted To:

Dr. Katherine Osborne

Submitted By:

Sabaa Alfadli
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I am from Makkah. It’s the most sacred place on earth not only for Muslims but the entire

world. It’s a great blessing of Allah Almighty that I belong to this place. Makkah is the blessed

city which is the most beloved land in the sight of Allah Almighty and the chosen location of His

House. It was here that the last prophet and guide of the whole of mankind, Muhammad (peace

and blessings of Allah be on him), was born and commenced his Prophet hood. It was here that

Muhammad the Prophet (c. 570–632), the Messenger of God, the founder of the Muslim faith, was

born in 570, and it is here within the Great Mosque that the Ka'aba, the most sacred shrine of Islam,

awaits the Muslim pilgrim. Throughout the world, wherever they may be, all devout Muslims pray

five times per day, each time bowing down to face Mecca. All able-bodied Muslims who have

sufficient financial means and whose absence from their families would not create a hardship must

undertake a pilgrimage, a Hajj, to Makkah once in their lifetime during the Muslim month of Dhu-

al-Hijah (the twelfth lunar month). Makkah is located in Saudi Arabia and is home to the holiest

site in Islam: Masjid al-Haram. With a population of 1.7 million, Makkah is host to millions of

Muslim pilgrim since the 7th century. Its importance to Islam can be directly linked to the prophet

Muhammad. In this paper I am going to describe all the things about myself and I will also give

a brief introduction about my family background, my feelings about my birth place i.e. Makkah.

Like every Muslim, I have a great respect for the city of Makkah .There are so many things about

this sacred city. The most sacred place in Islam is the Ka'ba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Ka'ba is

a mosque (built by Abraham who was a messenger of Allah Almighty according to Muslim

tradition) constructed around a black stone. The prophet Muhammad designated Mecca as the holy

city of Islam and the direction (qibla) in which all Muslims should offer their prayers. The Ka'ba

is believed to be the first place that was created on earth and the place at which heavenly bliss and
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power touches the earth directly. Muslim scientists have provided evidence to show that Makkah

is the true centre of the Earth, one argument being that unlike other longitudes, Makkah’s is in

perfect alignment to magnetic north. The city lies inland 73 kilometers east of Jeddah, in the

narrow, sandy Valley of Abraham. The Holy City is 277 meters above sea level. Each year,

thousands of Muslims from around the world join in a pilgrimage to Mecca (the hajj), in fulfillment

of one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The importance of Mecca for Muslims is inestimable. All

Muslims, wherever they are on Earth, pray five times a day in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca.

Now my current country is United States. This country has also given me a lot of things in my

life. I am living here with my family. Family is the nucleus of society and the first society in

which we learn social etiquette principles and cooperation. Family is the center of protection of

national and moral traditions and in one word, for the protection of individuals. Hence, those

who are deprived of family blessings will be exposed to doom. The absence of moral values will

be the loss of cooperation and co-existence and finally the decadence of nations and human. My

family history is present in my personality, because they were the first who teach me how to love

them and how to take my first step in life. The culture was important too where I grow up to

makes me as a good person. My Family history and culture has a huge influence on me. It has

made me who I am today. Family is your blood and they are the people who accept you for who

you are, who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what. Family is

one and only place where your life begins and love never ends. You may have lots of people in

your life, but you won’t find a single person who care the most like your parents. I am living in

this country with my three kids and I am also so much blessed to be a part of this country.

As I am studying here that’s why I learnt a lot of things about the culture and values of United

States of America. There are so many interesting things which helped me a lot to improve my
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personality. Studying in the United States of America is a very wonderful learning experience for

me. Both in and out of the classroom I learnt about American life and culture, values and

traditions. The best thing about America which I liked a lot is that U.S. Americans uphold the

ideal that everyone "is created equal" and has the same rights. This includes women as well as

men of all ethnic and cultural groups living in the U.S. There are even laws that protect this

"right to equality" in its various forms. Another motivating factor about the American life style is

that everyone is impressed at how achievement oriented Americans are and how hard they both

work and play. There is a competitive environment which motivates everyone to keep on

struggle in every field of life. A competitive spirit is often the motivating factor to work harder.

The people of United States often compete with themselves as well as others. They feel good

when they "beat their own record" in an athletic event or other types of competition. Americans

seem to always be "on the go", because sitting quietly doing nothing seems like a waste of time.

I think if someone finds a chance to study in the United States then I can say that it will provide

you with endless opportunities to learn about a new culture and about yourself as well. You will

also have a chance to "educate" U.S. Americans about your own country and cultural values.

The place where I might be going is Paris. It’s my long-cherished dream to visit this place. It is

a beautiful city with very fun and interesting things to see and do. There are many interesting

sights. There are wonderful restaurants and food. Elegant restaurants and casual sidewalk cafes

lie throughout the city. This beautiful city is also the fashion capital of the world. Paris is a

fantastic city that holds the key to your heart. This exciting city has many wonderful sights. One

of the most well-known sights is the Eiffel Tower. From the top of this magnificent structure it is

possible to see all across the lovely city. On the Champs-Elysees you can see the Arc de Triumph

which soldiers were buried beneath a war. The most popular museum in France, and perhaps the
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world, is the Louvre. The Louvre contains historical paintings, sculptures and other forms of art

such as the Mona Lisa and the Veins de Milo. Pei's Pyramids at the Louvre are beautiful glass

pyramids outside of the museum. Notre Dame is a gorgeous cathedral known for its bell tower.

Sacre Coeur is another breathtaking cathedral set atop a tall hill. From this church there is a great

view of the city. Louis the sixteenth lived in and expanded the astoundingly beautiful Palace of

Versailles in 1669. The palace is still standing and is as beautiful as ever. The palace's gardens

are very beautiful as well. Mont Mart is a large shopping area. There are clothing stores,

bakeries, wine shops, souvenir shops, restaurants and more. Parisian sights are as interesting and

beautiful as they are fun. Parisians celebrate many holidays. The most important being Bastille

Day, which is on July 14. It celebrates the French revolution. If you are lucky enough to be

visiting during Bastille Day then will get to see the military bands, parades, bonfires, and

firework shows. Parisians don’t only celebrate French holidays, for example they also celebrate

Chinese New Year. For it people gather in the Chinese district to celebrate. There are Parades

with bright and colorful dragons, fish, and flags embossed with Chinese symbols. Chinese

restaurants are usually backed to the brim with tourists and locals. Sometimes there are also

special plays or musicals or even film festivals.

In the end I can say American has taught me a lot of things. American culture is a great culture

that people with different ideals should open their minds too. American culture is a culture that

has molded within a couple of centuries and has developed more within the 100 years. Different

people come into this country and with these people come with different beliefs and ideals that

will influence other different people also.