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Yehia Ibrahim watched as dozens of men removed their shoes and filed into the carpeted main room, while women in traditional Arabic clothing tended to children or set dishes of food on long tables in the social hall.
As president of the Tri-Cities Islamic Center in West Richland, Ibrahim wanted everything to go as planned Friday morning for the day of celebrating Hajj.
Hundreds of people filled the rooms. Men in the front, sitting on their knees or prostrating themselves toward the east.
The women did the same, but in a section toward the rear.
The yearly celebration, set by a lunar-based calendar, observes the sacrifice when Abraham, whom Muslims consider their father, was prepared to sacrifice his son at God's request, said Hassan Ziada, the imam for the mosque.
Followers of Islam around the world mark the observance by either a feast at their own mosque or by making a pilgrimage to Mecca, Ziada said.
It is expected that all followers of Islam will make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in their lifetime, if health and finances allow, Ziada said. His first was more than two years ago while he was living in Saudi Arabia and teaching at a university.
But on Friday, Ziada was the worship leader. He explained that Hajj is one of two important feasts in Islam. The first is Ramadan and the second is Hajj, which is known as the feast of sacrifice.
Christians and Jews believe Abraham in the Bible took his son Isaac up on Mount Moriah to be sacrificed as God instructed. Muslims have a similar belief, but say Abraham took his other son, Ishmael, whose mother was Hagar.
In both accounts, God miraculously provided a ram that became the substitute sacrifice.
Ziada said the gathering at Mecca is important because Abraham built the first building at the current site of the Kaaba, which is considered Islam's most sacred site. Followers of Islam pray daily facing the Kaaba.
Friday's gathering began with spontaneous and unison chanting in Arabic, with the men proclaiming: "Praise and thanks to God."
Ziada then spoke in Arabic, read passages from the Koran in Arabic and then gave a talk in English. He spoke of the importance of Hajj, of the oneness of all people in Islam, with all being the same before God.
Friday's worship drew hundreds of people, with an overflow and some standing outside. There were more than the estimated 350 who constitute the Muslim community in the Tri-Cities.
Ibrahim said many people who follow Islam come long distances because the Tri-Cities Islamic Center is the largest for many miles around. There is another in Pullman and a smaller one in Yakima. He said people attend the feast from Yakima, Milton-Freewater, Walla Walla and Pendleton. Some in the Tri-Cities are immigrants from Sudan, Turkey or Pakistan.
"They come from all nationalities," Ziada said.
The social time following the worship was for greeting one another, sharing various fruit, sweet breads and cakes, both homemade and store bought.
A banner declared "Happy Eid," which means eat happy.
Ziada said the celebration doesn't end at the center, but participants are expected to continue by going home and sharing with family and friends.
This year's Hajj was special because it came on the U.S. Thanksgiving weekend, Ziada said.
Because of the lunar-based calendar, which is 11 days different from the solar-based calendar, it will be 33 years before the coincidence of feasts happens again, he said.
