National Geographic Episodes on PBS

“Inside Mecca” follows three Muslim pilgrims---one an American woman named O'Leary---during the Hajj. “It is a journey that will test body and soul,” says narrator Keith David. And it is also a test of patience, since there are two million pilgrims and not a lot of space for them. And South African Kahlil Mandhlazi, a black man, must also endure racial prejudice. Fidelma O'Leary, a college professor with a hint of a brogue, also admits to resenting being asked again and again if she's “really” a Muslim. But petty frustrations fade in the face of their mission. As Malaysian businessman Ismail Mahbob puts it: “You're actually communicating with God.”