Pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca. In his pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca, the spiritual center of orthodox Islam, Malcom X encountered color variations among Muslims—including blue eyes, blond hair, and whitish skin—an experience that shattered his belief that white skin and blue eyes were synonymous with Satan, that all white people were devils. This 1907 image shows the Al-Masjid Al-Haram Mosque, with people praying inside near the Kaaba—a venue that would change little over the next 60 years.