According to his Department of Defense Detainee Assessment, it is believed that he traveled in Mecca in 2001 where he met Abu Walid al-Makki who began to talk to him about Islam and jihad. Al-Makki introduced him to Muhammad al-Saudi al-Harabi who was his contact for joining the jihad in Afghanistan. Because he believed that his family would not support his participation in jihad he told them that he would be traveling to Pakistan to memorize the Koran.[3] Al Marri arrived in Pakistan on September 6, 2001 and contacted al-Harabi who connected him to a man named al-Zubail who transported him to Kandahar, Afghanistan.