Friday, June 6, 2008
Lessons of Haj
classof72] Lessons of Haj
From:zahid aziz (zaziz@hotmail.com)
Sent:Tuesday, December 25, 2007 7:41:31 AM
Reply-to:classof72@yahoogroups.com
To: classof72@yahoogroups.com;melayu_riyadh@yahoogroups.com
Assalamu 'Alaikum,
As usual we overpacked. The Zahid family is going on a trip again. “Are we going for a stroll around Kaabah again Mama?” asked Adlin the 5 year old team leader of the gang of three. 4 year old Adila and 2 year old Zahir also sensed there is something different about this trip to Kaabah, their code word for the many umrahs there have been on with Mama and Papa before this. Mama is packing a big bag with lots of snacks plus colouring books and KG English quizzes to occupy their time. And this time Mama says they are going on a bus! For kids brought up on plane trips everywhere this was real excitement.
The bus started the journey at 9.47 pm on the Sunday night before the week long Aidil Adha holidays. Exactly one minute later than the similar trip by Papa last year. Yes we are going on a Haj trip. The key player this year is Mama, being left alone with the kids in Riyadh last year, this year we decided not to miss the opportunity for her to do Haj. Papa have to go along as muhrim, the kids, well they’re inseparable from Mama, so come what may we are going to experience this together. Actually the original decision was to defer the wife’s Haj till the kids grow up a little more but when Tok Abah, the wife’s dad announced he will be going for Haj again this year with Tok Mi, we quickly changed our minds and registered for Haj. Tok Abah and Tok Mi can look after the kids while we do the Haj rituals. The first lesson of Haj for us, we may decide when we want to go for Haj but when Allah has extended the invitation you go whatever your original plans.
This year again there was two buses that gathered at Mutiara Restaurant Riyadh. Another motley group, the Malaysian Embassy Haj Group this year under the leadership of Ustaz Hassan Patani, comprise telco expats, open university consultants, construction industry personnel, engineers, finance industry consultants and the usual quota of nurses and matrons. I was pleased to see Azwan of Hijaz Kasturi Architects from last year’s group in the pack again. Nabil from last year’s group also came for the send off, thoughtfully leaving several boxes of Skyflakes crackers to be snacked on by the pilgrims on the bus trip. I never knew how popular my writings were until Nabil threatened me with all manner of sanctions if I don’t write again about this year’s trip. Azmil teased that the Greatest Gathering of Humanity article I wrote describing last year’s trip was a best seller; I am just pleased if my narrative helped picture the haj rituals otherwise more aptly described elsewhere in Haj books and kuliah haji.
The overnight 1000 km desert highway journey from Riyadh to Taif was uneventful. Our bus were full of nurses, ours being the only family with children, the others were couples and several single traveling men. Ustaz was careful to ensure there were enough men on each bus for obvious security reasons. The other families all traveled on the other bus plus their quota of nurses and single traveling men. There are a lot of expat “bachelors” in Riyadh not because they are not married but because they haven’t got round to bringing the family yet. Two buses on the same journey but as we shall see with different tales to tell at the end of the trip. We reached Taif the Miqat and place of Haj niat early in the day. Being fairly cold I decided to dispense the sunnah of shower before ihram and took care of the kids while wife prepared for her ihram niat. Adlin was feeling a little bit poorly having suffered motion sickness and slight fever most of the journey. The night before I made a special solat hajat that our journey be safe and all be in good health. I wondered, but held steadfast that Allah will see her through. As it turned out later after several days of temperature and tiredness my eldest daughter fully recovered. The second lesson of this haj for me, hold true in your doa to Allah, do not doubt and have full faith that He will deliver.
Unlike last year where we headed straight for Mina because the road to Makkah was closed, this year Ustaz was determined to head for Makkah because there were two pilgrims who made the niat of Qiran whilst the rest made the niat of Ifrad. For those who made the niat of Ifrad, tawaf in Makkah after Miqat was just tawaf sunat qudum or opening tawaf but sa’i was for haj, their niat being the niat of haj without accompanying it with umrah.It does not really matter then if they do not make it to Makkah before Mina and wukuf in Arafah. For those who made the niat of Qiran it was incumbent they do the tawaf and Sa'i for they have made the niat to combine their umrah with haj. If they fail to do umrah before going to Arafah it is not good and they have to pay dam or penalty under the rules of Haj. I wouldn’t have minded if we headed straight for Mina, the kids were tired and so was the wife but as a member of the group we had to honour the niat of the Qiran pilgrims and head on to Makkah. As it turned out it was a welcomed decision after all, Sa’i which can be reserved for haj i.e. not repeated for haj, was a stroll, as most pilgrims in Makkah before haj, have headed for Mina. This compared to Sa’i after wukuf last year which was life threatening at several points. Another lesson of this haj for me, sacrifice your personal preference and go with the decision of the jemaah and things will turn out just swell.
Wife and family and wife’s lady pilgrim friend who could not do tawaf for female reasons were ensconced in the house of Ustaz’s cousin not far from Haram. We were welcomed with traditional Patani warmth and hospitality. Hailing from north Perak and being of Patani stock myself I felt very much at home in the house of this Patani family. There are a lot of Patani people in Makkah or for that matter throughout the world. They are in a sense a displaced people having witnessed their proud Malay Islamic kingdom once known as the Mirror of Makkah being conquered until today by the Siamese. Being deeply religious people they know the Quran commands them to regain their nation; die trying or leave the nation says the Quran. Living in Patani as a conquered people is not a choice Allah gives to true believers. But alas the people of Patani know too well they have little friends in the world today. Many oohs and aahs and the sounds of sympathy in the Muslim world but none that will carry the mantle to help them deliver the command
of Allah. If a conquered people is oppressed and as a result, daif and unable to regain their nation on their own then for other brother Muslims what was originally fardhu kifayah to help, becomes a fardhu ‘ain to help deliver. The Patani people hopes their Muslim brothers are comfortable with their hujjah for we shall surely meet in the Court of Allah. But then as they say that’s another story.
At 11 pm almost 24 hours after we started in Riyadh, the two buses left Haram to mabit (esnconced) in Mina before the start of wukuf day at sunrise. As it turned out we could not reach our tent in Mina as there was a massive traffic jam in Mina with roads closed every which way but Arafah. It was as if Allah was steering us straight to Arafah. Initially disappointed not able to reach the comfort of our tent in Mina we took solace in the fact we reached Arafah just after Fajr bypassing the wukuf morning traffic jam which is usually even bigger than the one we just faced. But we had not reached the Arafah tent yet; we were in the Arafah bus park waiting for the camp guide to arrive to take us to the camp. As it was a long wait all pilgrims went down and placed their sajadah next to the bus to recite the prayers, do the zikr and make the doa required in Arafah. The first rukun of haj is the niat at the miqat. Being present in the field of Arafah at sunset on the 10th of Zulhijjah is the second and most important rukun of Haj. It does not matter we were not in our appointed tent we were already in Arafah. The guides eventually came to take the two buses of pilgrims to our Arafah tent. Then began the tale of two buses with different stories to tell at the end of the day. The first bus driven by Abu Hamzah escapes the roadblock but finds itself outside the border of Arafah. The pilgrims quickly descended the bus and returned to Arafah. The camp guide carrying the Malaysian flag to head the walk to camp walked too fast and left the families stranded. Even the single traveling men could not keep up with him. Eventually he managed to deliver the Malaysian flag to the camp safe and sound without a single Malaysian pilgrim in tow. A busful of Malaysian pilgrims lost in disparate groups in the sea of 3 million pilgrims in the field of Arafah. Ahmad, Ustaz Hassan’s assistant admitted at this stage he was almost in tears fearing especially for the families with the infants. Then what can only be described as the miracle of Arafah took place. Slowly the lost pilgrims find each other and under Ahmad’s instruction gathered near the Namira mosque. By late evening Alhamdulillah every single pilgrim was accounted for. There were no hysteria, our traditional Malay upbringing ensured everyone was calm and smiling despite the worries they went through. What lessons to be learned from this experience? To be calm in the face of difficulties ; tawakkal ‘alAllah He is with those who displays sabr’ or patience.
As for our bus we were stuck still in traffic; we could not move left or right, north or south. But we were inside the border of Arafah so a collective decision was made to just stay here until sunset which will not be very long. So out came the sajadah and we sat and zikr until maghrib. We did not reach our tent and have our lunch but everyone knew
the priority was the rukun of wukuf in Arafah not bodily comforts which we have had for all our lives. I was thrilled to learn we were poised at the head of the queue that will march to Muzalifah at the stroke of maghrib. I recall the popular western saying, be careful what you asked for, you may just get it. In the Muslim context I prayed for a safe and easy haj. So far, behind every difficulty faced there was a rahmat. The trip to Makkah before Mina was not favoured by me but it turned out I had an easy Sa’i. We did not reach our Mina tent before wukuf, but this meant we reached Arafah just after Fajr bypassing the major traffic jam the morning of wukuf. We also missed the Arafah tent but found Allah placed us at the head of the queue to Muzalifah. I vividly recall last year’s haj where the bus with family left Arafah at 10pm and reached Mina only after fajr.In my life I have analysed many a situation when Allah delivers our doa without us realizing it. We were more engrossed with the difficulties Allah placed at hand and forget that camouflaged behind them is the deliverance of our prayers. Have we forgotten Allah’s revelation in the Quran that behind every difficulty there is a blessing? Now I also truly understand the meaning of “baik sangka” or only having good expectation of Allah. Think, as we are often asked in the Quran, and many a time we shall find that Allah has answered our prayer without us realizing it.
At the stroke of Maghrib each of us was thankful that Allah have chosen us to be there in that auspicious moment.Alhamdulillah we have fulfilled the second and major rukun of Haj i.e. present in the field of Arafah at sunset
on the 10th of Zulhijjah. Abu Idris our driver started the bus for our next objective, mabit in Muzalifah till at least midnight before heading for our tent in Mina. The bus parked near the border of Muzalifah and Mina 1 km from our tent in Mina and we embarked to do Maghrib and Isya’ jama’ taqdim in Muzalifah and to collect the 7 stones to fulfill the second rukun of Haj, launching of stones at Jamratul Akabar the next day. This was now Tuesday evening, I did not shower on the Sunday evening we left Riyadh as time did not permit or truth be told it was too cold to do so. So it is now 2 and a half days since I last had a shower. Clad only in the two piece of unsewn ihram clothes I was looking forward to a good shower in Mina followed by a change of clothes after tahallul awal following launching of Jamratul Akabar the next day. Then Ustaz dropped the bomb shell for us, all roads to Mina was closed, pack a few belongings he said and lets trek the one kilometer to camp. Last year I was alone, trekking was easy; this year I have 3 preschool children and one very tired wife, 1 km this year is probably 3 times more difficult than last year. Wife and I packed whatever we could in two haversacks and several Tamimi hypermarket plastic bags, set up the stroller and got ready to move the logistics to our camp one km away. Allah delivered in the kindness of one nurse who took over the stroller with Adlin in it plus the plastic bags full of pampers and other kids stuff. I passed the wife’s haversack to Suffian Ustaz’s other assistant, wife carried Zahir, I shouldered Adila and we started the trek to camp. Reaching the camp tired and sweat stained I rationalized there was no point taking a shower if I have to slip back into my body odoured ihram. It was now 3 full days since I last had a shower. I fell asleep dreaming of all the nice things we packed but Allah
denies us from using. But not before the lesson became clear to me; the best laid plans and preparations comes to nothing if Allah says it is not to be. We packed every which thing which can be packed for a comfortable haj for us and the kids but Allah says we are not allowed to use them, being in Abu Idris’s bus one too long kilometer away.
Abu Idris was another story. If looks could kill he was a dead man that night. Why didn’t he attempt to drive the one kilometer to camp before roads were closed at half past midnight. Many saw that if he had started his engine at 12.05 we would have been home at our Mina camp safe and sound with our belongings. But he did not budge from his mattress and the more discerning among us realized he had no intention of driving us to camp that night. He tried the next day but this time clearly the road was blocked. After launching of stones at Jamratul Akabar the next day which was a 5 km walk from the camp and 5 km back to the camp this was one tired and disheveled pilgrim. I truly learnt the meaning of “sehelai sepinggang” or without worldly possessions apart from the clothes on our back. That afternoon after we did the tahallul awal or snipping of hair that alleviates us from the rules of ihram other than sleeping with the wife it was three full days since I put on the ihram and 4 full days without a shower. Only in haj we will experience such a life. After the wife sent me an SOS from her tent that all pampers are out, Adel, Ustaz’s son and I led the march to the bus to retrieve our belongings. Abu Idris was not a popular man at that time. That afternoon everyone had their luggage and I had my overdue shower which was a truly luxurious experience.
The major rukuns of haj completed we only had the tawaf ifadah to do followed by the launching of stones on tasyrik days. The bus stopped one km away from Haram and we trekked in groups to do the tawaf ifadah. We set to meet Tok Abah and Tok Mi in front of Darul Tawhid Hotel who will take care of the kids while we do the Tawaf and Sa’i. Wife did not do Sa’i on day of arrival so for her it was wajib, for me it was just sunat accompanying her. Compared to last year both tawaf and sa'i were relatively easy, we did tawaf on the ground level and Sa'i on the upper floor. The challenge started when we boarded the bus to head to the Jamrat to launch the stones on the first day of tasyrik. This time like on all tasyrik days all three jamrats have to be launched with stones compared to only Jamrat Akabar on the day after wukuf which incidentally was also Aidil Adha. The bus could not move what was estimated to be 1.5 km away from the Jamrat. All roads to Jamrat are closed said Ustaz and Abu Idris. The only option was to walk which everybody except me and my family, did. To me it was not an option, I had three sleeping kids. There was no way they could manage the 1.5 km walk through intense traffic to the Jamrat followed by another 5km back to camp. I told Ustaz come what may I shall stay on the bus until the roads reopen whenever that might be. Abu Idris said it might be for a
few hours or it could be after fajr. I gestured to him my sleeping kids and said I had no choice. Abu Idris saw the sleeping kids and the love of a father in my eyes and must have struck a chord in him. He promised to drive as soon as the road opens which it eventually did at 11 pm. Although the baksheesh I offered had some part in Abu Idris’s change of heart I could see it was not entirely that. We became fast friends after that. He told me he was not exactly Syrian, he is a Kurd by nationality and that there were millions of Kurds in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. I understood where he was coming from and nodded with much sympathy. He owned the bus he is driving having paid cash for it a year back. He drives his bus as far as Turkey and Egypt and will go wherever his clients tell him. He missed his family in Damsyik and showed me pictures of them on his handphone. Lesson for me was you cannot forever dislike anyone you are at odds with on Haj, Allah forbades that and you must find a way to forgive. If not Allah will find a way such that forgiveness will happen.
The rest of the Tasyrik days and tawaf wida’ was, Alhamdulillah, uneventful. We finally met up with Tok Abah on our final day in Makkah. He was lost and we did not see him on the day we came for tawaf ifadhah, only Tok Mi was around then. Wife and I tried to do tawaf on the ground floor for wida’ but it was too crowded. We went to the roof top and did what people said was a 7 kilometer tawaf. Tok Mi and Tok Abah then helped carry the kids to the bus which was a couple of kilometers away from our meeting point near Darul Tawhid. We were extremely tired and exhausted when we reached the bus to head for home. Said goodbye to the doting grand parents and we started the journey home at 1am on that Saturday night, almost exactly 6 days from the day we started in Riyadh.
I have learnt many lessons on this trip for haj but the most poignant for me was Allah meant his guests to experience hardship. Why else must Haj be at one place at one point in time? Why must 3 or 4 million pilgrims be present at one place at one point in time? Allah loves His creations more than any human can imagine; why did He not allow haj to be done every month of the year. He meant us to experience hardship to see how we fare and how we react in the face of adversities. It was also like many people suspect, a little taste of, and little practice for, Mahsyar.
I thank all my companions who helped me and my family on this trip. And I thank Allah for answering my prayers and delivering me and my family and all my companions back from a safe and easy haj.
Salam sabar and salam syukur to all.
Haji Muhammad Zahid Abdul Aziz
From:zahid aziz (zaziz@hotmail.com)
Sent:Tuesday, December 25, 2007 7:41:31 AM
Reply-to:classof72@yahoogroups.com
To: classof72@yahoogroups.com;melayu_riyadh@yahoogroups.com
Assalamu 'Alaikum,
As usual we overpacked. The Zahid family is going on a trip again. “Are we going for a stroll around Kaabah again Mama?” asked Adlin the 5 year old team leader of the gang of three. 4 year old Adila and 2 year old Zahir also sensed there is something different about this trip to Kaabah, their code word for the many umrahs there have been on with Mama and Papa before this. Mama is packing a big bag with lots of snacks plus colouring books and KG English quizzes to occupy their time. And this time Mama says they are going on a bus! For kids brought up on plane trips everywhere this was real excitement.
The bus started the journey at 9.47 pm on the Sunday night before the week long Aidil Adha holidays. Exactly one minute later than the similar trip by Papa last year. Yes we are going on a Haj trip. The key player this year is Mama, being left alone with the kids in Riyadh last year, this year we decided not to miss the opportunity for her to do Haj. Papa have to go along as muhrim, the kids, well they’re inseparable from Mama, so come what may we are going to experience this together. Actually the original decision was to defer the wife’s Haj till the kids grow up a little more but when Tok Abah, the wife’s dad announced he will be going for Haj again this year with Tok Mi, we quickly changed our minds and registered for Haj. Tok Abah and Tok Mi can look after the kids while we do the Haj rituals. The first lesson of Haj for us, we may decide when we want to go for Haj but when Allah has extended the invitation you go whatever your original plans.
This year again there was two buses that gathered at Mutiara Restaurant Riyadh. Another motley group, the Malaysian Embassy Haj Group this year under the leadership of Ustaz Hassan Patani, comprise telco expats, open university consultants, construction industry personnel, engineers, finance industry consultants and the usual quota of nurses and matrons. I was pleased to see Azwan of Hijaz Kasturi Architects from last year’s group in the pack again. Nabil from last year’s group also came for the send off, thoughtfully leaving several boxes of Skyflakes crackers to be snacked on by the pilgrims on the bus trip. I never knew how popular my writings were until Nabil threatened me with all manner of sanctions if I don’t write again about this year’s trip. Azmil teased that the Greatest Gathering of Humanity article I wrote describing last year’s trip was a best seller; I am just pleased if my narrative helped picture the haj rituals otherwise more aptly described elsewhere in Haj books and kuliah haji.
The overnight 1000 km desert highway journey from Riyadh to Taif was uneventful. Our bus were full of nurses, ours being the only family with children, the others were couples and several single traveling men. Ustaz was careful to ensure there were enough men on each bus for obvious security reasons. The other families all traveled on the other bus plus their quota of nurses and single traveling men. There are a lot of expat “bachelors” in Riyadh not because they are not married but because they haven’t got round to bringing the family yet. Two buses on the same journey but as we shall see with different tales to tell at the end of the trip. We reached Taif the Miqat and place of Haj niat early in the day. Being fairly cold I decided to dispense the sunnah of shower before ihram and took care of the kids while wife prepared for her ihram niat. Adlin was feeling a little bit poorly having suffered motion sickness and slight fever most of the journey. The night before I made a special solat hajat that our journey be safe and all be in good health. I wondered, but held steadfast that Allah will see her through. As it turned out later after several days of temperature and tiredness my eldest daughter fully recovered. The second lesson of this haj for me, hold true in your doa to Allah, do not doubt and have full faith that He will deliver.
Unlike last year where we headed straight for Mina because the road to Makkah was closed, this year Ustaz was determined to head for Makkah because there were two pilgrims who made the niat of Qiran whilst the rest made the niat of Ifrad. For those who made the niat of Ifrad, tawaf in Makkah after Miqat was just tawaf sunat qudum or opening tawaf but sa’i was for haj, their niat being the niat of haj without accompanying it with umrah.It does not really matter then if they do not make it to Makkah before Mina and wukuf in Arafah. For those who made the niat of Qiran it was incumbent they do the tawaf and Sa'i for they have made the niat to combine their umrah with haj. If they fail to do umrah before going to Arafah it is not good and they have to pay dam or penalty under the rules of Haj. I wouldn’t have minded if we headed straight for Mina, the kids were tired and so was the wife but as a member of the group we had to honour the niat of the Qiran pilgrims and head on to Makkah. As it turned out it was a welcomed decision after all, Sa’i which can be reserved for haj i.e. not repeated for haj, was a stroll, as most pilgrims in Makkah before haj, have headed for Mina. This compared to Sa’i after wukuf last year which was life threatening at several points. Another lesson of this haj for me, sacrifice your personal preference and go with the decision of the jemaah and things will turn out just swell.
Wife and family and wife’s lady pilgrim friend who could not do tawaf for female reasons were ensconced in the house of Ustaz’s cousin not far from Haram. We were welcomed with traditional Patani warmth and hospitality. Hailing from north Perak and being of Patani stock myself I felt very much at home in the house of this Patani family. There are a lot of Patani people in Makkah or for that matter throughout the world. They are in a sense a displaced people having witnessed their proud Malay Islamic kingdom once known as the Mirror of Makkah being conquered until today by the Siamese. Being deeply religious people they know the Quran commands them to regain their nation; die trying or leave the nation says the Quran. Living in Patani as a conquered people is not a choice Allah gives to true believers. But alas the people of Patani know too well they have little friends in the world today. Many oohs and aahs and the sounds of sympathy in the Muslim world but none that will carry the mantle to help them deliver the command
of Allah. If a conquered people is oppressed and as a result, daif and unable to regain their nation on their own then for other brother Muslims what was originally fardhu kifayah to help, becomes a fardhu ‘ain to help deliver. The Patani people hopes their Muslim brothers are comfortable with their hujjah for we shall surely meet in the Court of Allah. But then as they say that’s another story.
At 11 pm almost 24 hours after we started in Riyadh, the two buses left Haram to mabit (esnconced) in Mina before the start of wukuf day at sunrise. As it turned out we could not reach our tent in Mina as there was a massive traffic jam in Mina with roads closed every which way but Arafah. It was as if Allah was steering us straight to Arafah. Initially disappointed not able to reach the comfort of our tent in Mina we took solace in the fact we reached Arafah just after Fajr bypassing the wukuf morning traffic jam which is usually even bigger than the one we just faced. But we had not reached the Arafah tent yet; we were in the Arafah bus park waiting for the camp guide to arrive to take us to the camp. As it was a long wait all pilgrims went down and placed their sajadah next to the bus to recite the prayers, do the zikr and make the doa required in Arafah. The first rukun of haj is the niat at the miqat. Being present in the field of Arafah at sunset on the 10th of Zulhijjah is the second and most important rukun of Haj. It does not matter we were not in our appointed tent we were already in Arafah. The guides eventually came to take the two buses of pilgrims to our Arafah tent. Then began the tale of two buses with different stories to tell at the end of the day. The first bus driven by Abu Hamzah escapes the roadblock but finds itself outside the border of Arafah. The pilgrims quickly descended the bus and returned to Arafah. The camp guide carrying the Malaysian flag to head the walk to camp walked too fast and left the families stranded. Even the single traveling men could not keep up with him. Eventually he managed to deliver the Malaysian flag to the camp safe and sound without a single Malaysian pilgrim in tow. A busful of Malaysian pilgrims lost in disparate groups in the sea of 3 million pilgrims in the field of Arafah. Ahmad, Ustaz Hassan’s assistant admitted at this stage he was almost in tears fearing especially for the families with the infants. Then what can only be described as the miracle of Arafah took place. Slowly the lost pilgrims find each other and under Ahmad’s instruction gathered near the Namira mosque. By late evening Alhamdulillah every single pilgrim was accounted for. There were no hysteria, our traditional Malay upbringing ensured everyone was calm and smiling despite the worries they went through. What lessons to be learned from this experience? To be calm in the face of difficulties ; tawakkal ‘alAllah He is with those who displays sabr’ or patience.
As for our bus we were stuck still in traffic; we could not move left or right, north or south. But we were inside the border of Arafah so a collective decision was made to just stay here until sunset which will not be very long. So out came the sajadah and we sat and zikr until maghrib. We did not reach our tent and have our lunch but everyone knew
the priority was the rukun of wukuf in Arafah not bodily comforts which we have had for all our lives. I was thrilled to learn we were poised at the head of the queue that will march to Muzalifah at the stroke of maghrib. I recall the popular western saying, be careful what you asked for, you may just get it. In the Muslim context I prayed for a safe and easy haj. So far, behind every difficulty faced there was a rahmat. The trip to Makkah before Mina was not favoured by me but it turned out I had an easy Sa’i. We did not reach our Mina tent before wukuf, but this meant we reached Arafah just after Fajr bypassing the major traffic jam the morning of wukuf. We also missed the Arafah tent but found Allah placed us at the head of the queue to Muzalifah. I vividly recall last year’s haj where the bus with family left Arafah at 10pm and reached Mina only after fajr.In my life I have analysed many a situation when Allah delivers our doa without us realizing it. We were more engrossed with the difficulties Allah placed at hand and forget that camouflaged behind them is the deliverance of our prayers. Have we forgotten Allah’s revelation in the Quran that behind every difficulty there is a blessing? Now I also truly understand the meaning of “baik sangka” or only having good expectation of Allah. Think, as we are often asked in the Quran, and many a time we shall find that Allah has answered our prayer without us realizing it.
At the stroke of Maghrib each of us was thankful that Allah have chosen us to be there in that auspicious moment.Alhamdulillah we have fulfilled the second and major rukun of Haj i.e. present in the field of Arafah at sunset
on the 10th of Zulhijjah. Abu Idris our driver started the bus for our next objective, mabit in Muzalifah till at least midnight before heading for our tent in Mina. The bus parked near the border of Muzalifah and Mina 1 km from our tent in Mina and we embarked to do Maghrib and Isya’ jama’ taqdim in Muzalifah and to collect the 7 stones to fulfill the second rukun of Haj, launching of stones at Jamratul Akabar the next day. This was now Tuesday evening, I did not shower on the Sunday evening we left Riyadh as time did not permit or truth be told it was too cold to do so. So it is now 2 and a half days since I last had a shower. Clad only in the two piece of unsewn ihram clothes I was looking forward to a good shower in Mina followed by a change of clothes after tahallul awal following launching of Jamratul Akabar the next day. Then Ustaz dropped the bomb shell for us, all roads to Mina was closed, pack a few belongings he said and lets trek the one kilometer to camp. Last year I was alone, trekking was easy; this year I have 3 preschool children and one very tired wife, 1 km this year is probably 3 times more difficult than last year. Wife and I packed whatever we could in two haversacks and several Tamimi hypermarket plastic bags, set up the stroller and got ready to move the logistics to our camp one km away. Allah delivered in the kindness of one nurse who took over the stroller with Adlin in it plus the plastic bags full of pampers and other kids stuff. I passed the wife’s haversack to Suffian Ustaz’s other assistant, wife carried Zahir, I shouldered Adila and we started the trek to camp. Reaching the camp tired and sweat stained I rationalized there was no point taking a shower if I have to slip back into my body odoured ihram. It was now 3 full days since I last had a shower. I fell asleep dreaming of all the nice things we packed but Allah
denies us from using. But not before the lesson became clear to me; the best laid plans and preparations comes to nothing if Allah says it is not to be. We packed every which thing which can be packed for a comfortable haj for us and the kids but Allah says we are not allowed to use them, being in Abu Idris’s bus one too long kilometer away.
Abu Idris was another story. If looks could kill he was a dead man that night. Why didn’t he attempt to drive the one kilometer to camp before roads were closed at half past midnight. Many saw that if he had started his engine at 12.05 we would have been home at our Mina camp safe and sound with our belongings. But he did not budge from his mattress and the more discerning among us realized he had no intention of driving us to camp that night. He tried the next day but this time clearly the road was blocked. After launching of stones at Jamratul Akabar the next day which was a 5 km walk from the camp and 5 km back to the camp this was one tired and disheveled pilgrim. I truly learnt the meaning of “sehelai sepinggang” or without worldly possessions apart from the clothes on our back. That afternoon after we did the tahallul awal or snipping of hair that alleviates us from the rules of ihram other than sleeping with the wife it was three full days since I put on the ihram and 4 full days without a shower. Only in haj we will experience such a life. After the wife sent me an SOS from her tent that all pampers are out, Adel, Ustaz’s son and I led the march to the bus to retrieve our belongings. Abu Idris was not a popular man at that time. That afternoon everyone had their luggage and I had my overdue shower which was a truly luxurious experience.
The major rukuns of haj completed we only had the tawaf ifadah to do followed by the launching of stones on tasyrik days. The bus stopped one km away from Haram and we trekked in groups to do the tawaf ifadah. We set to meet Tok Abah and Tok Mi in front of Darul Tawhid Hotel who will take care of the kids while we do the Tawaf and Sa’i. Wife did not do Sa’i on day of arrival so for her it was wajib, for me it was just sunat accompanying her. Compared to last year both tawaf and sa'i were relatively easy, we did tawaf on the ground level and Sa'i on the upper floor. The challenge started when we boarded the bus to head to the Jamrat to launch the stones on the first day of tasyrik. This time like on all tasyrik days all three jamrats have to be launched with stones compared to only Jamrat Akabar on the day after wukuf which incidentally was also Aidil Adha. The bus could not move what was estimated to be 1.5 km away from the Jamrat. All roads to Jamrat are closed said Ustaz and Abu Idris. The only option was to walk which everybody except me and my family, did. To me it was not an option, I had three sleeping kids. There was no way they could manage the 1.5 km walk through intense traffic to the Jamrat followed by another 5km back to camp. I told Ustaz come what may I shall stay on the bus until the roads reopen whenever that might be. Abu Idris said it might be for a
few hours or it could be after fajr. I gestured to him my sleeping kids and said I had no choice. Abu Idris saw the sleeping kids and the love of a father in my eyes and must have struck a chord in him. He promised to drive as soon as the road opens which it eventually did at 11 pm. Although the baksheesh I offered had some part in Abu Idris’s change of heart I could see it was not entirely that. We became fast friends after that. He told me he was not exactly Syrian, he is a Kurd by nationality and that there were millions of Kurds in Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey. I understood where he was coming from and nodded with much sympathy. He owned the bus he is driving having paid cash for it a year back. He drives his bus as far as Turkey and Egypt and will go wherever his clients tell him. He missed his family in Damsyik and showed me pictures of them on his handphone. Lesson for me was you cannot forever dislike anyone you are at odds with on Haj, Allah forbades that and you must find a way to forgive. If not Allah will find a way such that forgiveness will happen.
The rest of the Tasyrik days and tawaf wida’ was, Alhamdulillah, uneventful. We finally met up with Tok Abah on our final day in Makkah. He was lost and we did not see him on the day we came for tawaf ifadhah, only Tok Mi was around then. Wife and I tried to do tawaf on the ground floor for wida’ but it was too crowded. We went to the roof top and did what people said was a 7 kilometer tawaf. Tok Mi and Tok Abah then helped carry the kids to the bus which was a couple of kilometers away from our meeting point near Darul Tawhid. We were extremely tired and exhausted when we reached the bus to head for home. Said goodbye to the doting grand parents and we started the journey home at 1am on that Saturday night, almost exactly 6 days from the day we started in Riyadh.
I have learnt many lessons on this trip for haj but the most poignant for me was Allah meant his guests to experience hardship. Why else must Haj be at one place at one point in time? Why must 3 or 4 million pilgrims be present at one place at one point in time? Allah loves His creations more than any human can imagine; why did He not allow haj to be done every month of the year. He meant us to experience hardship to see how we fare and how we react in the face of adversities. It was also like many people suspect, a little taste of, and little practice for, Mahsyar.
I thank all my companions who helped me and my family on this trip. And I thank Allah for answering my prayers and delivering me and my family and all my companions back from a safe and easy haj.
Salam sabar and salam syukur to all.
Haji Muhammad Zahid Abdul Aziz
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