Friday, June 6, 2008
The Greatest Gathering of Humanity Ever
classof72] The Greatest Gathering of Humanity Ever
From:zahid aziz (zaziz@hotmail.com)
Sent:Friday, January 05, 2007 5:47:39 PM
Reply-to:classof72@yahoogroups.com
To: classof72@yahoogroups.com
Assalamu’Alaikum,
The bus left at 9.46pm on that chilly Riyadh night. It was the Wednesday night at the beginning of the week long Aidil Adha holidays. But for us and the pilgrims on the other bus it was not any holiday; we were answering Allah swt.’s call to fulfill the 5th Rukun of Islam. Filled with excitement and anxiety whether we will be able to complete our mission successfully, we earlier gathered at the appointed meeting point, Mutiara Restaurant, the sole Malaysian restaurant in Riyadh. We were a motley bunch indeed,
we were the Jemaah Haji Malaysia Riyadh, traveling under the auspices of the Malaysian Embassy and led by Ustaz Hassan Patani and his two able assistants, Patani students from the local Imam Saud University, Ahmad and Asri. There were about a hundred of us Malaysian expatriates comprising amongst others telco engineers and technicians, university lecturers, Malaysian construction company personnel, a medical doctor, a diplomat, a hypermarket general manager, internal auditors, an Islamic banker and 70 or so nurses and matrons plus a number of spouses and 10 or so children. There were also an Indonesian including a family and couple and 2 Pakistani families invited by members of the delegation.
The 2 buses then headed to the district of Azizia to obtain the permit to leave Riyadh, a routine procedure in Haj season where no one can head for Makkah unless they carry a Haj permit. We set off on the 1000 km desert highway at just past 11pm. Ustaz Hassan have drilled the would be pilgrims pretty well over the last month or so and we more or less know what to do and what to expect. Some of us are seasoned Umrah experts whilst for a number this will be their first trip to the Holy City. All of us have decided to go on Haji Ifrad i.e. we will do the Haj only, without accompanying it with Umrah. The plan was simple enough, stop at the Miqat, the place we put on the Ihram and make the Niat and then head on to Makkah to do the Tawaf Qudum (opening Tawaf) followed by Sa’i which by special grace of Haj rules we are able to ‘save” for Haj i.e. we do not have to repeat for Haj. Leaving the night before the eve of Wukuf, it was a tall order that we can arrive on time to head for Makkah. Leaving the Miqat at just after 3pm the next day we got the message that the authorities have closed all roads leading to Makkah. This called for a change of plan and we headed straight for Mina instead, the Tent City where all pilgrims will spend the night before heading for Arafah after Subuh prayers. There was much change of plans when the Saudi Government announced the Wukuf will be on Friday when everybody was expecting it to be Saturday. So subsequent changes in plan were not unexpected. The announcement also had special significance as any Wukuf on a Friday is termed Haji Akbar which means extra Pahala as all Ibadah on a Friday carries more Pahala than any other day.
It was already dark when we reached Mina. We saw a sea of white official Mina pilgrim tents and also mushrooms of scout and camping tents pitched every which way it can be pitched. First illusion dispelled, not all pilgrims come for Haj Tabung Haji style, and equal number came unorganized on their own. The Muassasah gave us two tents, each housing about 50 or so of us, now divided according to sex. The tents are fairly permanent structures and so, I’m glad to report, are the toilet cum showers. It’s no 5 star accommodation but you are quietly thankful to have a decent place to stay when you know this accommodating Tent City is also trying to house millions of other pilgrims. I chose a corner lot and felt pleased with myself that I purchased a sleeping bag a few days ago; mattresses, a blanket and a pillow each was provided but in the wee hours the cold can be chilling. The reminder by Ustaz echoed in my ears; do not cover your head with the sleeping bag as it will breach Ihram rules. We slept tired but happy knowing we have at least achieved one Sunnah i.e. Mabit or ensconced in Mina the night before Wukuf. Called home to find out how the wife and 3 kids were doing at home in Riyadh. At just over one year old Zahir is too young to take to Haj, so the family decision was Papa will do it alone first, this time. I was not too worried leaving them behind as my Malaysian friends occupied 5 out of 7 apartments in my apartment block in Riyadh. Wife said Zahir does not realize I was gone yet and my two preschool daughters were too busy watching Cinderella DVD’s, hmmm.
Haj is Wukuf in Arafah, and there’s no better place to Doa than in Arafah.That were the two clear messages from Ustaz Hassan in the Kuliah Subuh before we headed for Arafah. Haj is divided into Rukun and Wajib Haji. If you a miss a Wajib Haji you have to pay Dam or penalty which will be a cupak of rice or a sheep to be slaughtered and donated to the poor depending on the severity of the breach. On the other hand if you miss a Rukun Haji then there’s no Haj for you, you go back empty handed. The key Rukun in Haj is Wukuf in Arafah i.e you must be present in the field of Arafah before the sun sets on the 9th of Zulhijjah. You will spent the day in zikrullah and making doa as the Prophet saw says there is no doa like doa in Arafah, Allah swt guarantees its deliverance. Arafah also have other significance, it is said this is where Nabi Adam Alaihissalam met his wife Hawa after a long, long separation in this strange place called Earth (Ardh in Arabic). We tasted our first experience of Haj traffic jam; well what else can we expect when millions of like minded pilgrims also left Mina that cool but bright morning to head for Arafah. After an hour or so standstill we left our buses to walk to our tent some kilometers away. Ahmad and Asri carried a Malaysian flag each, one leading the march, the other sweeps the rear. I half in jest kept reminding them to make sure the yellow crescent and star is clearly seen by one and all. I tell you in these times you live dangerously when your country’s national flag is almost a copy Amerikiya’s stars and stripes. We reached our tent eventually which we later shared with a group of Hindustani pilgrims. The day was spent much in worship, zikrullah, doa and solat. Nobody must leave Arafah before sunset or there will be no Haj for him or her. The significance of that is everybody will leave Arafah after sunset. The mission was simple enough, leave Arafah for Mina via Mudzalifah . The problem was 4 million pilgrims had the same intention and idea. Yes, the whispers say it was 4 million, although the official numbers say 3.5 million.
We deferred our departure until 10.30 pm trying to avoid the Ba’da (after) Maghrib crowd. As it turned out it meant we were able to travel by bus a few kilometers further than had we left immediately after Maghrib, but abandon the bus we had to do, a kilometer or so before Mudzalifah. Again the buses and traffic came to a complete standstill. Ustaz and a number of the single traveling men stayed behind with the female pilgrims and the families in the buses, the rest opt to trek the 3 or so kilometers to Mina. It turned out to be a good decision as the next morning we learnt the buses only arrived around Subuh. Our feet was blistered no doubt but at least we had a good night’s sleep in our tents.
Woke up the morning happy we had completed the major Rukun of Haj i.e Wukuf in Arafah. The next task and Rukun is to throw seven pebbles at Jamratul Aqabah, the major Jamrat of all 3 Jamrats. The Jamrats are three stone pillars set 50 or meters away from each other in a straight line and to which all pilgrims must throw pebbles at. However on the day after Wukuf the pilgrim must only throw pebbles at one Jamrat i.e. the Jamratul Aqabah, the major Jamarat. In the other Mazhabs this is the last of the Rukuns of Haj, the Tawaf Ifadhah and Sa’i being considered mere Wajib Haji. However for the Shafie Mazhab, this Rukun is last but two, Tawaf Ifadhah and Sa'i also being Rukuns of Haj. Much diversity of interpretation is associated with this throwing of pebbles at the pillars. The popular belief is that it is symbolic of throwing stones at satan.; other Qauls especially the Saudis disagree with this belief.
We did not proceed to the Jamrat until late afternoon. There was no point in taking the buses as they will not be able to move so we decided to march the 3.5 km to the Jamrat. Lining up three in a row, we placed the females who wanted to follow in the middle and started the march. Jamhari, a Malaysian working for Nokia whose site office oversees the Jamrat volunteered to lead the group there. A jovial type full of tips and wisecracks he happily accepted the nickname Ustaz Jamrat. The march to the Jamrat with flags of all colours leading groups and battalions of pilgrims was not unlike the foot soldiers war scenes of old. Like the journey to Arafah, the cries of LabbaikAllah Humma Labaik verberated through the atmosphere. Roughly translated it means, I’m here my Lord, I heed your call, I’m here my Lord, I heed your call, repetitiously, not without tears in some pilgrims’ eyes. As we approach the objective we saw a sea of humanity covering the Jamrat structure. Thanks to the Ben Laden group the semi complete new Jamrat structure is a 4 tier ocean liner shape structure. You can either chose to throw your pebbles at the Jamrat pillars from the ground level or the first floor level, the 2nd and 3rd levels are not ready yet.. Pilgrims traffic flow have also been made one way all the way a major improvement over the past where pilgrims can go any which way they prefer. Other welcome new rulings are no pitching of tents or resting and squatting on the Jamrat, no gas stoves anywhere in Mina and no luggage to be taken with you to the Jamrat. The Saudi authorities have indeed learnt many lessons from past tragedies. Upon reaching the Jamratul Aqabah we paused to wait for an ease in human traffic before heading for the stone pillar. In a well executed exercise the first Malaysian flag carried by Jamhari headed for the pillar whilst the other flag carried by Ahmad moved away to a point designated for reunion after throwing of the pebbles. In the sea of pilgrims all around you, the sight of Ahmad’s Malaysian flag in the distance is a source of much comfort to our group. The launching of Jamratul Aqabah completed we move away from the Jamrat to do the Tahallul Awal i.e. the ritual snipping of hair marking the point where we may disrobed the Ihram and be released from all Ihram rules other than sleeping with the wife. The complete Tahallul ( or getting into the halal state) will only happen after the Sa'i Haji.
A protracted discussion then took place on whether to moved straight on to Makkah 3.5 km away to do the Tawaf Ifadhah and Sa'i on that day itself. Eventually a group decision to return to Mina was made as a number of us volunteered to locate Pak Awang’s mother, a Tabung Haji pilgrim who was in a poor state of health somewhere in the tent city of Mina. Pak Awang is an employee of Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd which provided easily the largest contingent in our group. Little did we know that Ustaz Hassan and his busful of nurses headed straight for Makkah on that day after their launching of the stones at the Jamratul Aqabah. Women have certain deadlines which Ustaz obligingly understood. As it turned out it was another long night for this group, the snarling traffic allowing them to return to Mina only after Subuh. Our group spent the night shaving each other’s heads. Dr Jaafar Ali the specialist from King Fahd Medical City brought his own head shaver which he happily shared with the others in the tent. Learnt some valuable health tips from this good doctor. Use your own shaver, avoid unhygienic public barbers for fear of catching hepatitis C and Aids through open cuts on your heads. Wear the face mask as much as possible, apart from filtering dust and smoke it also protects you from bacteria in the air. I was quite proud that my closely cropped head was shaved none other than by a medical specialist. Shaari the hypermarket ex Giant expat then completed the finishing touch as he used the instrument often to crop his sons.Thus went an eventful Aidil Adha for this group of pilgrims, remembered for all things other than our usual events associated with Aidil Adha
Back in Mina the morning after it was like mid way though the final exams, happy the major papers are done but not entitled to celebrate yet until the full exam is completed. We still have the launching of pebbles on the Tasyrik days plus Tawaf Ifadhah and Sa'i to do. The final curtain will be Tawaf Wida' or Farewell Tawaf just before heading home from Makkah. The Tasyrik days are the 11, 12 and 13 of Zulhijjah where the pilgrims must throw 7 stones each at the three Jamrat 3 days in a row. However our priority now is Tawaf Ifadhah and Sa'i, two final Rukuns of the Shafie Mazhab. Promptly after breakfast we boarded the yellow schoolbus specially rented to take us to Makkah for Tawaf Ifadhah and Sa’i. Our Riyadh bus had some gear problems which needed to be fixed. Arriving near Masjidil Haram around 11 am we set to meet at the same place opposite King Khalid Gate at 3pm. With 3 Umrahs completed before this, nothing prepared me for the mass of humanity that surrounded Kaabah, virtually every inch of space was occupied by circumambulating pilgrims. With a quiet Bismillah I joined my brethrens in the command of Allah. There were some harrowing moments especially after Hijr Ismail but Alhamdulillah I knew He was there to protect his Guests. As a note to future pilgrims with families or with the aged ones to take care, choose to Tawaf on the upper floors or if possible choose a later Tasyrik day to do the Tawaf Ifadhah. Heed this advice I sincerely plead. The Tawaf which on Umrah will normally take no more than half an hour took 2 hours to complete the 7 rounds. In the early rounds it was probably easier to choose the slightly inner circles as the outer circles mean you have to meet head on with pilgrims leaving the Tawaf to do the Sa’i especially near the green light.
Sa’i was also a jammed packed affair, probably 3 to 4 times more so than Tawaf because of the relatively smaller and more confined space. Many families decided to defer Sa’i to the later Tasyrik days which in my opinion is not an option but a must. Every turn around Bukit Safa especially at the ground level was a life threatening experience. Pilgrims arriving from Bukit Marwah had to contend with new pilgrims joining the Sa’i and the meeting point is a slope down Bukit Safa. He was definitely there to protect us that day. If one is able to get to the upper levels of Sa’i that is also much recommended but I was informed getting up the stairs is also easier said than done. Aged pilgrims and families with children must defer their Sa’i to the later Tasyrik days in the pursuit of safety. I am reminded we had 4 million pilgrims this time, probably the highest number ever. We reached Mina tired but happy that first Tasyrik day, 11th of ZulHijjah.The Rukuns of Haj all completed we only had the launch of stones on Tasyrik days to complete. The second Tasyrik day 12th of Zulhijjah the families who were not able to do Sa’i left by bus early in the morning together with Ustaz and a few other single traveling men to help out. Pak Hassanul, the Indonesian telco expat led the team to conduct Korban dan make Dam payment as necessary. Later in the afternoon as we rest in the tent at Mina news flowed back the Jamrat is temporarily closed until 2 pm as some stampede deaths has occurred on the Jamrat. Day 2 Tasyrik is especially busy on the Jamrat as many pilgrims especially the local ones seek to do Nafar Awal or Nafar Sani to reach home earlier. Nafar Awal or Nafar Sani is a special dispensation of the rules where you may leave for home on the 2nd day of Tasyrik if you are able to launch stones for day 2 and day 3 Tasyrik on day 2 itself and leave Mina before Maghrib. In pursuit of this special dispensation the Jamrat was jammed pack on that day and ignoring the rules set by the authorities some pilgrims brought luggage to the Jamrat to save time going home. As most people know by now, it only takes one luggage to drop, one pilgrim to trip over it, for a stampede to occur. We found out that’s what happened that day but at 15 deaths the number was relatively small compared to previous tragedies. The Saudi military quickly moved in and confiscated all bags that are being taken to the Jamrat.
On the 13th of Zulhijjah the 3rd day of Tasyrik, Alhamdulillah we have completed all Rukun and Wajib Haji. All that’s left is to do Tawaf Wida' before heading home as a new Haj or Hajjah. This we managed to do Alhamdulillah without much obstruction. At 4 am Wednesday 14th Zulhijjah 1427, 4th January 2007, Jemaah Haji Riyadh Malaysia left for home. I was too happy to make the return journey, my doa to do Haj answered, I felt a happy and complete man. Wife said Zahir was searching every room for Papa and Adlin and Adila have abandoned the DVD player seeking Papa on the live telecast of Haj relayed daily by Saudi TV. Hmm, they missed me after all, and Papa was just too thankful to Allah swt to be a miniscule, but personally deeply meaningful, part of the biggest gathering of humanity ever.
Salam syukur to all.
Haji Muhammad Zahid Abdul Aziz
From:zahid aziz (zaziz@hotmail.com)
Sent:Friday, January 05, 2007 5:47:39 PM
Reply-to:classof72@yahoogroups.com
To: classof72@yahoogroups.com
Assalamu’Alaikum,
The bus left at 9.46pm on that chilly Riyadh night. It was the Wednesday night at the beginning of the week long Aidil Adha holidays. But for us and the pilgrims on the other bus it was not any holiday; we were answering Allah swt.’s call to fulfill the 5th Rukun of Islam. Filled with excitement and anxiety whether we will be able to complete our mission successfully, we earlier gathered at the appointed meeting point, Mutiara Restaurant, the sole Malaysian restaurant in Riyadh. We were a motley bunch indeed,
we were the Jemaah Haji Malaysia Riyadh, traveling under the auspices of the Malaysian Embassy and led by Ustaz Hassan Patani and his two able assistants, Patani students from the local Imam Saud University, Ahmad and Asri. There were about a hundred of us Malaysian expatriates comprising amongst others telco engineers and technicians, university lecturers, Malaysian construction company personnel, a medical doctor, a diplomat, a hypermarket general manager, internal auditors, an Islamic banker and 70 or so nurses and matrons plus a number of spouses and 10 or so children. There were also an Indonesian including a family and couple and 2 Pakistani families invited by members of the delegation.
The 2 buses then headed to the district of Azizia to obtain the permit to leave Riyadh, a routine procedure in Haj season where no one can head for Makkah unless they carry a Haj permit. We set off on the 1000 km desert highway at just past 11pm. Ustaz Hassan have drilled the would be pilgrims pretty well over the last month or so and we more or less know what to do and what to expect. Some of us are seasoned Umrah experts whilst for a number this will be their first trip to the Holy City. All of us have decided to go on Haji Ifrad i.e. we will do the Haj only, without accompanying it with Umrah. The plan was simple enough, stop at the Miqat, the place we put on the Ihram and make the Niat and then head on to Makkah to do the Tawaf Qudum (opening Tawaf) followed by Sa’i which by special grace of Haj rules we are able to ‘save” for Haj i.e. we do not have to repeat for Haj. Leaving the night before the eve of Wukuf, it was a tall order that we can arrive on time to head for Makkah. Leaving the Miqat at just after 3pm the next day we got the message that the authorities have closed all roads leading to Makkah. This called for a change of plan and we headed straight for Mina instead, the Tent City where all pilgrims will spend the night before heading for Arafah after Subuh prayers. There was much change of plans when the Saudi Government announced the Wukuf will be on Friday when everybody was expecting it to be Saturday. So subsequent changes in plan were not unexpected. The announcement also had special significance as any Wukuf on a Friday is termed Haji Akbar which means extra Pahala as all Ibadah on a Friday carries more Pahala than any other day.
It was already dark when we reached Mina. We saw a sea of white official Mina pilgrim tents and also mushrooms of scout and camping tents pitched every which way it can be pitched. First illusion dispelled, not all pilgrims come for Haj Tabung Haji style, and equal number came unorganized on their own. The Muassasah gave us two tents, each housing about 50 or so of us, now divided according to sex. The tents are fairly permanent structures and so, I’m glad to report, are the toilet cum showers. It’s no 5 star accommodation but you are quietly thankful to have a decent place to stay when you know this accommodating Tent City is also trying to house millions of other pilgrims. I chose a corner lot and felt pleased with myself that I purchased a sleeping bag a few days ago; mattresses, a blanket and a pillow each was provided but in the wee hours the cold can be chilling. The reminder by Ustaz echoed in my ears; do not cover your head with the sleeping bag as it will breach Ihram rules. We slept tired but happy knowing we have at least achieved one Sunnah i.e. Mabit or ensconced in Mina the night before Wukuf. Called home to find out how the wife and 3 kids were doing at home in Riyadh. At just over one year old Zahir is too young to take to Haj, so the family decision was Papa will do it alone first, this time. I was not too worried leaving them behind as my Malaysian friends occupied 5 out of 7 apartments in my apartment block in Riyadh. Wife said Zahir does not realize I was gone yet and my two preschool daughters were too busy watching Cinderella DVD’s, hmmm.
Haj is Wukuf in Arafah, and there’s no better place to Doa than in Arafah.That were the two clear messages from Ustaz Hassan in the Kuliah Subuh before we headed for Arafah. Haj is divided into Rukun and Wajib Haji. If you a miss a Wajib Haji you have to pay Dam or penalty which will be a cupak of rice or a sheep to be slaughtered and donated to the poor depending on the severity of the breach. On the other hand if you miss a Rukun Haji then there’s no Haj for you, you go back empty handed. The key Rukun in Haj is Wukuf in Arafah i.e you must be present in the field of Arafah before the sun sets on the 9th of Zulhijjah. You will spent the day in zikrullah and making doa as the Prophet saw says there is no doa like doa in Arafah, Allah swt guarantees its deliverance. Arafah also have other significance, it is said this is where Nabi Adam Alaihissalam met his wife Hawa after a long, long separation in this strange place called Earth (Ardh in Arabic). We tasted our first experience of Haj traffic jam; well what else can we expect when millions of like minded pilgrims also left Mina that cool but bright morning to head for Arafah. After an hour or so standstill we left our buses to walk to our tent some kilometers away. Ahmad and Asri carried a Malaysian flag each, one leading the march, the other sweeps the rear. I half in jest kept reminding them to make sure the yellow crescent and star is clearly seen by one and all. I tell you in these times you live dangerously when your country’s national flag is almost a copy Amerikiya’s stars and stripes. We reached our tent eventually which we later shared with a group of Hindustani pilgrims. The day was spent much in worship, zikrullah, doa and solat. Nobody must leave Arafah before sunset or there will be no Haj for him or her. The significance of that is everybody will leave Arafah after sunset. The mission was simple enough, leave Arafah for Mina via Mudzalifah . The problem was 4 million pilgrims had the same intention and idea. Yes, the whispers say it was 4 million, although the official numbers say 3.5 million.
We deferred our departure until 10.30 pm trying to avoid the Ba’da (after) Maghrib crowd. As it turned out it meant we were able to travel by bus a few kilometers further than had we left immediately after Maghrib, but abandon the bus we had to do, a kilometer or so before Mudzalifah. Again the buses and traffic came to a complete standstill. Ustaz and a number of the single traveling men stayed behind with the female pilgrims and the families in the buses, the rest opt to trek the 3 or so kilometers to Mina. It turned out to be a good decision as the next morning we learnt the buses only arrived around Subuh. Our feet was blistered no doubt but at least we had a good night’s sleep in our tents.
Woke up the morning happy we had completed the major Rukun of Haj i.e Wukuf in Arafah. The next task and Rukun is to throw seven pebbles at Jamratul Aqabah, the major Jamrat of all 3 Jamrats. The Jamrats are three stone pillars set 50 or meters away from each other in a straight line and to which all pilgrims must throw pebbles at. However on the day after Wukuf the pilgrim must only throw pebbles at one Jamrat i.e. the Jamratul Aqabah, the major Jamarat. In the other Mazhabs this is the last of the Rukuns of Haj, the Tawaf Ifadhah and Sa’i being considered mere Wajib Haji. However for the Shafie Mazhab, this Rukun is last but two, Tawaf Ifadhah and Sa'i also being Rukuns of Haj. Much diversity of interpretation is associated with this throwing of pebbles at the pillars. The popular belief is that it is symbolic of throwing stones at satan.; other Qauls especially the Saudis disagree with this belief.
We did not proceed to the Jamrat until late afternoon. There was no point in taking the buses as they will not be able to move so we decided to march the 3.5 km to the Jamrat. Lining up three in a row, we placed the females who wanted to follow in the middle and started the march. Jamhari, a Malaysian working for Nokia whose site office oversees the Jamrat volunteered to lead the group there. A jovial type full of tips and wisecracks he happily accepted the nickname Ustaz Jamrat. The march to the Jamrat with flags of all colours leading groups and battalions of pilgrims was not unlike the foot soldiers war scenes of old. Like the journey to Arafah, the cries of LabbaikAllah Humma Labaik verberated through the atmosphere. Roughly translated it means, I’m here my Lord, I heed your call, I’m here my Lord, I heed your call, repetitiously, not without tears in some pilgrims’ eyes. As we approach the objective we saw a sea of humanity covering the Jamrat structure. Thanks to the Ben Laden group the semi complete new Jamrat structure is a 4 tier ocean liner shape structure. You can either chose to throw your pebbles at the Jamrat pillars from the ground level or the first floor level, the 2nd and 3rd levels are not ready yet.. Pilgrims traffic flow have also been made one way all the way a major improvement over the past where pilgrims can go any which way they prefer. Other welcome new rulings are no pitching of tents or resting and squatting on the Jamrat, no gas stoves anywhere in Mina and no luggage to be taken with you to the Jamrat. The Saudi authorities have indeed learnt many lessons from past tragedies. Upon reaching the Jamratul Aqabah we paused to wait for an ease in human traffic before heading for the stone pillar. In a well executed exercise the first Malaysian flag carried by Jamhari headed for the pillar whilst the other flag carried by Ahmad moved away to a point designated for reunion after throwing of the pebbles. In the sea of pilgrims all around you, the sight of Ahmad’s Malaysian flag in the distance is a source of much comfort to our group. The launching of Jamratul Aqabah completed we move away from the Jamrat to do the Tahallul Awal i.e. the ritual snipping of hair marking the point where we may disrobed the Ihram and be released from all Ihram rules other than sleeping with the wife. The complete Tahallul ( or getting into the halal state) will only happen after the Sa'i Haji.
A protracted discussion then took place on whether to moved straight on to Makkah 3.5 km away to do the Tawaf Ifadhah and Sa'i on that day itself. Eventually a group decision to return to Mina was made as a number of us volunteered to locate Pak Awang’s mother, a Tabung Haji pilgrim who was in a poor state of health somewhere in the tent city of Mina. Pak Awang is an employee of Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd which provided easily the largest contingent in our group. Little did we know that Ustaz Hassan and his busful of nurses headed straight for Makkah on that day after their launching of the stones at the Jamratul Aqabah. Women have certain deadlines which Ustaz obligingly understood. As it turned out it was another long night for this group, the snarling traffic allowing them to return to Mina only after Subuh. Our group spent the night shaving each other’s heads. Dr Jaafar Ali the specialist from King Fahd Medical City brought his own head shaver which he happily shared with the others in the tent. Learnt some valuable health tips from this good doctor. Use your own shaver, avoid unhygienic public barbers for fear of catching hepatitis C and Aids through open cuts on your heads. Wear the face mask as much as possible, apart from filtering dust and smoke it also protects you from bacteria in the air. I was quite proud that my closely cropped head was shaved none other than by a medical specialist. Shaari the hypermarket ex Giant expat then completed the finishing touch as he used the instrument often to crop his sons.Thus went an eventful Aidil Adha for this group of pilgrims, remembered for all things other than our usual events associated with Aidil Adha
Back in Mina the morning after it was like mid way though the final exams, happy the major papers are done but not entitled to celebrate yet until the full exam is completed. We still have the launching of pebbles on the Tasyrik days plus Tawaf Ifadhah and Sa'i to do. The final curtain will be Tawaf Wida' or Farewell Tawaf just before heading home from Makkah. The Tasyrik days are the 11, 12 and 13 of Zulhijjah where the pilgrims must throw 7 stones each at the three Jamrat 3 days in a row. However our priority now is Tawaf Ifadhah and Sa'i, two final Rukuns of the Shafie Mazhab. Promptly after breakfast we boarded the yellow schoolbus specially rented to take us to Makkah for Tawaf Ifadhah and Sa’i. Our Riyadh bus had some gear problems which needed to be fixed. Arriving near Masjidil Haram around 11 am we set to meet at the same place opposite King Khalid Gate at 3pm. With 3 Umrahs completed before this, nothing prepared me for the mass of humanity that surrounded Kaabah, virtually every inch of space was occupied by circumambulating pilgrims. With a quiet Bismillah I joined my brethrens in the command of Allah. There were some harrowing moments especially after Hijr Ismail but Alhamdulillah I knew He was there to protect his Guests. As a note to future pilgrims with families or with the aged ones to take care, choose to Tawaf on the upper floors or if possible choose a later Tasyrik day to do the Tawaf Ifadhah. Heed this advice I sincerely plead. The Tawaf which on Umrah will normally take no more than half an hour took 2 hours to complete the 7 rounds. In the early rounds it was probably easier to choose the slightly inner circles as the outer circles mean you have to meet head on with pilgrims leaving the Tawaf to do the Sa’i especially near the green light.
Sa’i was also a jammed packed affair, probably 3 to 4 times more so than Tawaf because of the relatively smaller and more confined space. Many families decided to defer Sa’i to the later Tasyrik days which in my opinion is not an option but a must. Every turn around Bukit Safa especially at the ground level was a life threatening experience. Pilgrims arriving from Bukit Marwah had to contend with new pilgrims joining the Sa’i and the meeting point is a slope down Bukit Safa. He was definitely there to protect us that day. If one is able to get to the upper levels of Sa’i that is also much recommended but I was informed getting up the stairs is also easier said than done. Aged pilgrims and families with children must defer their Sa’i to the later Tasyrik days in the pursuit of safety. I am reminded we had 4 million pilgrims this time, probably the highest number ever. We reached Mina tired but happy that first Tasyrik day, 11th of ZulHijjah.The Rukuns of Haj all completed we only had the launch of stones on Tasyrik days to complete. The second Tasyrik day 12th of Zulhijjah the families who were not able to do Sa’i left by bus early in the morning together with Ustaz and a few other single traveling men to help out. Pak Hassanul, the Indonesian telco expat led the team to conduct Korban dan make Dam payment as necessary. Later in the afternoon as we rest in the tent at Mina news flowed back the Jamrat is temporarily closed until 2 pm as some stampede deaths has occurred on the Jamrat. Day 2 Tasyrik is especially busy on the Jamrat as many pilgrims especially the local ones seek to do Nafar Awal or Nafar Sani to reach home earlier. Nafar Awal or Nafar Sani is a special dispensation of the rules where you may leave for home on the 2nd day of Tasyrik if you are able to launch stones for day 2 and day 3 Tasyrik on day 2 itself and leave Mina before Maghrib. In pursuit of this special dispensation the Jamrat was jammed pack on that day and ignoring the rules set by the authorities some pilgrims brought luggage to the Jamrat to save time going home. As most people know by now, it only takes one luggage to drop, one pilgrim to trip over it, for a stampede to occur. We found out that’s what happened that day but at 15 deaths the number was relatively small compared to previous tragedies. The Saudi military quickly moved in and confiscated all bags that are being taken to the Jamrat.
On the 13th of Zulhijjah the 3rd day of Tasyrik, Alhamdulillah we have completed all Rukun and Wajib Haji. All that’s left is to do Tawaf Wida' before heading home as a new Haj or Hajjah. This we managed to do Alhamdulillah without much obstruction. At 4 am Wednesday 14th Zulhijjah 1427, 4th January 2007, Jemaah Haji Riyadh Malaysia left for home. I was too happy to make the return journey, my doa to do Haj answered, I felt a happy and complete man. Wife said Zahir was searching every room for Papa and Adlin and Adila have abandoned the DVD player seeking Papa on the live telecast of Haj relayed daily by Saudi TV. Hmm, they missed me after all, and Papa was just too thankful to Allah swt to be a miniscule, but personally deeply meaningful, part of the biggest gathering of humanity ever.
Salam syukur to all.
Haji Muhammad Zahid Abdul Aziz
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