Surprise Visitor.

I was busy at the computer browsing the latest news and the emails when the door bell rang. I thought it was my wife coming back from her normal Al Koraan class. To my surprise Haji Mat Saleh Jani was at the gate.

Haji Mat Saleh Jani was one of my 16 roommates when we stayed at the 17th Floor of Mekah Tower when we performed the Haj in 1999. He was the youngest among the 16. Haji Mat Saleh was in Port Klang attending a Meeting and took the opportunity to call on me during the lunch break. It was very nice of him and we talked about old times. I told Haji Mat Saleh that I would be performing the Ramadan umrah with Haji Bakir who is one of our 16 roommates. I inquired about his mother and told me that his mother is not well health wise and staying in Segamat assisted by relatives. It was sad to know that that he lost his elder sister recently due to liver cancer. The last time I met Haji Mat Saleh after the Haj, he had two children but now he has six. Wow! That’s good.

I remember when we blackout the whole 17th Floor of Mekah Tower when Haji Mat Saleh forgot to switch off the water heater to prepare teh tarik. It was no problem as Haji Mat Saleh is an Engineer by profession and we fixed the problem without calling the Maintenance personnel. Haji Mat Saleh slept at the top of the Double Decker bed right above me. He was the last to complete the Haj ritual as he had to push his mother on the wheel chair at the roof top of Masjidilharam. We nicknamed him as “Haji Last Minute”. Arrived in Medina he lost his luggage and only found it when we were about to leave for Mekah. It was misplaced at the wrong room. Ten years since we performed the Haj together but the friendships still remain and everlasting. This is what requires in Islam to foster the Islamic brotherhood and making enemies at Medina or Mekah is totally unislamic. Only stupid or jahil Pilgrims would do that.

Since my wife was fasting, the first Syaaban, I took Haji Mat Saleh for nasi ayam lunch. We promised to meet again insyaallah on 9 August 2009 at a wedding reception by Haji Engah who is also one of the 16 roommates.