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| Heading to Masjidilharam for Haj. |
Muslims all over the world to perform
the Haj 2013 are now gathering in Mecca and will all move to Desert of Arafat
on 13 October 2013. They will camp
in the Desert until dusk of 14 October 2013 and will move on to Mudzalifah and
Mina. From thereon, after three (3) days in Mina, they will congregate in Mecca
for the Haj tawaf and saie. The Haj ritual is completed and they had performed
the fifth pillar of Islam. They can carry the title of Haji or Hajjah in front
of their names.
I
performed the spiritual journey with my wife in 1999. I am entitle to the title Haji but I don’t use it that often. The
Holy Prophet performed his Haj too but no one address him as Haji Mohammed. I
still have the diary and photographs of my Haj journey and will document in
this Blog.
Pre
journey.
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| Kenduri & Doa Selamat pre Haj journey. |
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| The Ladies. |
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| With the Children before departing. |
20 February 1999 – gathered at Tabung
Haji Complex, Klana Jaya. We checked in the luggage, collected our passports
and briefed by TH personnel.
21 February 1999 – At about 0330 hrs, we
were loaded into the Bus and escorted to KLIA. Subuh prayer was at KLIA. The
plane took off direct to Medina at 0955 hrs and landed at Medina at 1330 hrs
local time. The plane was shaky like crazy when it was about to land as it
smacked into a sand storm. We landed safely with rattling heart beat too. Immigration
formalities were swift as our plane was the only international flight landed.
Medina. (21 Feb to 01 March 1999).
I was checked in at Royal Andalus Hotel
Room 801 and my wife stayed across. It was only about 100 meters away from
Masjid Nabawi perimeter. My roommates were Hashim Manaf and Mohd Shariff Gading
from Negeri Sembilan and Abdul Rahman Omar from Johore. Room 801 is a two room
suite and the other room was occupied by Haji Rashid Isa, Mat Nasir Mat Wali
and Mohd Ali Dhuha from Perak and Roslaini Rabun from Selangor. Among the eight
(8), I was the youngest at 53 and the eldest was Haji Rashid Isa 80+.
First prayer at Masjid Nabawi was zohor.
After Magreeb, I managed to enter Raudah
and paid homage to the Holy Prophet as well. I stayed on until Isyakh and it
was one of the best moments of my life, I
was at the first saf during Isyakh prayer. Mind you, it is Masjid Nabawi,
the Holy Prophet’s Mosque. It was the beginning of the Haj season and not many
Pilgrims had arrived in Medina. I was on the third flight from Malaysia.
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| At the back of Nabawi. |
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| My wife at Masjid Quba. |
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| Me at Masjid Quba. |
I stayed in Medina until 01 March and to
complete at least forty (40) sets of solat fardu at Masjid Nabawi. With Allah
blessing of pleasant health, I managed to perform the forty (40) without any
obstacles or problem. Alhamdullillah.
The visit to Medina was my second as I
had performed my first umrah in 1995. TH took us to Masjid Quba, Masjid
Qiblatin, Jabal Uhud and the Date Market. In between ibadah, my wife and I went shopping and all purchases including the
dates were parceled back home by Pos Malaysia. I took pity on the only Malaysian
Postal Clerk available and called back my cousin back home who was the CEO of
Pos Malaysia to fly out to Medina more Clerks to Medina. Accordingly, he did.
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| The CEO Pos Malaysia that came to the kenduri. |
The old man Haji Rashid was having knees
problem and unable to walk to the Mosque. I requested him to buy a wheelchair
and I volunteered to push wherever he wanted to go. I played smart as
wheelchair often have priorities at the Mosque, Hotel lifts and the Dining
Hall. I also took advantage of the spiritual gain for Allah blesses 1000 times
for any good deeds at Masjid Nabawi. I always keep the old man company in the
room and listened to his tazkirah. He
was an Imam in his kampong. He was like a Grandfather to me and I addressed him
“Tok”.
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| Me & Haji Rashid & the Wheelchair. |
On 27 February 1999, I received a call
from back home that my neighbor, Haji Yusuf had passed away and I requested my
children to attend to the funeral. On my part, I bought a Koran and waqaf it to Masjid Nabawi on behalf of late
Haji Yusuf.
01 March 1999 – Last Day in Medina.
The 40th solat fardu was at
zohor prayer. Alhamdullillah, I did it. During asar, I prayed behind the Holy
Prophet Makam and adjourned to Raudah soon after that for the last time in
Nabawi. I then performed the widaq,
saying farewell to the Holy Prophet. As I walked back to the Hotel, dark cloud
hovered above but it wasn’t raining. I never forget this day.
Magreeb and Isyakh was jamak with Tok Haji
Rashid as Imam in the Room.
The entourage left for Mecca in a bus
convoy just before midnight.
Mecca. (02 March to 03 April 1999).
We stopped at Bir Ali Mosque to perform
the miqat and stopped for subuh at a
Mosque few kilometers from Mecca.
Arrived in Mecca, I was checked in at
Hilton Tower 6, Floor 17 and Suite 49. First thing was to rest after the long
bus ride. I then performed the umrah tawaf and saie with my wife as we were performing
the Haj Tamatuk. It was
completed before lunch. Upon arrival the suite was barren, no bed whatsoever.
It was only after Isyakh, eight (8) double deck bed arrived and sixteen (16) of
us organized our respective pot. I was back to Hostel life to 1960.
The occupants were:
Mustapa Hamid – Selangor.
Abd Halim Majid – Perak.
Mohd Nor Ali – Johore.
Alias Ton – Perak.
Yahya Muda – Pahang.
Salleh Jani – Johore.
Mohd Yazid Buntal – Negeri Sembilan.
Mohd Bakir Azizan – Melaka.
Shariman Razali – Perak.
Razak Awal – Melaka.
Mohammad Masuri – Johore.
Enggah Osman – Selangor.
Ismail Jidin – Pahang.
Mohd Aminuddin Abdullah – Selangor.
Shahbuddin Salleh – Perak.
Mohamad Zakaria – Negeri Sembilan.
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| Buddies in Mekah Tower. |
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| Masjidilharam from the window of 17th Floor. |
There was only one bathroom and a
kitchen sink in the suite. We had a meeting and all in agreement that priority
should be given to those who need to attend urgently the call of nature. We
went through our duration of stay without any problem or hitch. We have
Engineers, Police Officer, Retired Armed Forces, Fireman, Teachers, Surveyors,
Radiologist, Logistic Manager, Transporter and Felda Settlers among the sixteen
(16).
Sixteen (16) strangers accommodated in a
room with different personality’s characters and background. Initially it was
difficult but within a day or two we were all intimately together. Everybody
was concern of each other well being, health wise and punctuality marching to
the Mosque when the call of azan. They nicknamed me “General” as I like to
organize. Every Thursday night after Isyakh, dinner was in the suite followed
with tahlil lead by Tok Haji Rashid. Teh tarik was readily available in the
suite as I sponsored the heating coils and jug. For the ingredients and paper
cups it was supplemented from the Dining Hall and each took turn played their
role. We bought the hair trimming machine and charge SDR 5 to each patron and
the money was collected to purchase Koran for waqaf at Masjidilharam. Business was brisk and some donated more
for the namesake of waqaf. Strictly NO
SMOKING in the suite.
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| The Tahlil & Doa. |
Makan Time.
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| My Doa. |
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| With Haji Shariman and Tok Haji Rashid. |
When time permissible, usually after
isyakh some of us with our wives performed the umrah in group by chartering a van
to Tanaeem. When the umrah ritual was completed, we bought grilled chicken or
kebab and feast to celebrate our spiritual glory. The comradeship developed as
days developed. Four (4) of us could share a cup of Maggie mee and it was
really tasty when we fought among ourselves to have a fork scoop. When it was
time for ibadah, we were damn serious
and the suite was deserted.
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| Haji Bakir trimmed my hair. |
On 25 March 1999 it was time to depart
for Desert of Arafat. We performed the solat sunat ihram and decreed the niat
haji together in the suite. Shariman became the Chief in the bus and I took
care of the Bus Driver. We arrived at the Desert at 1935 hrs and were put into
the same huge tent sharing with other Jemaah. Night in the Desert of Arafat was
no luxury, no pillow and mattress, only a carpet laid for our simple convenient.
The night in the Desert of Arafat was not meant to enjoy our sleep, the time to
submit to Allah and we spent the night at the makeshift Surau surrendering to
Allah. Individually, we submitted to Allah each with our own ways. All of us
were clad in ihram.
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| Ready for Desert of Arafat. |
Early morning just before subuh, there
was a commotion at the end of the tent. A Jemaah by the name of Ali passed
away. It shocked me as I thought it was the Mohd Ali Dhuha my roommate Medina.
He was Ali from Melaka. To return to Allah in the Desert of Arafat clad in the
ihram is the best situation to leave this world. During the resurrection, these
people as I am told would have special preference of which I am not a Muslim
scholar to elaborate.
After solat asar of Arafat Day, is the
most appropriate time to submit and seek from Allah. It was the time where the
sky is open and all the angels come down to earth to witness the ibadah of all
Allah fearing Muslims. Individually we seek a spot and said our zikir and doa.
We raised our hands seeking for the best in life to be a good Muslim forever
and to be call back by Allah with good faith (iman).
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| Inside the tent in Arafat. |
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| Reading the Koran in the tent. |
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| With Haji Enggah in the tent. |
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| Ready to leave for Mina. |
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| My wife & friends at Arafat. |
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| Outside the tent in Arafat. |
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| My wife at Arafat. |
Immediately after Maghreeb, all the
jemaah started to move to Muzdalifah and Mina either by bus, lorry, van or
walking. It was massive traffic jam where everybody was heading to one
direction and the bus inching its way. We stopped for a short while in
Muzdalifah to collect stones for our rituals in Mina. We arrived in Mina at our
nominated tent just before subuh the next day.
After the subuh prayer congregation in
the tent, I walked to the jamrah aqaba
and performed the first ritual of stoning the Satan. All the Haj Pilgrims were
concentrating at this small enclosure and imagine the pushing and elbowing that
took place. To enter was difficult and to exit was even worst. We got to back
out very slowly. The wife was tagging to my shoulder ihram and with Allah
blessings we got out alive. Back at the tent I did the tahlul, removed the ihram and back to normal attire.
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| Haji Bakir & Haji Mohd Nor balded me. |
We were in Mina for the next three (3)
days. We had to endure whatever facilities that were made available. Hundreds
were sharing to only several numbers of toilets. The w.c. and the shower was in
the same cubicle. We got to be extra careful what we ate as we had to queue even
during emergency situation. Patience was the bottom line and anger to be
discarded. It was the testing from Allah. We endured for the next three (3)
days performing the rituals stoning of the Satan at the three (3 jamrahs. At
night bored in the tent, we went out in group looking and assisting lost
jemaah. That too was ibadah, helping an in need human beings. Food was
distributed in polystyrene box. Sleeping was cat and dog. It was just like in
Refugee Camp. Life at Thereafter would be worst depending on your good deeds in
Life.
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| Ready to leave for Mecca. |
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| Back to Masjidilharam. |
On 30 March 1999 we packed and back to
Mecca. Arrived in the Hotel in the afternoon, I headed straight for the
bathroom and really enjoyed my shower as for the past three days I did not have
the opportunity to cleanse myself properly. That was a big mistake I made. Out
from the shower into the cold air condition suite, I had a chill and I was
shivering all over. My roommates covered me up with several blankets to warm me
up and I was absent for zohor and asar at Masjidilharam. I thought I was going
to be dead. That was a lesson that I learnt till now: No shower during mid day in Mecca.
It was the following day on 31 March
1999, mid morning my wife and I performed our Haj tawaf and saie. We got our Haj
at 0935hrs. Mission accomplished. My other roommates also completed with their
respective time and were all now Pak Haji. That night the roommates all
gathered in a group with our wives, the Haji and Hajah at the Dining Hall and
said our doa and prayer of thanks to Almighty Allah for completing our Haj
rituals. From the donations collected from barbering, we bought three (3)
Koraan and waqaf to Masjidilharam. Insyallah……those who patronage our service
have a share on the waqaf.
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| The Feast & Doa kesyukuran. Mission accompolished. |
The next few days, ibadah as usual and
in between we spent off our balance Saudi Riyals shopping for folks at home.
On 02 April 1999 we were instructed to
handover our luggage to TH to be taken to Jeddah TH Complex. On 03 April 1999
we all performed our last ritual, tawaf widaq (farewell widaq) and we all said
farewell to Mecca and headed for Jeddah. At Jeddah we checked in at Kindara
Palace Hotel and married couple was allocated a double bedroom. Finally my
roommate was my wife after about forty two (42) days sleeping in the Suite male
dormitory. I suspected the Hotel water consumption for the day was beyond norm.
At Kindara Hotel, Jeddah.
Before the flight on 04 April 1999 at
1600 hrs, we were free & easy in Jeddah and my wife and I went downtown Jeddah
for window shopping. TH personnel were shocked that I had a luggage and he
requested me to take along to the Airport and dumped it in the Luggage Carrier,
untagged. Luckily the luggage was on the flight and arrived at KLIA.
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| Group Photo at kindara Hotel, Jeddah. |
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| Waiting for the Bus to Airport. |
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| Flight Home. |
About an hour after takeoff, a jemaah in
front of my seat succumbed in his chair. When alerted of his demise, we
reorganized our seating and dedicated a seating row to lay down his body.
Someone donated an ihram and covered the lying in state. The body was flown
back to KLIA.
We touched down KLIA, on 05 April 1999
at 1400 hrs, awaited by my Mother and two (2) children. My wife luggage went missing
and it only arrived on the next flight, and then recovered from TH Complex
Klana Jaya.
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| Safely landed - KLIA. |
Note:
It was a memorable experience. The
comradeship developed in Mecca sustained till this date, Haji Bakir, Haji
Shariman, Haji Salleh Jani, Haji Mohd Nor Ali and Haji Enggah especially.
Sad to note the acquaintance that had
passed away: Haji Rashid, Haji Nasir, Haji Ali Dhuha and Haji Rahman Omar. Al
Fatihah.
Medina
and Mecca is the only place in the world that I will visit again and
again.
(Regret photographs of poor quality as
it was reshot from album extract).
