Haj Pilgrimage.

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.

Kenduri & Doa Selamat pre Haj journey.

The Ladies.

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.

At the back of Nabawi.

My wife at Masjid Quba.

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.

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”.

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 40^th 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.

Buddies in Mekah Tower.

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.

The Tahlil & Doa.

 Makan Time.

My Doa.

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.

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.

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).

Inside the tent in Arafat.

Reading the Koran in the tent.

With Haji Enggah in the tent.

Ready to leave for Mina.

My wife & friends at Arafat.

Outside the tent in Arafat.

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.

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.

Ready to leave for Mecca.

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.

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.

Group Photo at kindara Hotel, Jeddah.

Waiting for the Bus to Airport.

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.

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).