Hajj Memories

[Walid]

Found this diary, thought it might give an insight to those travelling for the first time.

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Hajj Diary
by Rafaqat Ali



Pilgrimage to the Holy House is a duty laid upon people that they owe to God - those of them who can afford the journey to it. Those who repudiate it should remember that God is certainly independent of all creatures. Qur'an 3:97


The Beloved Prophet Muhammad (may peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said, Paradise is the only reward for a pilgrimage accepted by God

I queued for about 9 hours in what seemed to be the only ticket office open on a Thursday night in Jeddah airport, with tens of thousands of people wanting to buy tickets for Madinah. Honestly speaking, the queuing system was not working at all and at the end of almost nine hours I found myself affixed to the same spot.

I had not initially intended to journey to Madinah (city of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad, pbuh) but my internal desire whispered a compulsion for it. Four days before the day of pilgrimage, pilgrims must enter Makkah. The period before this would be a time when those pilgrims would attempt a journey to Madinah.


The Thursday night we arrived at Jeddah was the last time to buy a ticket to Madinah from the only ticket booth open at the airport. Fatigued by the journey, my friend Ta'Sin gave up hope of reaching Madinah however I consoled him with the agreement that if by Friday morning our destiny did not change we would journey to Makkah so that we wouldn't miss the Friday prayer at the sacred Mosque. A Somali pilgrim tapped me on my shoulder and began to explain of how he had purchased two tickets yesterday, hoping to get another four for his family. This was looking highly unlikely so he then asked me if I wanted to buy the tickets to Madinah from him. I saw it as a sign of acceptance of our prayers and an invitation from our Blessed Messenger to visit him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

My friend had come on an earlier flight whilst I had arrived in Madinah before the mid-afternoon prayer. Madinah was the first place on the Arabian Peninsula to accept Islam; its people gave support to the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw), whose leadership and message united the clans of Madinah. Words cannot describe the beauty of Madinah, city of lights. I felt like I belonged to this place. I wanted to visit the Beloved Messenger (saw) of Allah but not in the physical or spiritual state that I was in. So, I gave myself time to prepare then begged an audience with him. However the rush at his resting place was overwhelming so I postponed my visit to the early hours of the morning.

I have been up since 2am just walking around the market place outside the Prophet's mosque in Medina. The pilgrimage season had also been one in which the local economy had got most of its income; hence they traded around the clock. This is a blessing of the Beloved Messenger (saw)of Allah being amongst these people, I thought, otherwise who would visit this desert oasis two hundred kilometres north of Makkah.

After the early dawn prayer I visited the resting place of our Beloved Messenger (saw), walking through Bab as-Salaam (the gate of blessing) the sheer number of people visiting hadn't diminished - there was a constant rush thousands of people. Standing in front of the messenger is an experience that is unparalleled; I didn't see a dry eye in sight. It was the moment that everyone here had dreamt about. Everyone was involved in their own private discourse. Muhammad in Arabic means ‘the one who is praised'. Could there be anyone more praised than he who people have been praising for centuries in every language and dialect known.

Baqi is a cemetery in Madinah. It houses the family, grandchildren and over twenty thousand companions of the Blessed Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as well as many great Scholars and residents of Madinah. It is said to be the largest cemetery in the world. These people were chosen by God to make huge sacrifices to aid His final Messenger; what can be said of their station with God? After the Maghrib prayer I visited Shaykh Zakaria Bukhari, who I had met on a previous visit to Medina. He is a Sufi Shaykh aged 120 in the company of whom I could sit for days. I didn't understand a word he said but people would frequently translate. His face shone with light. Truly from the people who Allah has blessed with friendship of Him, I thought.

Another man that I had met whilst visiting Shaykh Zakaria Bukhari today was a man by the name of Abd al-Rehman a Syrian from Aleppo. He had arrived here some years back without any desire of ever leaving Madinah and wished to die and be buried in the town of his beloved, the Messenger of Allah. Whenever he would speak he would say "Oh Allah send blessings on our Prince, Sayyedina Muhammad". Today I met Abd al-Rehman outside the Holy Prophets (saw) Mosque he stopped near some Iranians who I assume were talking to him. He said "say 'Oh Allah send blessings on our Prince Muhammad'" and muttering prayers walked off.

I finally reached Makkah - the place of pilgrimage - brimming with pilgrims. It is estimated that over three million people were in Makkah for the Hajj this year. We are due to start with the first rite of going to the tent city of Mina in a couple of days time where we shall remain for the next five days, travelling to Arafat, Muzdalifah and Makkah to perform various rites of the pilgrimage and then returning to the camp city of Mina. I also performed my lesser pilgrimage today, ‘the Umrah'. The grand mosque in Makkah that can hold just under one million people was packed. I prayed the late afternoon ‘Asr prayer 2 miles away from the mosque, the streets filled with row upon row of pilgrims in every direction. We shall head off to Mina tomorrow after Sunrise.

The route to Mina is an overwhelming spiritual experience walking down the road heading in the direction of Mina with millions of pilgrims from different places speaking different languages, all colours, young and old, men and women united under Islam. All men dressed in two white sheets showing no discrimination between rich and poor, echoing the streets of Makkah with the chant:


I am here, God, I am here in Your presence, You have no partner, I am here. Praise, Blessings and Kingdom surely belong to You ,You have no partner.


Never have I seen a scene like this and I don't believe I ever will anywhere apart from this place. Today is the day of Arafat, the tenth day of Dhul Hijja, the Islamic month of pilgrimage. This is the plain where everyone will be resurrected. This is the place where Adam was pardoned for his forgetfulness of the command of Allah, the place where he was reunited with Eve and where the Beloved Prophet (Saw) had delivered his final sermon followed by the verse of the Qur'an that had been revealed to him


This day I [Allah] have perfected for you your religion and fulfilled My favour unto you, and have chosen Islam for you as your religion.


He then ended his brief sermon by asking them "O people, have I faithfully delivered unto you my message?" to which they replied "Allahumma na'm, O God yes!" The Beloved Prophet (saw) raised his forefinger and said "O God, bear witness!"

It absolutely poured down today towards sunset something unheard of here in Arabia, it also represents Gods Mercy and Blessing.

The Night was spent in the valley of Muzdalifah which lies between Mina and Arafat. The coaches didn't stop arriving till well past 2 am. I had been separated from my friends. There was no point in looking for them amongst three million people.

Today would easily be categorised as the most physically demanding day of the Hajj. It marks the first day of stoning. From sunrise to sunset three million people tossed pebbles at Jamrah al-Aqabah, one of the three pillars made of crude stone marking the places in Mina where Satan appeared to the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) to try and dissuade him from sacrificing Ishmael (Isma'il). I have just arrived back from performing the tawaf, circumbulation of the Holy House, the Kabah. The time is approximately 5:30am.

Tomorrow is the last day of stoning and almost all the rights of pilgrimage will be over. Over the past few days and certainly throughout the whole of this journey I have experienced things that are rare to many of us.

Money, fame, physical strength and intelligence all passed from one with the passage of years and only moral excellence remained (Arthur Schopenhauer)

Is it not time that hearts of those that believe should be humbled to the Remembrance of God and the Truth which He has sent down, and that they should not be those to whom the Book was given a time, and the term seemed over long to them, so that their hearts have become hard, and many of them are ungodly? Know that God revives the earth after it was dead. We have indeed made clear for you the signs, that haply you will understand.
(Qur'an 57:16-17)

[Tasleem]

Walid said:

After the early dawn prayer I visited the resting place of our Beloved Messenger (saw), walking through Bab as-Salaam (the gate of blessing) the sheer number of people visiting hadn't diminished - there was a constant rush thousands of people. Standing in front of the messenger is an experience that is unparalleled; I didn't see a dry eye in sight. It was the moment that everyone here had dreamt about. Everyone was involved in their own private discourse. Muhammad in Arabic means ‘the one who is praised'. Could there be anyone more praised than he who people have been praising for centuries in every language and dialect known.

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The route to Mina is an overwhelming spiritual experience walking down the road heading in the direction of Mina with millions of pilgrims from different places speaking different languages, all colours, young and old, men and women united under Islam. All men dressed in two white sheets showing no discrimination between rich and poor, echoing the streets of Makkah with the chant:


I am here, God, I am here in Your presence, You have no partner, I am here. Praise, Blessings and Kingdom surely belong to You ,You have no partner.

---

Never have I seen a scene like this and I don't believe I ever will anywhere apart from this place. Today is the day of Arafat, the tenth day of Dhul Hijja, the Islamic month of pilgrimage. This is the plain where everyone will be resurrected. This is the place where Adam was pardoned for his forgetfulness of the command of Allah, the place where he was reunited with Eve and where the Beloved Prophet (Saw) had delivered his final sermon followed by the verse of the Qur'an that had been revealed to him

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Tomorrow is the last day of stoning and almost all the rights of pilgrimage will be over. Over the past few days and certainly throughout the whole of this journey I have experienced things that are rare to many of us.

Mahsallah - A very accurate account! I went Hajj in 1997 and reading the above diary made the memories come flooding back. Feels like just yesterday.

Oh how I yearn to go back! Inshallah, one day....

But seeing Hazoor's (saw) roza for the first time - overwhelming...That route to Mina - spiritually uplifting (the author describes it so well)...Standing on the plain of Arafat - a place to be...Resting in Muzdalifah under the stars with the other pilgrims - amazing!

throughout the whole of this journey I have experienced things that are rare to many of us.

Very true indeed!

[Mohammed Khan]

Walid said:

Found this diary, thought it might give an insight to those travelling for the first time.

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Hajj Diary
by Rafaqat Ali

Subhanallh, a very good diary account, enjoyed reading that.

[Nudrat]

MohammedKhan said:

Subhanallh, a very good diary account, enjoyed reading that.

I agree, I felt I was there.! Even though I have not been.

[simnani]

I thought i would share this extraordinary diary of Hajj with you.


Hajj Sequel 1: Just A Dream or A Call for Hajj?

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Just A Dream or A Call for Hajj?

It was during the last week of Ramadan when I suddenly realized that for the first time, I have an opportunity to make hajj this year if I wanted to. Since performing hajj became an obligation on me (from financial perspective) some four or five years ago, I never had a practical chance to go to hajj due to some complex personal circumstances. Now, during these last days of Ramadan, I suddenly became aware that I was now free from those situations and going to hajj is now my own free decision that will not cause any problem with anyone or anything.

I made two raka of salat and rasied my hands to Allah in du’a. I asked Him to accept my intention for hajj, make everything easy for me, allow me to perform the hajj the way it is pleasing to Him, and accept my hajj. Then, within a couple of days, I selected my travel agent and hajj organizer and sent them the package money in full, and started doing my preparations.

Another couple of weeks later, I realized that I actually had received a call for Hajj some months back but never understood that call at that time to be anything related to hajj.

That call came in a dream and this is what I dreamt:

In one early morning just before fajr about a couple of months before Ramadan, I dreamt that I went to the Noble Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam)’s (SAW) Mosque in Madinah with my elder son. It was a Friday. I proceeded to the grave of the Beloved Prophet (saw) and sat by his grave in way that the grave was on my right side. I was towards one of the ends of the grave. While I have no recollection whether it was the upper (the head side) or the lower end, but I think that it was the lower one. I placed my right hand gently on the grave as if I am touching or caressing someone with deep affection.

Then I said: Assalamu alaikum Ya Rasulullah (saw).

While my hand was still on the grave, I repeated the salam three times.

I then found myself and my son in a mosque and saw a very strange thing. It was time for prayer. As people stood up, I saw that about half the people facing the Qibla in one direction, and myself with the other half of the people faced the Qibla in the opposite direction. While doing this, I had my firm conviction that I was with the people who were facing the right way. After that, I woke up.

While the first part of the dream was very pleasing to me, I was troubled about the second part, for it was not a good thing that in the same mosque people would be facing the Qibla in the opposite directions.

Two days later, I told my mother, who was living with me at that time, about this dream. She was very happy about the dream and about my giving Salam to the Beloved Prophet (saw). I omitted from her the discomforting second part of the dream.

At that time, I had not thought about any connection between this dream and hajj. The only feeling I had was that I had a good dream. Nor was I thinking about Hajj during those days. In fact, I was not planning for hajj during the last couple of years as I was handicapped in personal situations.

Months later after my preparation for hajj was already underway, I suddenly realized one day that my dream was a call to Hajj (as this was the first year when I had a chance to do it) or an indication of my future fulfillment of hajj. For who goes to hajj without visiting the Most Beloved Prophet’s (saw) Mosque and His grave? During my visit to Madina Sharif as part of the hajj trip, I stayed there for about 3 full days. Each of these days, I visited the Noble Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam)’s (saw) grave, and said loudly:

Assalau alaikum Ya Rasulullah.

I repeated my Salam three times each day. After my salam, I said to myself, “This is the fulfillment of my dream”.

As for the second part of my dream, I am now convinced that what I saw was my future visit to the Quba mosque. That mosque has two Qiblas in opposite directions. There, I made two raka of salat. And I was certainly facing the right qibla in my salat, which is the conviction I had in my dream although some people were facing the opposite Qibla!

Subhan Allah – how one can sometimes see future events in dream! Imam Ghazzali deals with dream at length in his treasurly Kimiyaye Sha’adat, where he discusses dream from Islamic perspective. Experience prove the correctness of his explanations as it also shows the fallacy of some of the explanations made by modern psychoanalysts who deal with dream from secular perspectives devoid of any spiritual and metaphysical connections.

As my intention for hajj was completely independent of my dream that I had few months earlier, that dream now appeared to me as a reassurance that I was answering the call of Allah (swt) to perform the Hajj and that it was the right time for me to do it and that it would insha Allah go well.

>> Next: Sequel 2: Preparations – Logistical, Physical, and Spiritual

[simnani]

Hajj Sequel 2: Preparations – Logistical, Physical, and Spiritual



As soon as I made intention for hajj, I set my heart and mind into fulfilling it. I started doing all preparations without procrastinating anything for later. That included renewing passport, getting vaccinations, and supplying all paperwork needed by the travel agent.

I started maintaining a list where I would write down all the items that I needed to take with me. As I remembered about more items, I would add those to the list. I also started purchasing them and marking them off in the list.

I made a list of all the companies from whom I received bills and wrote down when I should pay each of these and when the next bill would be due. This allowed me to pay off all the bills in time so that nothing would be due while I was away.

All family-related arrangements were also done to make sure that my absence will not cause any problem for anyone and that my son will be under good care.

I maintained contacts with my travel agent and made sure that everything was proceeding accordingly.


Physical Preparations

As hajj requires considerable physical energy, I started doing exercise about two months prior to the departure date. While running on the treadmill, I would be reciting the talbiya:

Labbayik allahumma labbayik
Labbayika la sharika laka labbayik
Innal hamda ,wan ni’mata, laka wal mulk
La sharika lak

As I would run out of breath and could no longer recite the talbiyia, I would continue saying it in mind.

In addition to taking the required Meningitis vaccination, I also took several additional vaccinations. I purchased an array of over-the-counter medications that I might need or with which I might come to assistance to my fellow hajjis. Additionally, I visited my doctor and asked his advice about how I should physically prepare for the trip. A British gentlemen, he knew well about Hajj although he was not a Muslim. He gave me some good practical advices and also prescribed me several medications including a whole course of antibiotic. He then told me something that was very pleasant to me:

“If you do not need these medications, then perhaps you will be able to assist your fellow hajjis with them.”
I have always found the British people very gentle, courteous, and sincere. This doctor was in his sixties, and thus almost double my age. Despite the fact that I moved fifty miles away from his office about a year ago, I continue to have him as my personal physician.


Spiritual Preparation

As soon as I made my intention for hajj, I became more conscious about committing anything that can be considered even a minor sin. I prayed to Allah (swt) for forgiveness of all past sins and shortcomings and I asked Him to keep me on the right path until death.

I made two raka prayer and raised my hands to Allah (swt) in dua to accept my intention, make my hajj easy for me, enable me to perform it in the way that will be most pleasing to him, and to accept my hajj.

Until the departure day, I would often read sura ya sin and make the ishrak prayer (after the sun has arisen), followed by this same du’a to Allah (swt) to accept my hajj.

In an effort to strengthen my hajj, I also wanted to send someone to hajj to perform hajj on my father’s behalf who passed away almost two and a half decades ago. A very pious man who was loved by those who knew him, he was far from having the financial means to perform hajj. So, although hajj was never an obligation for him, I was very delighted to have someone perform his hajj at the same time that I did my hajj (I was also very fortunate to be able to send my mother to hajj as well some years ago). I made arranged for a pious person, who was not financially able himself, to perform my father’s hajj. During the hajj, I would be frequently making du’a to accept my hajj, my father’s hajj, also this brother’s hajj as if he was doing his own hajj.

I collected several books on hajj, made notes, and got a good understanding of the rituals of hajj and what is authentic and the Beloved Prophet’s (saw) Sunnah and what is not. I also attended a class on hajj to learn anything else that I might have missed.

I made an Islamic will where I made detailed instructions regarding burial, asset distribution, bill and debt payment, etc. The will was prepared in consideration of the laws of the state so that it would be acceptable to the court. I then signed the will in front of a notary public and had two witnesses sign it as well.

I then explained the will to my relatives and made sure that they understood the instructions therein. I told them that it was a serious will that was prepared with the understanding that I could in fact die while out for hajj. It turned out that our plane to Jeddah was in serious unusual turmoil and we all escaped near death as the plane almost fell off the sky. It is said that when death is imminent, many things flash through the mind. As I continued making du’a and asking Allah for forgiveness, it was the will that also came to my mind, and I was highly relieved knowing that I left behind a full and complete will.

With all preparations completed, I was ready to take on my journey to the ancient and blessed city of Makkah to perform my hajj. One thing that frequented my mind was: how would I feel and what would be my reaction when I would see the Ka’ba?

>> Next: Hajj Sequel 3: Bangle Between Fingers

[simnani]

Hajj Sequel 3: Bangle Between Fingers


I was making my first tawaf upon arrival at Makkah. There was a heavy crowed of people which was increasing, it appeared, at every minute. Often, the crush of people was so much that people’s chests and backs were touching one another. At that state, my right foot stepped on something sharp on the floor of the Ka’ba. I thought of removing this harmful object as it was undoubtedly causing discomfort to thousands of people who were stepping on it.

Bending to pick it up was impossible. So I decided to carry it by dragging my feet. I pressed my foot on it hard against the marble floor, and kept dragging my foot without lifting my foot. A few times, I almost lost it as pressure of people made it quite hard to maintain my hold on it. Also, the object sometimes would get stuck between the marble joints and the cracks on them. In those cases, I applied extra pressure on the foot to get it out of the cracks. After dragging it nearly half a circle around the Ka’ba, I finally brought myself away from the crush to a place where bending no longer posed a risk of falling on the ground. There, I quickly picked it up. It was a broken piece of bangle made of glass that women wear. I wondered how many thousands of people stepped on this piece and got hurt. I thought of the hadith of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) where he said:

“to remove a harmful thing from the way is also sadaqa." [Bukhari]

How about removing a harmful object from the floor of the Ka’ba that is trodden by millions of people? I felt joy at my heart that I was able to remove it, thought it was difficult to do so. I then raised my hands to the heaven with that piece of bangle in between the fingers of my right hand:

Ya Allah! If this act has been pleasing to you, then please accept my hajj as “hajj mabroor”.

One small act, and what a big expectation in return! While making the du’a, I knew that this transaction is not a balanced one. By doing a small thing, which I am obligated to do anyway, I asked for the ultimate prize from Allah (swt) that one can expect. I, therefore, added:

Ya Allah! You are the Lord of unlimited bounties and Your bounties never decrease; therefore, please grant my wish and accept my hajj.

During my Tawaf al Ifadah about a week later, I remained particularly conscious about removing further harmful objects from the floor of the Ka’ba should I step on any. I in fact did step on and remove another object. This time, it was a piece of metal.

One can only imagine that during the crush of people, bangels get broken and things fall off from people’s pockets.

>> Next: Hajj Sequel 4: The Old Man and the Ka’ba

[simnani]

Hajj Sequel 4: The Old Man and the Ka’ba

Hemingway’s Old Man was attracted by the sea, and there, he dreamt of lions. My Old Man, much older and weaker than Hemingway’s, came from hundreds of miles away attracted by the Ka’ba. There he spent his days and nights worshipping the Lord of the universe and seeking His pleasure, not fishing and daydreaming.

One small act, or rather answering the call of the conscience, opened the way for me to meet and spend some time with that very special Old Man.

During the few days that I spent in Makkah prior to the hajj, my regular habit was to go to the haram about one and a half hour prior to the adhan for fajr prayer. There, after securing a place on the floor of the Ka’ba, I would spend the time in making tahajjud prayer, du’a, and zikr of Allah (swt). These early morning hours were among the best times I had in my entire hajj trip. With the background of the night sky, although blurred by the floodlights, and thousands of people circulating around, the Ka’ba looked beautifully serene, peaceful, and majestic. Whether in prayer or in zikr, my communication with Allah (swt) was at its peak, often reaching the point of ecstasy. My two eyes shed much more tears in those moments than in any other time or place, with the exception of perhaps the plain of Arafat.

On this particular night, I was a little late. After pushing through the crowed, when I finally reached the stairs leading to the floor of the Ka’ba, one look at the crowed below made me realize that it was too late now to try to find a spot there. I turned back and started moving from one place to another inside the building in search for a place. After some struggle, I eventually found a place next to a pillar and a staircase. This made my small prayer place a little more comfortable and secure than wide open ones where people frequently cut in the front or go over the shoulder as they look for places. I immediately stood up for tahajjud prayer. A few minutes later, another man moved in and sat next to me. From his looks and apparel, he appeared to be as an imam or some sort of religious figure from the Indo-Pak subcontinent.

My devotion in tahajjud prayer was interrupted when a woman in full niqab came and tried to persuade him to leave and go elsewhere. But he paid no attention to her. After trying for some time, she gave up and left. During the next ten minutes, she came twice and each time tried to eject him from that place. But the man simply ignored her. She did not bother me as I was in prayer every time she came. Then, while in prayer, I suddenly realized that she must be a female police officer and where we were sitting was probably a female-only place. After ending my salat, a quick look around confirmed that indeed this place was for females only. The only reason she did not bother me was that I was in prayer each time she came. There were many men sitting here and there, and so we two were not completely alone in the middle of the majority women. Besides, my place was a little isolated one – all “good” justifications to stay put.

My conscience immediately objected. I remembered the scenes that I observed many a times while sitting in the floor of the Ka’ba – the scenes of male police officers mercilessly evicting females from the floor of the Ka’ba where they had been sitting and praying for hours and awaiting the fajr prayer. Apparently, females are not allowed to sit and pray on the ground floor of the Ka’ba. The policemen were only performing their duties and telling the women to go back to their designated prayer areas. But they were rude and it did not matter for the police whether the woman he was trying to evict had been sitting there with her husband or son. Whether she will be able to find a place inside the complex in the female area or how she would be able to reunite with her male relative was not his concern. His mission was simply to evict her and to achieve that objective he employed words and body language that were utterly rude.

Every time I saw such rude evictions – and I saw many – my heart broke and I felt like crying out loud. It was, as if, someone was piercing my heart with an arrow. I would feel terribly sorry for her but completely powerless to do anything about it.

As I remembered the above scenes, I though to myself: What justification do I now have to sit in this female-only section?

All these thoughts flashed through my mind in half a second. I made up my mind and told my neighbor that this section was for females only and we must leave this section and go elsewhere. He, however, was not willing to leave. I got up, folded up my prayer rug and picked up my handbag and started to leave. As I left, I saw him moving into my place and solidifying his position.

I wished the Saudi authorities had realized that they needed male police officers even in female sections. How effective can a female police, covered from head to toe in niqab, be against the overpowering male?


The moment I got up to leave, I knew that at that late hour when fajr time was only about half an hour away, it would be only waste of time and energy in trying to find a place anywhere inside the complex. I, therefore, directly headed towards the closest gate that would take me out of the complex into the wide-open area where I might still find a place. This would be the first night when I would not be able to pray with the Ka’ba in sight. Nevertheless, I felt comfortable at heart that I did the right thing.

I came out in the open and soon found a place right next to an old man, about 65 years of age, who, like many others, was sitting on the hard marble floor without any rug. I politely asked him to get up so that I could put my prayer rug sideways, thus allowing both myself and him to sit on it. This small gesture made him very grateful. I asked for his du’a and he immediately made du’a for me. This du’a of an old pilgrim made me so happy and I felt fortunate that I left the old place and came here. But further reward for me for answering the call of the conscience earlier was yet to come.

[simnani]

Hajj Sequel 4: The Old Man and the Ka’ba (continued)


A few minutes later, my old companion got up and left. When some time passed and he did not return, I thought that perhaps after taking care of his needs, he found some other place elsewhere. I was thinking of putting my prayer rug straight (so that I did not have to make sujud on the hard floor) when I saw that a few rows ahead of me, an old man just joined and was preparing to sit down. He was probably about 85, his back a little bended due to old age, and he appeared to be very feeble. I got up and went to him and tried to tell him that he could sit right next to me on my prayer rug. He was an Arab and did not speak English. But from my gesture, he understood what I tried to convey to him. He came with me slowly, as if even walking was not easy for him, and as he sat down, he tried to thank me and tell me that he was very grateful for helping him. I grabbed him by his shoulder to reassure him and to make him feel comfortable and asked for his du’a. He looked at me and said something in Arabic that I could make out as something like:

“It has become wajib on me to make du’a for you.”

We both tried to have a conversation with the other but neither knew the language of the other – I did not know Arabic while he did not know English. He was trying to tell me something in Arabic using hand gestures, but I could not understand what he was trying to communicate to me. It appeared that he was in need of something. I desperately tried to know what it was. There was an Arab man who was sitting next to me. I asked him if he knew English. He nodded a “no”. I thought I must find someone who speaks both Arabic and English. There were people walking to and fro – some were looking for spots and others were walking towards the Ka’ba or coming back from it (after probably failing of find spots there). I stood up with the hope of catching an Arab who might speak English. Anytime an Arab approached towards my direction and he appeared to be educated, I would grab him and say,

“Salamu alaikum. Do you speak English?”

I was only getting negative reponses but I kept trying. Finally, success came. One gentleman responded in clear English. I begged him to help me. I told him that I met this old man and he appeared to be in need of something. I told him that I want to help him with whatever he needed but I just did not know what he needed for I did not know Arabic while he did not know English. I asked him if he could talk to him and then translate to me about what he needed. He agreed.

He spent a few minutes talking with him. He then told me that the old man was from Yemen. He came to perform hajj. He was now thirsty for a cup of tea. I thanked him very much for translating his need to me, and he left.

From the gestures that the old man was making before in trying to tell me what he needed, I was now convinced that he was not only thirsty for tea, but also his throat was probably discomforting him (respiratory infection is very common during hajj) and tea was something that could give him some relief. I also felt that he was probably hungry as well. I got up and went to the nearby store and came back with a cup of hot tea, some cake, a sandwitch, and water. I was not hungry myself and so I offered all these to him.

He smiled and tried to thank me in his language. He gladly accepted the tea and the cake but gave the sandwitch back to me to eat. He started to eat the cake and drink the tea. I felt glad that I brought the cake, for it appeared that he was indeed hungry. When he noticed that I was not eating, he asked me to eat the sandwitch. I tried to tell him that I was not hungry, but he insisted that I eat. Not wanting to refuse his request, I ate the sandwitch. He then offered me the cup of tea that he was drinking from so that I could share a few sips of tea from it as well. As I accepted the cup from him, my heart melted down in humility and respect for him. Sharing tea from the same cup? It is almost inconceivable in that “civilized” society where I came from. Would we not be passing germs to one another? Should we not feel uncomfortable that the tea in the cup had been moistened by the other’s mouth?

I am reminded of an incident that Muhammad Asad (Leopold Weiss) talked about in his 'Road to Mecca'. It was 1920s, and he was traveling by train in some Arab country. An Arab man was sitting across from him on the opposite row. When the train stopped and vendors swarmed the train to sell various things, he purchased a piece of cake through the window of the car. As he turned around and sat – cake in his hand – his eyes fell on Asad on the oppositie row. Immediately, he broke his cake in two and extended one of the pieces towards Asad saying, “tafaddal”. This is something that Asad, an European Jew, could not think of seeing in Europe. There, there is the “civic” barrier between individuals. To this Arab, there was no such thing. To him, it did not matter that Asad was a white European and not a Muslim.

I took a few sips from the cup, and then extended it back to the old man with thanks. He took it back from me and continued drinking from it as if I was a dear son of him whose touch of mouth in the tea was something that he was wanting to have.

There was still some time left for tahajjud. I got up and started to pray. I noticed that he was also praying while sitting. Since my prayer rug was spread sideways so that we could both sit on it, I was making sujud on the hard marble floor. Then, while praying, I noticed him slightly untying the ihram cloth which he used to bundle up his few belongings and spreading it to where I was making sujud. The extension was not long enough to cover my area of sujud. So, while still in prayer, I moved slightly closer towards him and was able to make sujud on his ihram cloth. I wanted to show him that I accepted the favor that he granted me.

Time for fajr came and he stood up for fajr prayer. Un until now, he had been praying while sitting. He was so week that I noticed him struggling to get up after the first raka. So I released my right hand, grabbed him around under his arm, and pulled him up as I stood up myself.

Fajr prayer ended and it was time for me to get back to my hotel. Before leaving, I thought of doing something but I was not sure how he would take it. But I thought of giving it a try anyway. It was apparent to me that he was a poor man (his few belongings where bundled in his ihram cloth). I was not carrying much money in my wallet – only a note of a hundred riyal and a few smaller notes. I took the note out, grabbed one of his hands, and inserted the note into his palm. He looked at the note, and then looked up at me with baffling eyes. I smiled, and grabbed him around with my arm to reassure him that this was only a gift from me and I would be happy if he took it. He murmured something in Arabic and then raised his hands in du’a. I grabbed my handbag and got up in preparation to leave. Seeming me about to leave, he tried to get up so that I could pull my prayer rug from under him. I immediately stopped him, and using gestures, told him that this prayer was his now and I was not taking it back with me. This even baffled him more and he raised his hands in du’a again. As I left him, he was still in du’a.

I slowly walked away from him without looking back, with my mind full of thoughts and reflections. I wondered what had I done for which Allah (swt) blessed me with the company of such a pious old man who, in his feeble age, came many hundreds of miles away – probably by bus – to visit His house. Was it because I answered my call of conscience and left my secure place in the female-only section? I felt Allah (swt) had rewarded me by sending two angels to me in the form of two old men. I felt so good as I walked back to my hotel, with my heart and soul in joy and full conviction that Allah (swt) would answer his du’a for me and would accept my hajj as Hajj Mabroor.

My inability to speak Arabic prevented me from having a useful conversation with him so I could not know where he was staying in Makkah and what was his address in Yemen. I now regret that I did not seek further help in getting those information out. If I had his address, then I could now write him a letter. Or perhaps I could have paid him a visit on my way to Makkah again someday, insha Allah.


Yet one more difference between Hemingway’s Old Man and my Old Man. His Old Man came ashore with the bare skeleton of a marlin whose flesh was devoured to the bones by sharks. My Old Man went back home with his bag full of bounties from Allah (swt).

May Allah (swt) accept his hajj and my hajj as Hajj Mabroor. Ameen.

>> Next: Hajj Sequel 5: A Cup of Tea That Was Never Drunk

[simnani]

Hajj Sequel 5: A Cup of Tea That Was Never Drunk


At Mina, we stayed at a camp exclusively setup for the hajjis who came from the US. There were ten to twelve large tents setup in that camp holding several hundred hajjis. It had two entrances from the opposites sides, each with guards on 24-hour duty. From one end to the other, there was a passageway over a hundred yards long. The tents were setup on both sides of this passageway facing one another. The tent where I stayed was almost at one of the ends of this passageway. The facilities for wudu, shower, and toilet were at the other end. Thus, I had to tread this way from one end to the other many times a day.

I was once returning from the wudu area. Right next to that area, was a table setup for tea and coffee. I fixed a cup of hot tea for myself. Normally, I do not drink tea or coffee. But like many other hajjis, I developed some respiratory discomforts during Hajj and found tea to be helpful in providing temporary relief for the throat. After picking up the cup of tea, I resumed my steps towards my tent. I am one of those who cannot walk and drink at the same time. Thus, I carried my hot cut of tea without making a sip into it, hoping to enjoy it once back in my tent.

At that particular time of the day, this long passageway was nearly empty. As I passed about a third of the passageway, I notice from a far that around the middle of the passageway, an elderly man came out of his tent, stood next to a large trash can, and started vomiting in full throat. I continued walking towards him, passed him by, and then stopped at a little distance from him and turned around to watch him. With his back towards me, he was unaware of my presence. I have seen fewer people vomit as much and for as long as he did. He just kept on going and going. He continued for so long that during that time a couple of individuals hurriedly passed him by one after the other, trying to get away from this uncomfortable sight.

With a hot cup of tea in my hand, I began to wonder what I should do. During uncontrollable vomiting, the convulsion of the lower abdomen is one of the most uncomfortable physical experiences that one can have. I have had good experience of that during my childhood and I still remember that feeling. The only thing that can bring some relief for the sick at that time is for someone to stand behind him, grab his abdomen, and put a constant and heavy pressure on his naval area, as if to prevent the stomach from moving and convulsing.

With his vomiting continuing, I started wondering if I should go and hold him. As I was debating this in my mind, he stopped vomiting. He wiped out his mouth, close the lid of the trash can, and entered his tent.

He was gone, and so was my interest on the tea.

Discarding the tea, I followed him and entered his tent. His bed was right next to the tent door. There I found him lying on his back, his face pale and eyes in the sockets, with a companion sitting next to him. I sat by them and found out that he had been sick since the previous evening. He had not been seen by any doctor yet and was not being treated with any medication. A few minutes later, I stood up and left, telling them that I would be right back.

My British doctor in the US had prescribed for me a series of medications just in case I needed any. In his wisdom, one of the drugs he prescribed was some rectal suppositories to stop vomiting. When stomach cannot take anything but throws it out immediately, pills are almost useless. Suppositories are perfect for this, and I had just that right medicine for him. It was a very good, prescription-only medication. I opened my arsenal of medicines, and grabbed a good number of these suppositories. I then went to a fellow hajji who was a doctor and requested him to come with me. A very kind gentleman, he immediately complied. Together with him, I went back to the tent of the sick person. He checked his conditions and approved the medication that I had for him. He gave him instructions on how to use them and gave other advices. After spending some time with them, we left.

I followed with the sick person a couple of times. When I visited him the next day for the last time, he had almost fully recovered.

When prescribing me all these medications, my doctor had said to me,

“If you do not need these medications, then perhaps you will be able to assist your fellow hajjis with them.”
Alhamdulillah, that I did not have to use that medicine, but I was happy that it was put to good use for a great fellow hajji.

One with a caring heart never looses the opportunity to come to the assistance of anyone in need. This quality is seen in other creatures, but never to the extent it has been given to us. This is part of being human – we live in societies for none other than mutual benefit and protection.


Hajj is not simply a set of rituals, disconnected from all human concerns and welfare, to be performed by shuttling into Makkah and then out and be done with it. There is a greater objective than that. At Hajj, one gets a first hand experience of the larger humanity comprising people of all colors, race, age, and gender. As he (or she) prays, moves, eats, and sleeps with them, he should feel himself to be an integral part of his fellow believers, and them to be an integral part of himself. This is a value – the concern for the humanity at large - he is to bring back with him and nurture throughout his life.

To emerge, at the end of the Hajj, as a better person and a better believer is what the objective of Hajj is. There are plenty of opportunities during Hajj to avail and train oneself towards that objective.

All that is needed is an open heart.

>>> Upcoming: Hajj Sequel 6: Good Intention, Right Actions, and Patience

[MRT]

That call came in a dream and this is what I dreamt:

In one early morning just before fajr about a couple of months before Ramadan, I dreamt that I went to the Noble Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam)’s (SAW) Mosque in Madinah with my elder son. It was a Friday. I proceeded to the grave of the Beloved Prophet (saw) and sat by his grave in way that the grave was on my right side. I was towards one of the ends of the grave. While I have no recollection whether it was the upper (the head side) or the lower end, but I think that it was the lower one. I placed my right hand gently on the grave as if I am touching or caressing someone with deep affection.

Then I said: Assalamu alaikum Ya Rasulullah (saw).

Then I said: [glow=beige,1,900]Assalamu alaikum Ya Rasulullah [/glow] (saw).

Great thread, Mashallah some brilliant reflections.

[Akhtar Hussain]

To emerge, at the end of the Hajj, as a better person and a better believer is what the objective of Hajj is. There are plenty of opportunities during Hajj to avail and train oneself towards that objective.

All that is needed is an open heart.

Brilliant article, hope i have a fulfilling Hajj as the author.

[smvashrafi]

Mashallah, the Hajj sequels are compelleing reading .

[madani noor]

happyashrafi said:

Mashallah, the Hajj sequels are compelleing reading .

Mashallah very good reading, both artilces are excellent.