Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Before the Calling

My sister Ashikin came back from her Haj pilgrimage in early 2000 and said to me: Your name has been mentioned…I made a special request for Allah to invite you to His House”. Oh, Okay I thought…did not mean much to me then, though I was aware of it being one of the obligatory practices for a Muslim. My husband and I had registered a few years ago, putting in some preliminary funds as a start, without any particular plans.
Years rolled by and we were regularly sending off friends and family members to Mecca and hearing great anecdotes of their experiences which aroused our interest and curiosity, but still we did not actively pursue it. Somehow, a couple of years ago, we suddenly had the urge to go. It was exciting to discover that our turn would come in 2011.

The Journey Began
In 2010 we were invited to attend seminars organized by Tabung Haji , the agency which is responsible for the Malaysian Hajj Pilgrimage Funding and Operations. However, both of us had work and family commitments which prevented us from attending these sessions. When we received the same invitation in early 2011, we did not miss the chance. It all began with attending two to three hour lectures on the Hajj practices at the Kelana Jaya Tabung Haji mosque every Sunday for 17 consecutive weeks. This seminar culminated with a two-day forum at the Shah Alam Blue Mosque which included simulation exercises with a mock Kaa’bah and all the other facilities and requirements in Mecca, Mena & Arafah.

Though all the classes were helpful, there were things we were not really prepared for in the actual exercise. We scrambled to find out more in order to be better equipped. Time flew a bit too fast for us. Before we knew it, it was time to fly. We had so many people giving us advice for the logistics – some say don’t bring much; some say be prepared for everything; some say you don’t need to change your clothes too often ; some say you would not have time for shopping; some say go out and buy everything you need there; and the list goes on. Although we can be classified as seasoned travelers, the mixed messages confused us anyway and we ended up taking some not so sensible advice. But, eventually it did not do much harm – we somehow adapted.

Arriving in Madinah Al Munawwarah
Our first stop was at Madinah Al Munawarrah. We were there for eight days. The first time I prayed at the Prophet’s Mosque, Masjid Nabawi was unforgettable. I was not even thinking of anything in particular. In fact I was feeling a mixture of jet lagged, mental fatigued and lethargy, looking around at the whole place with almost detached emotions as I went through the motion of preparing for the Zohor prayers. But somehow when I started praying, I was overwhelmed with such an enormous feeling of peace and tranquility, I began to cry and could not stop. I had to struggle to prevent the tears from interfering with my recital of the verses in my prayers. Until today, I cannot explain what moved me so much, so fast. This beautiful mosque will remain in a special place in my heart and I pray to Allah that He will grant me a chance to pray in the Prophet’s mosque, time and time again.

Places of Interest
When we were in Madinah we also had the opportunity to visit the famous Uhud Mountains, the holy burial sites of the martyrs of Islam during the days of the prophet, the magnificient Quba Mosque which is located at the site of first mosque the Prophet built with the Ansar clan when he first arrived in Madinah and a few other interesting places.
It is such an amazing experience to look at barren rocks ,hills and desert tracks where the prophet and his companions used to take. And the stories they would be able to tell, if only we can get them to talk.

The First Sight of the Holy Kaa’ba
I don’t think I can ever describe accurately how I felt at the first sight of Kaaba. When you think about it, the Kaa’ba is just a cube-shaped structure measuring an area of over 600 square feet. But the significance of this divine infrastructure is beyond human understanding. How can you describe the way billions are drawn to it every year and for most of us, just at the sight of it can invoke tears of awe, joy, gratitude, harmony , peace, bliss, humility and all the incredible feelings only something related to the divine can incite.

The Experience of Praying in the Grand Mosque
I treasured every single opportunity to pray at the Grand Mosque of AlHaram. During prayer times, the mosque was full to the brim especially closer to the Hajj period, but we always found a place to pray. This is where we meet people from all over the world and for me it was eye-opening and enriching because we saw a perspective of people and their beliefs and inclinations which are different although we are all Muslims. Our favourite spot were normally in the hallway of the second floor, between the pillars and walls close to the King Fahd’s Gate. No matter where we pray, my husband and I made it a ritual to move closer to the Kaa’ba after our prayers. We were automatically drawn to it like a magnet. We end up gazing at this monumental structure with immense feeling of gratitude and love and pray to Allah for all the things that were in our hearts – for the wellbeing of our loved ones – parents, children, siblings, friends and even for the organizations we work for and our country and religion.

Times at Arafah and Mena
Spending a period of time in the mountain area of Arafah is a must-do for the Hajj pilgrims. This marks the place where Adam and Eve were reunited after being separated for two hundred years. This is where we can pray and get closer to the Almighty within the stipulated period and pray for meaningful things which matter most to us. The following nights were spent at Muzaliffah where we stopped to gather pebbles for the “Three Jamrah Throwing” in Mena. These pebble- throwing rituals symbolize our fight against the quest of Satan whose main aim is to divert us from the right path.

Completing the Hajj
To accomplish the Hajj, we had to complete seven rounds of the circumambulation of the Kaa’ba or “Tawaf” . Before doing the tawaf I was worried sick of how I could cope with the crowd and the jostling and pushing but when we were inside, things was not as bad as I had perceived it to be.

Next we followed the tracks made by Hajar, wife of Prophet Ibrahim from the hills of Sofa to Marwah in search of water for her baby Ismail. All in all, we get pretty good exercise once they are all done. People who are not physically fit have the option to be ushered in wheel chairs, so these activities are pretty inclusive.

Winding Down
The next few days we could relax a bit, do some shopping and get souvenirs for people back home. Flying back through the city of Jeddah was unforgettable. We had to wait close to eight hours just to board the plane and airport officials did not feel any necessity to be concerned with the wellbeing of people , even ill or disabled passengers. But we did not allow this experience to spoil our beautiful journey. And truly, for me the journey to the Holy Land was unique - it was transformative, to the extent of which I can barely comprehend what is going on but the little I know of it is that it is close to soul-cleansing, Alhamdulillah.

TURKMENISTAN, LAND OF STARK BEAUTY AND HOPE

Before the Trip

I had a working stint in Turkmenistan for almost ten days. When I tell family members and friends about going there, I was shocked that so many never knew the country even exist. These were some of the responses…”Took Me What??? Where in the world is that? How do you spell it, I cannot find it on the Internet? What …stan again? Are you sure there’s such a place?”

I asked them to look it up on Wikipedia and other google sites. Turkmenistan, formerly part of USSR, is now one of the richest country in Eastern Europe in terms of natural resources. The country is bordered by four nations, Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Uzbekhistan.

Almost like Home

The best part of it is that Turkmenistan and Malaysia enjoy a special relationship. It is primarily through the relentless efforts of the two nations’ former premiers – Mahathir Muhammad and Turkmenistan’s former president. These two charismatic leaders shared similar aspirations and visions for the country and the people of their respective states. When you first see Ashgabat the capital city, you will find it a haunting replica of Putrajaya. Both are modeled on the illustrious Russian City of St Petersburg. The dome-shaped roof tops, austere white buildings, cobbled walking paths and even the street lights are almost exact copies. Well, that made us ( Irhan , Fathi & I) feel at home even though the sight of police personnel ala KGB agents from James Bond movies we encountered with, every 100 meters gave us some jitters.

Picturesque Backdrop

But elsewhere, the stark beauty of Turkmenistan made it memorable for me, like no other place I have visited before. I was particularly mesmerized by the snow- clad mountains viewed from the plane before we landed. The scenery was so beautiful, it took my breath away. I felt so blessed to be alive to see another one of God’s Masterpieces. I could imagine these magnificent mountains weaved with historical paths and tracks made by conquerors the likes of Genghiz Khan, Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun, Ivan the Terrible or was it the Horrible; if only these mass of rocks and terrains could speak, imagine the stories they would tell!

Even though I did not have the opportunity to visit museums and palaces which I would have loved to, I managed to look at pictures and art pieces depicting legends and folklore and speak to people who could spin a tale or two about them. One cannot help feel that this place must be rich with culture and history.

More than a Job

Our work took us to another town, Turkmenbashi which is an hour away by flight. This is Turkmenistan’s “Pot of Gold” . The small town is located close to the Caspian Sea and is bustling with activities which tap into the country’s Oil and Gas resources. This is the location of PETRONAS’ business hub and although the infrastructure is still in its infantile stage, and the whole area requires major development works, the place is brimming with potential. Even in the peak of winter where the frost and the wind blowing from the coldest part of the continent have the tendency to make you want to curl up in bed and cry your heart out for home, PETRONAS staff – local Turkmens or Malaysians are still looking bright. They go about their work with happy, contented faces as if the foul weather is no reason to be gloomy. I applaud them!

The food for me, was another story. I am not into meat and chicken, and the hotel does not provide fish or seafood for meals, so I survived only on bread, salad and eggs. Pretty good deal if the salad each day was varied and protein like nuts and legumes could have been included, but I had no such luck.

What Went Well

It was not that bad really. A PETRONAS staff from Kuala Lumpur with a heart the size of Asia and Europe put together invited us to his home for a sumptious lunch on our first Sunday. God bless him & his wonderful wife! Some friends took us out a couple of nights for some good food; once to a Floating Restaurant where I got to eat fish and the second time to a PETRONAS campsite. Eating at the campsite dining hall created a nostalgic effect. On the way to the hall, the tantalizing aroma of “mamak” curry beckoned us. On a cold winter night, having had no spicy food for more than ten days, that hit us like the voice of Lorelei to seafarers.

Anyway the trip was extremely meaningful for me. The people we encountered made it worthwhile. They were sweet and welcoming and were learners par excellence. They made us feel like we have contributed to their personal enhancement and managed to add value to their lives. That’s all my pals and I were hoping for anyway. That we have made the journey that far, not only to just do a job but to extend our services to people in the hope of making a difference in their lives and in the process learn more about life too.