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.