The Hajj: Epilogue

The Hajj: Epilogue

By the time I got up the next day, I could not fathom that I had just done my Hajj. Hajj- one of the five pillars of Islam. I have just done that. So many people all over the world make it a dream, a life mission, to do the Hajj, while I have had it relatively easy. All these years I have seen Hajj on television, and read about in the papers, but now have finally lived through what I call the most intense and rewarding journey of my life.

Why do I say it’s intense? By intense, I don’t mean that it is hard physically, or tiring, but spiritually intense. Some people don’t feel spiritual at all, and are caught up in doing the ritualistic aspect of it. Personally speaking, being on Hajj was quite spiritual for me, because I realized that I was given an opportunity for absolution on the Day of Arafat. I was given a chance to re-new myself, and have my sins cleansed and be re-born like a sinless baby. I cannot think of anything else in a life of a Muslim for whom this day would mean the most. For me, being in Arafat, surrounded by millions of people, was the best part of Hajj.

I was surrounded by millions of people in the city, yet I felt like I was the only there praying to God. I felt God’s personal attention to me there. In the later afternoon, an eerie and haunting atmosphere develops, as men and women raise their hands and pray to God, many with weeping. This is exactly what judgment day will be like.

Another aspect of Hajj, which I really gained from, was the stoning of the devil. I have stoned the pillars about 49 times. Every time I feel I am being tempted today, I take myself back to the time when I stoned the devil, and remind myself of how I casted the stone, like Abraham did, to resist the devil. It’s a very powerful ritual, which has a deep meaning to it. With each stone thrown, I said out loud Allah-u-Akbar, God is Great.

I have just so many wonderful memories, but the sweetest one I will always carry with me will be of me being surrounded by the larger Muslim community, from all the different nations, speaking different languages, looking different from one another, and who were still part of one community. My heart would go out for the elderly man who would be walking back to his tent from Mina. My heart would be touched when I would see young kids praying and crying in Arafat. My heart would rejoice as I would see people helping one another out, guiding them to their right tents and buses. Most of all, my heart would be at peace knowing that I am here fro God only, to seek forgiveness and left with huge sense of satisfaction that, thanks be to God, I was able to fulfill a huge mission in my life.

If I can say one thing to those who have not done Hajj, let me re-assure you, make it a top priority in your life. To those who are still in the Kingdom, take the next opportunity to go, for who knows may happen later. I cannot stress how wonderful Hajj has been for me, so much so, I felt like reliving the whole experience all over again.

Hajj, without a doubt, is a very challenging task of a lifetime. Maybe it was because I am young, I was able to tolerate all the walking I had to do, but once you are there, you realize that it’s not your physical strength that’s required, but your love and devotion for Allah, and that is exactly what helps you get through the experience of Hajj in the most rewarding manner.

Mansur

The Hajj: Day Six (Last Day)

The Hajj
Day Six

(Mission of the day: Stone the three pillars; perform circumambulation in Makkah; Supplicate abundantly; Go back home to Jeddah)

I saw people leaving tents with their luggage, trolleys and blankets. They were hoping to stone the pillars and then go directly to Makkah, in order to avoid coming back to the tents to pick up their luggage. We had some people who left as early as 10am, others at 11am, while some left at 12 noon. The 10am group came back with a success. They were the first ones to be there. The 11am group came back with no success. They claim that the police had formed a human chain around the group of probably 100s of people, and slowly shifted them away from the Jamaraat. This group told us that there is a the potential for a stampede. God, I hope not. We postponed our departure. We decided to leave after the late afternoon prayer. The catch was that if you delay your stay till evening prayer, you have to spend another night, stone the next day and then leave.

Soon news started to trickle in, from people returning to our camp with no success. “There’s been a stampede!” “About 50 people have been killed!” “100 people have died!” “No! 150 people have been crushed in the stampede!” The numbers were increasing each time someone came back to the tent. It was a horrible feeling. Why did it have to happen on the last day, when thankfully enough, everything went to well the previous days?

My parents and I left later in the afternoon. We were having our luggage delivered directly to Jeddah so thankfully we did not have to carry anything. The number of people seemed incredibly high, more so than on previous days. It was so crowded we were not able to get up on the ramp, and risked going on the ground floor. I saw people entering and leaving from the same opening. There were big neon signs, and ticker tape bulletins, asking the pilgrims to Calm Down, Do Not Enter, One Way….but no one was paying attention to these notices. There were ambulances lined up. God, I hope we don’t see any bodies here. There were policemen, military men and navy men all there, trying to control the over-enthusiastic crowd. Soon, we were caught up in the madness. People literally kicked you, pushed and shoved you, so much so, my dad and I stood on either side of my mom protecting her. Why can’t these people be patient?

We still managed to get to stone the three pillars, but it was amidst constant pushing, shoving, shouting, hitting, and walking over shoes, bags, and garbage. The whole experience of it made me realize that these people needed to be more patient, and only then can everything work out safely. But who’s to listen?

We made our way out from the Jamaraat. There is one more thing left for us to do to complete our Hajj: to perform circumambulation around the Kabaa in Makkah, the Farewell Tawaaf as it is called.

I remember when we were walking down the road from Mina to Makkah, when we saw about three Indian men, lying down on the floor, covered in a cloth. They all had their left arm missing. Their faces expressed such sadness, and evoked sympathy from me. They were so crippled, I felt compelled to give them money. I gave some to the first one, then to the second one, when suddenly there was an ambulance coming from behind us. In an instant, these three men, jumped up from their position, quickly wrapped their cloth, hid the money and literally ran to the side, hiding from what they probably thought were the police. They blended in with the crowd. We were in shock. Such con men taking advantage of pilgrims. Soon, these men went back to the middle of the road, laid down their mat, and got into the same position, making sad faces and raising their right hands for money.

Is it lawful for such beggars to mint money from unsuspecting pilgrims? I think not. They will be answerable for their actions, for deceiving people. As we walked further down the open road, we saw several other Indian men, all with missing left arms, and came to the conclusion that a leader has got these men, chopped off their left arms, and now forces them into beggary. Sad state of affairs. As the moment came nearer and nearer for us to finish our Hajj, and re-emter the reality that is in the world, my heart longed to stay here for the rest of my life.

We finally made it to Makkah, performed the circumambulation, and walked between the two mounts Safa and Marwa seven times. We prayed our prayers, and made “duas,” and came to realize that we are done with Hajj. Where has the time gone? Is it already over? I just felt like as if I was leaving Jeddah for Mina yesterday. For the first time since I’ve come to Hajj, I wept silently.

I came home to Jeddah, went straight to bed without changing. I was totally exhausted. My sleep was catching up to me. I slept for 13 hours straight!

Hajj accomplished.

Mansur

The Hajj: Day Five

Hajj
Day Five

(Mission of the day: Stone the three pillars; perform circumambulation in Makkah)

Again, as we re-trace the steps of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), we are to spend three days and two nights in Mina. The one thing we had to do was collect seven pebbles again, and stone the pillars, this time all three of them. My mom also accompanied my dad and I this time.

The process of stoning the pillars sounds easier than actually being there in person. Many people would attempt to go after the noon prayer, but we decided to go later after the evening prayer. The walk towards the Jamaraat was through a tunnel. Hoards of groups of people would pass through this tunnel. Once we got into the tunnel, I got goose bumps, as huge groups of people were all walking in one direction, saying out loud in Arabic in unison: Here I am O Lord, Here I am in response to you O Lord. To witness 1000s of people walking together towards the Jamaraat definitely connected me to them.

Like yesterday, the process of stoning went fairly easily. No pushing, no shoving, and all three of us managed to do it right from the front. I wish some of the pilgrims would understand that Satan doesn’t live in the pillars; otherwise they would not be shouting curses at the pillars.

We also went to Makkah today to do the Tawaaf. Again, 1000s of people were doing the same thing like us. Getting into that small van to get to the mosque in Makkah was probably one of the more exciting bus ride. Zipping in and out of the back streets of the city Makkah, we saw places, which we never saw before. We were seeing the city like we never saw it before. It was just awesome.

On our way back, there were no transport to take us back to Mina. They had blocked the tunnel, because some VIP guests were coming. This was pathetic. So we started walking. We walked about seven or eight kilometers, and it was no joke, because my mom was with us too. However, the walk was not too bad. The plight of some of the pilgrims was worse. These were people who we called squatters. They were sleeping out in the open, on the bridge, under the bridge, sidewalks, pavements every place where they could find a place to sleep.

There were garbage dumps all over. The city was in a mess. Which only made us thankful of our tents. If we were tired walking, the situation around us made thankful that we are at least getting to a clean tent. If we thirsty, we were thankful that we would get water at our tent unlike the people here. If we were feeling hot, we were thankful that we have AC in our tent, unlike these people out here. My point being, that I was being taught a huge lesson here. Every time I am down and in a complaining mood, I just have to look at the reality around me, and realize that things are not so bad for me after all. It put my whole thinking in perspective.

One thing I love about spending a couple of days later here after Eid in Mina is the spirit of community. There is no better example of unity in diversity. One reason for Hajj is for the gathering of Muslims from all over the world, who would come together, to discuss their issues and look out and support one another.

I don’t think I am ready to leave tomorrow for Jeddah. I want to live in world that was given to me here in Mina, where people should be like as God has originally envisioned them to be: courteous, helpful, morally upright, supportive and so on. It is only when we leave this environment that we enter into a world where people can be anything from nasty to morally decadent.

Mansur

The Hajj: Day Four

Day Four
Muzdalifah to Mina
Eid today

(Mission of the day: Get to Mina from Muzdalifah, throw 7 pebbles at pillar (large one only), spend night in Mina)

I was rudely awoken up by a large group of people, who started talking noisily and packing up their stuff. It’s only 3am, and there still an hour and a half to go for the morning prayer. We are supposed to pray the prayer and then leave Muzdalifah. I was up now, and there were very slim chances of me getting to bed. The weather had become really cold though and I lay still for few more minutes. I could not wear a jacket, as all I had on was the two sheets of white unsewn cloths. Lying there, out in the open area, I could not tell if I was in 2006 or 1400 years ago. I felt a very strong connection to the people who were here 1400 years ago. What was it like in those days? Was the Hajj easier to perform or was it as challenging as it is today? I wonder how people were like back then? A loud honk from the black vip GMC brought me back to 2006.

In a way it was good I was up, because I managed to get to use the toilets rather quickly. I must say I was really glad I did not have to use the toilet from my behind. I was not in the mood to use my left hand to wipe my behind. I was very happy with releasing liquids only! I got tea and biscuits from the nearby coffee shop (of course, the prices were jacked up to make profits) and joined my parents who had now woken up. Soon, others were getting up, and we finally prayed the prayer and made a move back to our buses.

Watching the sin rise in the horizon reveled the entire scenario to me. I was very impressed with the people who chose to walk back to Mina. There were people who did not have the luxury to travel in cars or buses, and there were people for whom a special way was made for their vip treatment. I deeply appreciated the older men and women who walked back to their camps. Another three to four hours were spent on our ride back. I was mostly sleeping, but what little I was awake, I was in awe of watching everyone going back.

Today is Eid. We saw some slaughterhouses were mass sacrifices of sheeps and camels were being taken place. Since we were doing the Hajj Ifrad, we were not obligated to offer any sacrifice, but those who did the other two kinds of Hajj, were obligated to sacrifice a sheep or a camel. The sacrificial meat was then distributed to the poor people.

A major part of our mission today involved stoning the pillar. I read up on it and I was pleasantly surprised to know the history behind it. Jamaarat is the place where there are three pillars. These three pillars represent the three places where prophet Abraham was tempted by Satan to sacrifice his child. There is a small pillar, a medium pillar and a large pillar. We were only to stone the large pillar today.

My mom did not come with my dad and I, because the number of people there was incredible. Some men from our tent had done the stoning immediately, had their heads shaved and did their circumambulation in Makkah, which is required. Others, like us, chose to wait to go later in the afternoon to let the crowds die down. My father and I set afoot, and soon we were just two people in the midst of thousands and thousands of people walking towards the Jamaarat.

There are two levels from where we could stone the pillars. We went on the upper one, since the direction was one way, whereas on the ground floor the situation was such that people were entering and exiting from the same place. We passed the small pillar, and then the medium pillar, and finally arrived to the large pillar. Thankfully the crowd had died down and my father and I stood right at the front. I took out the seven pebbles I had collected for myself, and for my dad. With a pebble in my hand, I lunged it forward. With is I said, “Allah—akbar” (God is Great). I did this each time I threw the pebble. I saw people throwing their shoes, and one even threw his umbrella. People fail to understand that Satan does not live in this pillar, but that stoning the pillar is a very symbolic act. It is an act that we perform to symbolize our resistance to Satan’s temptations in our lives.

After the stoning, my father and I got the opportunity to go to Makkah from Mina to our friend’s house. We can take off our ihram today. Somehow I wanted to keep it on. I liked it so much; I wanted to wear it for longer. I was beginning to miss it already. When we got to Makkah, my dad and I had our hair cut from each side. A quick shower later, we were back in our normal clothes.

Coming back to our camp in Mina, many people had had their heads shaved. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that he prays once for those who cut their hair, and thrice for those who shave their heads, so naturally many shaved their heads. Even that cute kid had shaved his head. Our friends were also back in the camp, and we talked with them for a while over dinner. By 11pm or so, we were dead-tired and went to sleep.

I was beginning to feel so much at home. The simplicity I seek in life, I found it right here. I did not want to leave Mina. I was hoping that time would pass by extremely slow so I can make the most of my time here. I wanted to stay put and be here, because I felt connected to God.

Mansur

The Hajj: Day Three

Day Three

(Mission for the day: Pray morning prayer in Mina; go to Arafat, pray and supplicate, leave before evening prayer; go to Muzdalifah, spend the night, collect 7 pebbles)

We prayed the morning prayer, and the imam again gave a small lecture, and I stayed awake, reading my book of supplications. I ate breakfast today. We got cornflakes, milk, sugar, bread and Kiri cheese. What? No butter? Oh well, I will have to make do with cheese. That kid is finally awake. Thank God, otherwise I would have definitely poked him to see if he was alive!

Today we are going to Arafat, where historically speaking, the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave his final speech to his followers. Immediately after breakfast, as soon as the first signs of sunlight began to show in the horizon, people from our tent started picking up their belongings and walking downhill to where or bus would pick us up. I realized that there were more people today than yesterday. The Arabs had descended on the other side of our compound, and they were going to share the same bathrooms with us!

My parents and I picked up our sleeping bags, blankets and our personal belongings, and walked down to our meeting place. It was pure exhilaration to see large groups of people walking towards their buses. There was a mass exodus of people from Mina to Arafat. It was extremely crucial to get to Arafat today, because The Prophet (pbuh) said: The Hajj is Arafat.

The traffic jam tested our patience. For a distance that only a few kilometers, it took us four hours to cover that distance. It’s understandable because there are millions of people trying to get to the same spot. I tell you, this was probably one of the best road journeys. No other road journey has exposed me to such an incredible number of people from all over the world, dressed in same clothes, sitting inside and on top of buses. People from Kenya, Turkey, Philippines, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Egyptians, Saudis, Europeans, Bosnians, Malaysians and countless others. Stuck in a traffic jam in our huge bus on a road that’s only four lanes wide was one of the most enjoyable experiences. I remember one pick up truck in the middle, which was occupied by three adults and two kids, who were throwing bottles of waters to all the pilgrims. To see bottles of water flying across roads, being caught with absolute glee by pilgrims sitting on top of their buses was definitely a Kodak moment. Of course, some bottles were missed which would crash on the bus and split open, showering the people with water! The immense joy of these pilgrims was infectious, and I could not help but smile and wave at them with a friendly gesture and be amazed at the wonderful creations of God.

Four hours later, we were finally in our tent in Arafat. There is a small mountain not far from here, often dubbed as Mountain of Mercy, where people were jam-packed. In our tent, we prayed our prayers and then were served lunch, which again was not spectacular. After lunch, a few men went to sleep, while I got out my book of prayers and read my supplications, over and over. About a hour into supplicating, I went outside of the tent and stood there, facing the Qibla. I raised my hands, and for about a little over an hour, I prayed for every single person I know. This is where my email to all my friends asking for any prayer requests came in handy. I prayed for my parents, my family, my friends, my relatives, and for the Muslim world in general. It was important for me to stand and pray because that is part of what praying is about in Arafat. I don’t think I could recall a moment before in my life where I could say I felt closest to God than this moment of standing here, looking skywards, asking sincerely for forgiveness. God tells us that the day in Arafat is a day when “Allah frees as many of his servants from the Fire.” This is the day when “Allah boasts to the angels about the people” who have come to Arafat, and says to the angels, “what do they want?” And all we ask for is His favor and Forgiveness.

Our imam led us into a collective prayer, where he eventually started weeping, and then later lost his voice, which made his “dua” undecipherable. I think his crying led some of the men to cry as well. It was a chain reaction of sorts. The people closest to him started weeping, and then the middle group started to weep and finally the ones at the end started to weep. I was trying so hard to understand what he was saying in between his he sobs, I could not make out. I think I was the only person in the tent who was not crying (although I had wept a little when I was standing earlier and supplicating). I asked my dad if we was able to understand the imam, and he said no too. So I wonder, why were the people crying? Were they really genuinely crying, or was it because a our imam, our leader, was crying that led the other to cry too. Well, whatever it was, there was a lot of crying, and then as soon as the “dua” was over, all the crying stopped in an instant, and people were roaming about looking for tea and company.

Evening had come, and the next part of the mission is to go to Muzdalifah. Again, a distance of only a few kilometers, took about four hours to cover. Again a mass exodus of people from Arafat to Muzdalifah was taking place. The buses, people, cars, trucks, carts, every one and everything were on its way out of Arafat. I get goose bumps, even as I write this now, when I was going on the same road as the millions of other people. I just get this realization that I am part of a bigger group, a bigger community that I belong to.

It was quite cold when we finally reached in Muzdalifah. Here, as we re-traced the steps of our Prophet (pbuh), we have to spend a night out in the open. We laid down our sleeping bags and lied down. My parents went to sleep rather quickly. Our friends from the UK also chose to be next to us (tolerating more British accent!) I went up to a small mountain that was close by to collect 7 pebbles each for myself, and my parents. Pilgrims in white ihram were climbing all the hills in this area, and from a distance it looked like as if it had snowed on the mountains.

Finding a secluded spot, I stayed on top of the hill for quite a while, contemplating on who I am, and what my purpose in life is. Why am I here on Hajj? What is the meaning of my life? What does it mean to be a Muslim?

Mansur