It is almost like a dream. I have physically and financially prepared for the life most important journey but spiritually, I left it for Allah to decide.
It is very true, Hajj journey and experience is not what you pay for but what Allah wants to give you. I had the most exhilirating experience in the whole 46 days. Actually my strength was tested a few weeks before that and thanks to Allah, I managed to face all that has happened. In Makkah, I was against tested and I only had Allah to seek assistance. Allah has helped me, yet again... Thank you Allah...
46 days went by very quickly. I shall give ba quick and brief recount.
17/9/2012 - 7am - Hubby and I pushed off from home after performing our Subuh prayer together with Mak, Haakem and Mak Yah. It was an emotional goodbye with us hugging the girls and Haakem reciting the azan in such sweet clear voice. My eldest sister (Bu), Mak and Haakem sent us off. After dropping us and our 4 bags, we hugged them and they left. It was already 8.00am when Hubby got us our stickers and sling bags. At around 8.30am, we were called to check in. If only the jemaah haji (JH)'s relatives did not clogged the entrance, the procedure would have been smooth. After we got in the building, everything else went well. Checking in, weighing of bags, security checks, briefing, getting on the bus and finally leaving for KLIA with police riders in front of the buses, arriving at KLIA, final security/passport checks, getting into the plane, settling and taking off. After long naps, Happy Feet 2, 2 meals and no visit to the loo, we landed in Madinah Airport at around 4.30pm local time. We performed our Zuhr and Asr prayers at the arrival hall while waiting for our luggage and immigration/custom procedures. It took more than 2 hours.
8 days in Madinah - we arrived at Anwar Movenpick and settled in our rooms (mine 8101 and Hubby's 8100) around 9.00pm. I chatted with my roomies, 3 of them. Mila a 39 year old teacher, married with 2 kids aged 2 and 1 (both her and her husband set with Hubby in the flight), Kak Awie a 43 year old house-wife, married with 3 kids aged 16, 14 & 11, Achik Rosemy a 63 year old house-wife, married with 3 kids. All their husbands were my Hubby's roomies next door to ours. After changing into fresh clothes and prayer clothes, I told my roomies that I was going to the Masjid Nabawi for Maghrib & Isya' prayers whereas they decided to do their in the room. I have been longing to be in the Masjid and after walking around it with Hubby, I entered through Ali Gate. Performed my tahiyatul masjid, Maghrib, Isya' and a few solat sunat.
I wanted to enter Raudhah but the closing time was near and I decided to postpone it the next day. I went back to my room, knackered but satisfied.
The rest of the 8 days went by filled with us performing our obligatory solats in the Masjid (except for the Friday). I visited Raudhah 6 times, alhamdulillah, and did my Ziarah Wada' the night before we left. Hubby had some issues with me on the second day but we resolved it as I did not want to prolong stupid arguments. We joined TH's Ziarah Dalam (internal visits including Baqi' graveyard, which we only see from outside) and Ziarah Luar (external visits around Madinah which are to Masjid Quba', Dates Farm, Uhud, 7 Masjids and Masjid Qiblatain). Hubby went to the Dates Market to purchase the Ajwa dates and a few other dried fruits. We posted them all off together with some abayas for the girls and jubahs for the boys and also sent off 20 litres of Zam Zam water.
We left Madinah for Makkah on the ninth day (26th September 2012) pushing off at around 8.30am, stopping at Bir Ali as our Miqat for Umrah's niat. I didn't get off the bus. We later made another stop for lunch and Zuhr prayer. I wasn't hungry so we only ate our dates and fried meehoon we bought in Madinah. We arrived in Makkah around 4pm (our journey was fast and smooth and we learnt that one of the buses in the convoy had its tyre burst and another one broke down) and was told to settle down, perform our Asr, Maghrib & Isya solats in our roms before gathering at the lobby for briefing of our first (obligatory) umrah, at 8.30pm. Mila, Awie, Achik and I remain roomies and we were joined by 4 others - Kak Mas, a 48 year old KL primary school teacher, Kak Zalamah, a 51 year old housewife (who I later found out is a distant relative on my late father's side and we became sisters in no time), Sharifah Zalina, a 43 year old American graduate banker and Mami Mumtaz, a 65 year old widow who came for the second time, accompanied by her 43 year old brother.
30 days of my stay in Room 1233, Abraj Janadriyah (Tabung Haji HQ) Building was very memorable. I only perform the Umrah 4 times and performed more Tawaf Sunat. I made the routine of only going for Subuh (Fajr), Maghrib & Isya' solats, to avoid the scorching sun during Zuhr and Asr periods. I wanted to be strong and healthy for the main ibadah, the Wukuf in Arafah, scheduled on the 9th Zulhijjah (25th October), the Mabit (overnight) in Muzdalifah, the Mabit and throwing of pebbles in Mina and the Hajj Tawaf, all until the 12th Zulhijjah. Those 4 crucial days must be prepared for.
I had coughs and stuffy nose, twice but manageable. The TH clinic was 5 doors away from my room so I made full use of it.
Hubby and I were tested but by Allah's grace, we got through.... Alhamdulillah, Subhanallah....
And who helped me in my journey... but only ALLAH!!
Allah also answered my prayers to help people especially the elderlies....
Wukuf was spiritually meaningful. The supplication read by the Imaam brought constant tears to my eyes. Ya Allah, please accept my Hajj and please bless my journey in life, my children's, my family members', my sahabats....
Hubby was unwell but he got through Wukuf and Mabit at Muzdalifah well.
We managed to perform the Hajj Tawaf and Saei on nthe 10th Zulhijjah itself after a 2 hour walk back to Makkah from Mina. Despite Hubby not feeling to well, we left for Makkah after throwing of the Great Jamrah at Fajr, (we were done with First Tahlul, lifting all the prohibited things during Ihraam except those related to sexual actions and marriage), arriving at the Hotel around 10am. After resting and cleaning ourselves, around 2pm, we marched through the thousands of pilgrims, mostly those of Hanafi and Maliki schools of thoughts. The Masjidil Haraam was jam packed with people and the streets were filled with rubbish!!
We entered through the first floor's Safa Gate and Alhamdulillah for that because all the gates on the ground floor were closed to entrance. We started our Tawaf and stopped at our 4th round for Asr prayer which we performed on the Kaabah floor itself. We finished our Tawaf at 4.30pm and proceeded with Saei, which we finished a few minutes before the Maghrib Azan. Hubby was really exhausted and we walked slowly back to the almost empty hotel, sans the cleaners, hotel workers and a few Malaysian pilgrims who also travelled to Makkah to complete Second Tahlul. We had some instant noodles and lots of tea. After resting while waiting for our roomies (Kak Zalamah and her husband) back from the Haraam, Hubby continued sleeping having swallowed some paracetamol and I did the laundry.
We pushed off to Mina after Isya' prayer halfway by illegal taxi and halfway on foot back to our tents.
Two consecutive days throwing pebbels at the three Jamrahs, after which we pushed off back to Makkah together with out group members who were instructed to do Nafar Awal (not throwing pebbels on the 13th Zulhijjah and leave Mina before sun down). We arrived at the hotel amidst the unbelievable traffic jam (it wa definitely faster to go on foot!!), around 4.30pm. All my roomies didn't go to Haraam and we spend the night at the hotel, mainly sleeping.
We received sms from our local telco, advising against going to Haraam until 14th Zulhijjah. Since I had already did my Tawaf and Saei, I wasn't worried and was only preparing for my farewell Tawaf before leaving for Jeddah en route Kuala Lumpur.
Hubby and I went for our last shopping spree on 30th October. On 31st (15th Zulhijjah), after Asr prayer, we went to Haraam to perform our Tawaf Wida'. The crowd in Haraam was actually worse than that on 10th Zulhijjah. This time the crowd was mainly from East Asian countries since most of the Arabs, Europeans and Africans have left after 12th Zulhijjah. We did our circumambulations on the Kaabah floor, stopped for Maghrib prayer and contionued our last round in tears, upon tears.... let this not be our last time performing the tawaf.....
After completing our last solat sunnat Tawaf, we left for the hotel, to get ready to leave the holy land. The buses arrived around 8pm and the journey to Jeddah was uneventful. We arrived at our hostel around 11pm. The next day, we queued to have our luggage weighed and checked in. In the afternoon, we pushed off to Jeddah King Abdul Aziz International Airport. Checking in took a very long time but I wasn't complaining. This is the last lap of my spiritual journey. I was enjoying the very last hours I had with my fellow pilgrims especially my roomates and neighbours.
The plane was one hour delayed and we slept almost all the way, arriving in KLIA at around 11.00pm. After we picked our luggage and zam zam water, we were hugging our new sisters and brothers respectively.
As we come out of the arrival hall, who did we see coming to greet us in the car but my Mak, eldest sister and my three beautiful babies!! Alhamdulillah.....
