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This is a special series of Blogs which describes my time and experiences during Hajj this year.
Part 34
DAY 35 – 24 August 2019 – 23 Zilhajj 1440
Aziziya – Haram Shareef
It is a common observation that we live our life in compartments. And we do it so expertly that one compartment does not mix up with the other.
One compartment is for religion; one is for the worldly matters; one is for home matters; one is for out-of-home matters; one is for near ones; one is for those considered no ones; one is for using power; one is for bowing to power; and so on.
When we are in the compartment of religion, we are apparently at the height of devotion. Our talk, our gestures reflect our devotion. We are all InShaAllah, MashaAllah, Alhamdulillah, and JazakAllah. Next moment, we come out of the religion compartment and open Facebook while sitting in Haram Shareef. Or we call someone and engage in a long useless talk on Imo. By the way, everyone during Hajj asked the same question; have you installed Imo? I said no. Then they tried to tell me the virtues of Imo. I said thanks but no.
it is common scene that a person would be literally drowned in his mobile for long. He would then come up and raise the slogan of Allah o Akbar in loud voice, as if he had just returned from a holy campaign. Shall we say Astaghfirullah?
Somehow it appears that the apparently visible devotion is only tongue-tipped and skin-deep. Of course, everyone has a unique, personal connection with Allah.
‘Allah is Samad’ reveals itself here more than anywhere else. He is All Listening, and All Seeing but he ignores lots of our follies. Nothing can escape Him, but he simply declines to acknowledge. This is Allah, the Almighty, the All Merciful, and beyond and above everything we can imagine.
Part 35
DAY 36 – 25 August 2019 – 24 Zilhajj 1440
Aziziya – Haram Shareef
Hajis have started returning already. Several batches have departed. All departing Hajis have to do Tawaf e Widaa before leaving Makkah Mukarramah, even if they were going to Madinah Munawarah. Because they will not return to Haram Shareef.
Tawaf e Widaa is to seek Allah’s permission to leave. And it should be the last Tawaf that is done.
There are many ways people are seen doing Tawaf e Widaa.
Some are extremely sad to leave this Blessed Place, and Allah’s Blessings which are abundant here. Their Tawaf e Widaa is filled with grief, tears and uncontrolled crying. This departure marks an indefinite separation. Don’t know if they will ever come back; don’t know if they will get the permission to come again; don’t know if they will live more or not. These are the thoughts and fears.
My Tawaf e Widaa is several days away. But when I think about it, my heart sinks. Don’t know what will happen on that day.
During these last days, there is a surge in doing more Umrahs. Some people from our building are doing an Umrah every day.
A tour operator has put up a poster on the building wall that tour is available for tour to Makkah ziarat sights. The tour will take you to Taif, Cave of Hira, Cave of Thaur, and then pass by the Meeqat of Ja’errana. This is the Meeqat for pilgrims coming from Taif. You would change to Ihram there, come back to building and then go to Haram Shareef for Umrah.
Taif is 100km from Makkah. It is green and fertile. We hear there are many fruit orchards there. At the time of our Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him), the rich of Makkah owned orchards in Taif. In one such orchard, probably owned by Abu Jahal, our Holy Prophet sat down to get some relief after getting wounded by the Taif people. I have never been to Taif and shall never go there, for understandable reasons.
Surah Zukhruf; verse 31. “And they said why this Qur’an was not sent down upon a great man from [one of] the two cities?” refers to the objection of non-believers and the two cities refer to Makkah and Taif. This was the level of their snobbery.
The nearest Meeqat from Makkah Mukarramah is the place called Tan’eem. Here Masjid Ayesha is located. Makkah residents and people staying in Makkah Mukarramah go to Tan’eem for changing into Ihram. Tan’eem is 7-8 km from Haram Shareef. You can go by taxi or vans.
Some people have reservations about the Meeqat of Tan’eem. They say this Meeqat was allowed by the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) to Hazrat Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her). Therefore, this is probably meant for women; not men. Allah knows the best.
