Hajj Reflection #32: Hajj is wukuf in Arafah!

Who can forget the sight of the tents in Arafah? From the outside, the white spread of tents with small pyramid peaks filled the plains. All the tents looked identical, hence the reminder from our guides to not go wandering lest getting lost. In the inside of the small pyramids, I was surprised to discover that they were lined with warm orange-printed cloth, which reminded me of my sister's patch quilts.
 

We arrived Arafah at midnight, on the night of 9th Dzulhijjah. As we were the last group of Malaysians to arrive the whole of Arafah, space was limited, and we were informed that TH was setting up another tent for us, the group of 203 pilgrims(affectionately known as 'Geng 203'). Meanwhile, we had to make do by squeezing into one tent filled with a sea of sleeping pilgrims. Yes, it reminded me of sardines in a tin! I was afraid I'd step on someone. Some of them shuffled to the side to make room for us.

It struck me then, how 'real' the acts and rituals of Hajj were. This was what Hajj was about - Would you pass the test of persevering the slight discomfort and share what limited space you have with people around you? Are you willing to 'rough it out'? Allahu akbar, it was an indescribable sensation. It was nothing like I had imagined or seen in pictures. Different but nothing unbearable or even negative. I counted my blessings, and in actual fact, was still absorbing the whole idea of already being in Arafah!

I found a spot near one of the opening slits (door), thus slipping in and out of the tent was eased. I marveled at the thick carpets that gave us adequate padding when resting, and served as proper lining against the sand and pebbles of the desert. I remember being awed at this simple, yet 'luxurious' arrangement, definitely absent during the days of our Prophet and sahabah.

These tents gave us shelter before the actual wukuf. We rested in the tents and we ate in the tents. In fact, we were tested when we had a shortage of food during lunch. How did people react when they were hungry and positioned in such cramped areas? Subhanallah, some pilgrims pulled out bread from their bags, while others shared their packets of chicken or beef floss to be eaten together. Alhamdulillah, no one starved.

This was the adventure of our life time. To be in the tents among the millions, and submit ourselves to the Almighty! O Allah, bring me back to the tents of Arafah!

Hajj Reflection #29: The act of true appreciation.

As year by year goes by, I suddenly remember how it was: the anticipation, the hopes, the promises, the faith... When everything had seemed impossible, He showed His grace and power. He opened closed doors and let us sail through.

Who would have thought anyone would be permitted to go on pilgrimage, after even the Agong had left, normally on the last flight? Who would have imagined Saudi would allow another flight of pilgrims to come in, when all the gates had clearly been closed? It was all beyond the human law but Allah permitted it, so be it!

I am humbled to be among those He gave mercy to, and to be closer to Him. Alhamdulillah... Praises to the Almighty.

Yet, I ponder, to what extent have I shown my appreciation to Him? Have I grabbed the second chance (umpteenth really..) given to me?

Let the ibadah of hajj absorb into every cell in our bodies, so that we become better servants to Him.

Hajj Reflection #28: Increasing supplication to ensure a place for Hajj

This time in 2012, I was among the hundreds who were in great suspense: will I get His invitation or not? 10 months prior to the months of Hajj, I had doubled and tripled my supplications, submitting my total self to Him; seeking His mercy and consideration to be chosen as a pilgrim for the year so that I could be closer to Him.

And of course, He listens... Alhamdulillah

To those who have not yet performed their hajj, focus on 3 specific actions/ibadah you are to commit to. Mine were:
1) Increase my solat taubah
2) Increase my sadaqah
3) Increase my fasts

Verily, which of the Blessings of your Lord will you deny?

Hajj Reflection #8: Supplications

Be prepared with your supplications. I am a conservative, this I shall not deny. Perhaps it roots from my upbringing and educational background. Thus during my hajj, I religiously followed the suggested supplications from the Hajj & Umrah guide book whereby specific supplications were read at different points of time, such as during each round of circumambulation (tawaf).

I appreciated this practice and strongly feel that it goes deeper than repeated zikr, "Allah, Allah", "SubhanAllah" or reading different surahs from juzuk 'Amma. Why? Because the suggested supplications are so detailed and will not compare to my own self-designed ones. Some are just spot on; the exact words you were looking for. For instance: "O Lord, make me one who is always appreciative of what you have bestowed unto me, please bless what you have awarded to me and replace what I have lost with something better from You."

SubhanAllah... Reading prepared scripts made my tears flow 90% of the time. I read the Arabic version, followed by the translations in BM. It didn't make me lose focus at all.  Everyone has their own preferences but I totally recommend this practice!