Al misfalah was about half an hour walking to al-Haram. A bit far compared to the usual place that people stay when they went for haj. I think it was a last minute arrangement and we were considered lucky to get one. We walked pass shophouses and a funfair ground with the big wheel and all..they do have this sort of thing in Makkah ? I puzzled. I guessed it shows the needs of human nature no matter where the place is. We went into a tunnel and came out at the other end near one of the many entrances to Baitul Haram. The place was buzzing with people as the would-be hujjaj have started to converge in Makkah. We arrived on Sunday and the Day of Wukuf would be next Monday; so it was about one week into the haj days. The mosque was calm but busy with people. I went straight to see the Kaabah as others were doing sunat prayers. The moment I laid my eyes on it, I was stunned and awed ….macam nak pecah dada nih (as I described to my father through a phone call later that day). You just can’t really describe the feeling. Perhaps those who have been there could really feel the serenity that touches the heart. For all the places we’ve been all over the world, nothing compared to this visit. It’s really one trip everyone should be thinking of. Not only as part of our religious obligation but to experience the whole purpose of life. A few minutes later we started the tawaf. It seemed crowded with people but alhamduliLlah there was always a space. And that was something strange to me because people seem to be every where but within that crowd there is a space for you. I guess when your intention is straight and sincere, Allah will make ways for you. I really believe in that. We finished the umrah nearly fajr so we decided to stay for Fajr prayer. A few people from the group went missing so we had to wait until everbody showed up. The time was 6 am.
The group with Pakcik Abdul Rahman (our host in Makkah)I wondered that the shops kinda open all the time, only to stop selling briefly during the prayers. All the way back we could see all sort of things to buy. Hmmmm so rambang mata. Our money was in pounds so felt a bit gatal tangan because it was 6 riyals to a pound. Had to calm myself down a bit and reminded the true reason for being here. We reached the madrasah about an hour later . Got lost. Al misfalah was a bit like kawasan setinggan in KL; where the pathway was an intricated maze of alleys in between the houses. The area was on a hill slope where the madrasah was located at the upper hill. It reminded me of a seerah when it described the life in Makkah. You could really feel the environment from the seerah ar-Rasul and stories of sahabah. Finally we found the place and sat for breakfast. Breakfast was shai (tea) and that big rounded bread we bought on the way back. Since the Day of Wukuf (start of haj ) is one more week, what did we do in the mean time ?…….find out next !
Next : Hari-hari Menanti
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