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My Umrah Trip (30/7/08 - 10/8/08) |
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To perform the Haj (pilgrimage) is one of the five (5) pillars of
Islam and must be performed by a Muslim if he is fully
capable, in terms of health and financial capability. Verse 196 of
Surah Al-Baqarah of the Al-Quran states "Perform
the pilgrimage (Haj) and the visit (Umrah) for Allah."
Thus, performing the Haj is not only a must, but
performing the Umrah is also a must (wajib)
for a Muslim. However, the Umrah can also be performed
during the Haj or separately. I don't have
the chance yet to perform the Haj because the number of applicants to
perform the Haj each year always exceeds the quota allowed
for Malaysia and one has to register early to ensure a place. So my wife and I decided to perform the "Small Haj" (Umrah)
first and wait until we are offered a place to
perform the Haj in the future, insyaAllah. |
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After some enquiries, we decided to go to
a travel agency recommended by my friend, Dr.Halim Abd Rahman to
purchase a complete Umrah package for about RM5,500.00 each, which included
flight to and from Jeddah with Saudi Arabian Airlines,
accommodation in a hotel room for 2 persons, food,
transportation and visits to
historical places. We had to add in RM300.00 due to the recent
increase in the price of oil. Otherwise, the package would have
cost RM5,200.00 each. |
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Journey To Medinah |
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We left KLIA at 2.55 pm (Malaysian time)
on Wednesday, 30th July 2008 and reached Jeddah at about
6.30 pm (Saudi Arabia's time). There were 42 of us in
the group. Our first "challenge" happened when a group
of airport porters claimed to represent our travel
agency and offered to fetch and carry our luggage from
the airport to the bus waiting outside. Observing that
something was not right, one of us phoned the local
representative to confirm whether he had arranged for
the airport porters to handle our luggage. He said there
was no such arrangement and advised us to get our own
luggage ourselves. |
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At KLIA whilst waiting for luggage to be checked-in |
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Everyone in the group therefore
immediately arranged to retrieve his/her own luggage from the
.porters. We were told earlier by the travel agency that we had
to pay 30 Rial for each luggage if we wish to employ the service
of the airport porter |
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Our second "challenge" came when we were met by someone who
claimed to be representing our travel agency at the
airport, and later by two (2) tour guides (muzawwir) at the bus,
who claimed to represent our travel agency. They did not wear
our travel agency's name tag and things were not made better
when they insisted on collecting our passports for
"safe-keeping". After going through the porter
experience at the airport, we were somewhat doubtful whether we
had the right tour guides. After some deliberations and
discussions amongst ourselves we
finally surrendered our
passports to them. It turned out later that they were genuine
representatives of the travel agency, Alhamdulillah.....
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The journey from Jeddah to Medinah by an air-condtioned
bus took about 5 hours. We stopped halfway to have
dinner and perform the jama'
takhir (combining maghrib's solat in ishaq's). The dinner was
typically Arabic, where five of us shared one big plate
consisting of what looked like fried rice, chicken, fish and vegetables. It was quite
delicious. Maybe, it was because we were very hungry then :-).We arrived at our hotel in Medinah at about 2.00 am (Saudi
Arabia's time) and after
getting our room keys, we went to our respective rooms to get a
"proper" sleep. Not knowing where Masjid Nabawi was and not
wanting to risk getting lost in a new place, we did not venture
to look for the mosque to perform our Suboh prayer the next
morning. Instead, the two of us solat berjemaah in our own hotel room.
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In front of the
al-Fayroz Hotel in Medina where we stayed |
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Visits to Historical Places
After breakfast, we were taken for a tour of Mesjid Nabawi.
History has it that when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) first arrived
at Medinah when he hijrah from Mecca together with his loyal
and reliable companion, Abu Bakar As Siddiq, the Prophet PBUH
released his camel to allow it to go wherever it wished to go.
The camel made it's own way and stopped at a piece of land upon
which now stands the Masjid Nabawi and where the Prophet (PBUH)
built his own house. Masjid Nabawi is the second most important
masjid, after the Masjidil Haram.
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Masjid Nabawi is
considered the 2nd most important masjid in Islam. It is
where the tomb of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is located. |
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We toured around the outside of the grand mosque and after
some briefings about the mosque, our guide allowed us to venture into the mosque to visit
the tombs (makam) of the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions, Abu Bakar As-Sidiq and Omar Al-Khatab. The
tombs were enclosed in walls and therefore inaccessible to
everyone, except the mosque authorities. I offered my salaams to the Prophet (PBUH) and performed solat sunat there. The rest of the day was used up by
commuting between the mosque (for prayers) and the hotel (for
our meals). |
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Salmiah standing
infront of Masjid Nabawi for a quick photo on the way to
perform solat maghrib |
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The next morning, our guide took us for a tour ( menziarahi)
of a few historical sites. We first stopped at Mount Uhud, the place
where the Muslims battled with the Non-Believers (Kafirs) of Mekah.
At first the Muslims won the battle, but later lost it
because the Muslim archers, who were not supposed to
leave their position on the hill, abandoned their
position to join in the rush for the spoils of war.
They went against the instruction of the Prophet (PBUH).
The enemy took advantage of this situation to gather and launch
a counter attack on the Muslims. Hamzah Abdul Mutalib, known as the "Lion of Islam" and
also uncle of the Prophet (PBUH) was also killed in this battle.
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Behind Salmiah
is Jabal Rumah, where the Prophet (PBUH) placed his
archers during the Uhud War |
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After the visit, we went to visit Masjid Quba', which was the first
mosque that was built by the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions when he first arrived in Medinah
at the early stage of the "hijrah". Then we went to visit Masjid
Qiblatain, the mosque that
has two directions of prayer. Before Allah SWT instructs the
Prophet (PBUH) to face the Kaabah in his prayer, the
Prophet had been facing the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Palestine when he
performed his prayer in the mosque. After he was instructed to
face the Kaabah when praying, he then changed his direction to face Kaabah in the same mosque.
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Side
View of Masjid Quba' |
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Bird's
Eye View of Masjid Quba' |
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Masjid Qiblatain
- the two-Qiblat Mosque |
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Since it was a Friday, we missed visiting another historical
site, which was the Masjid Al-Fath. The guide explained to us
that during the Ahzab War, where a trench was built around
Medinah as a military strategy, the Prophet (PBUH) prayed for three consecutive days in
this mosque, asking for help from Allah SWT to win the war.
Consequently, a strong and cold sand storm that hit the camps of
the enemies that night scared them so much that they scattered
away and returned to their home leaving Medinah alone.The bus
then proceeded towards the place where fresh
dates (buah kurma) were sold. There were many
varieties of dates being sold. Among others, we
bought the "kurma Nabi", which was the Prophet's
(PBUH) favourite during his time. It was sold to
us at RM60 per Kg.
After that the bus brought us back to our hotel
for us to prepare for the Friday prayer at the
Nabawi Mosque. In Saudi Arabia, they allocate a
space in the mosque to allow the women to
participate in the Friday prayer too. |
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Having tea at the
kurma plantation |
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My Third Challenge
After the Friday prayer came my third challenge- my pair of
slippers were not to be seen where I had placed them before
entering the mosque. The urge to take another pair of slippers
that belonged to someone else was indeed very tempting at that
time, but I decided against it, preferring to walk back
barefooted to meet my wife at an agreed place and to buy a new
pair of slippers after that. Little did I realize or rather, how
foolish I was to under-estimate the temperature of the ground.
After taking a few steps with my bare feet, I realized that I
couldn't take it - it was too hot! I had to hurriedly
walk back to the coolness of the mosque and called my wife over
the hand phone requesting her to buy for me a new pair of
slippers and to deliver the slippers to me at the mosque.
The Weather Talking about the weather in Medinah, it was really hotter
than the hottest days in Malaysia that I had experienced. I had to literally cover my
face and eyes against the rays of the sun. No wonder the Arab
women cover their faces. It's not because it's customary to do
so, but it's the practical thing to do there. No wonder the Arab
men wear the "turban" wrapped around their heads. It's to be
used to cover their faces too. When I first read the story about
how Bilal was tortured by his Master to give up embracing Islam;
at that time he was forced to lie down naked on the ground and was
weighed down with a boulder for the whole day without food or
drinks. I was comparing the situation with the sun in Malaysia
and therefore couldn't appreciate the burning pain that Bilal
had to go through. After standing under the sun in Medinah and
experiencing its effects, only then did I began to appreciate
the hell that Bilal had to go through when he was subjected to
that kind of torture. |
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Shopping in Medinah When you are shopping in
Medinah, especially buying from the street peddlers, always
carry small change with you. My wife and I almost had a bad
experience with a street peddler. After bargaining for a piece
of clothing for 18 Rial, my wife handed to her a 200-Riyal note.
The peddler gave back 30-Rial as the change, whereas it should
be 182 Rials. It was quite tough to get back the total correct
change from the peddler as she returned the correct change bit
by bit and only after much persistence from us. The peddler most
likely deliberately did that because from her previous
experience, Malaysian shoppers probably did not check their
change after paying for the items that they had purchased :-). I
also had the same experience later on in Mekah, where the peddler gave me
a 30-Rial change for a 10-Rial item that I paid using a 50-Rial
note. Only after much persistence did I get back the other 10
Rial. On another occasion in Mecca I bought a box of
grapes for 10 Rial. After paying for the grapes, I was left
waiting for some time and the peddler only entertained the other
customers. Finally, I picked up a box of grapes and literally
shove it to him; only then did I manage to get his attention to
hand to me the item that I already paid for in advance. Or maybe
that was the right thing to do when doing shopping there? :-) |
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Journey to Mecca |
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On Saturday, 2nd of August 2008, we prepared ourselves to
leave Medinah to perform the Umrah in Mecca. We bid farewell to
the Prophet after the Solat Suboh (ziarah wada') and preyed
to Allah SWT that we be given the opportunity to visit
Masjid Nabawi and the Prophet's (PBUH) "makam" again in the
near future. After breakfast, we "Mandi Sunat Ihram"
(optional ihram shower/bath). I wore the Ihram cloths before
performing the Solat Sunat Ihram (optional Ihram prayer). My
Ihram cloths consisted of two white towel-like cloths. One
was used to wrap around the lower part of the body from
above the navel downwards to below the knee (to cover the "aurat")
and the other cloth was to cover the upper part of the body.
There was a technique to be learnt on how to dress up
securely. You are not supposed to wear an underwear or any
sewn or stitched clothes and therefore wearing the Ihram
clothes securely was very important. |
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Dressed in the Ihram cloths, we boarded the bus which
would take us to our Miqat at Masjid Bir Ali, which is
just 10km from Medinah. At this mosque we preyed
Tahayatul Masjid for two rakaats. After we boarded the
bus we wished ("berniat") to perform the Umrah
and the Ihram because of Allah SWT (mengerjakan Umrah
dan ber-Ihram dengannya kerana Allah Taala). |
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In Ihram
clothings, taken after Solat Sunat at Mikad Masjid Bir
Ali |
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After
this wish has been said, we were already in the state of
Ihram. Whilst in the state of Ihram, the following
actions are prohibited: - (1). You can't cover your
head with a cap or any item. (2).You can't wear any sewn
or stitched clothing. (3) You can only use a footwear that
exposes the toes and heels. (4) A woman can't cover her
face and can't wear hand gloves. (5). No perfume is
allowed to be used. (6). No hair oil is allowed to be
used. (7). No hair is allowed to come out. (8). Not
allowed to cut or pull out any plant or trees, except
dead ones. (9) Not allowed to cut your nails (10) Not
allowed to hunt animals or imprison them in cages.(11). Not allowed
to have sex or any acts that can lead to having sex
(12). Not allowed to get involved in any akad nikah
(marriage ceremony).
If any of the above acts is committed whilst in the
state of Ihram, there's a "dam" (fine) to be paid. The amount
of fines to be paid depends on the extent of the act,
the most heavy being to contribute a camel if he/she has
sex. |
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On the way from Masjid Bir Ali to Mecca,
we stopped for lunch at the same restaurant where we had
our dinner when we arrived on the first day. The same
delicious 5-people-to-a-dish meal was served. |
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We had the opportunity to view the countryside from the
bus on its way to Mecca this time. The countryside
consisted of rocky mountains and deserts with few bushes
that looked like they were struggling to stay alive.
Apart from the vehicles plying the highway, we could
hardly see anybody in the
countryside, most likely they were indoors avoiding the heat
of the day. We were travelling in comfortable
air-conditioned bus from the Miqat Mosque (Bir Ali) to
Mecca at that time. Can you imagine that more than hundreds
of years ago that fellow Muslims on the way to Umrah had to ride on the
camel with their head exposed to the blazing sun? (They
are not allowed to cover their head whilst in the state
of Ihram).
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Inside the bus in the state of
Ihram on the way to Mecca |
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We arrived at Mecca at about 2.00 pm and after checking into
the Abeer Hotel, we were led into Masjidil Haram by our
mutawwir just before Asar time. We performed our jama'
taqdim before we were led to perform the first ritual, i.e.
perform the Tawaf (to circle around the Kaabah seven (7)
times, beginning from the Hajarul Aswad and ending there
too). Whilst performing the Tawaf our left shoulder must
always face the Kaabah and our right shoulder should be
exposed. So we had to adjust the Ihram cloth at the top of
our body to ensure that our right shoulder is not
covered but exposed before performing the Tawaf. Whilst
circling the Kaabah, we should communicate with Allah SWT
and ask for His Forgiveness for our past Sins and Bertaubat not to repeat. We should also
thank Him for all the rezeki and nikmat that He has given us and to request for
the well-being of our Prophet PBUH. You can also
read verses from the Al-Quran or bertasbih or berzikir. Each time we reached the corner of the Kaabah where the
Hajarul Aswad is located, we bid, "Bismillah, Allah Akbar
and Lillahil Ham..." and followed up with a flying
kiss to the Hajarul Aswad with our hands. |
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Salmiah infront
of the Abeer Garden Hotel where we stayed. We were told
that this hotel would be demolished to make way for
improved development around the Masjidil Haram in Mecca.
Notice the dazzling shine on the white clothes that she
wore? |
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Pilgrims
performing the Tawaf around the Kaabah | |
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| It was also observed that every time we reached the corner
where the Hajarul Aswad is located fellow Muslims were
struggling and pushing against each other to get
there or to get out from there to attempt to kiss the
stones from Heaven. It was not a pleasant sight, but we can
see the smiling faces of those who succeeded in
kissing the Hajarul-Aswad. |
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behind the Tomb of Abraham (Makam Nabi Ibrahim) to perform
Solat Sunat Tawaf (Optional Tawaf prayer) for two (2)
Rakaats. After taking a cup or two of the refreshing Air
Zam-Zam, we proceeded to Mount Safa to perform the Sai',
i.e. to walk or jog back and forth between Mount Safa and
Mount Marwah seven times. The distance between the two
mountain is slightly less than 0.5 Km. | |
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Performing the sai' between Mt Safa
and Mt Marwah |
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Performing the Sai' is very
important in Islam because it marked the beginning of Mecca.
History has it that Prophet Abraham was instructed by Allah
SWT to bring his wife Siti Hajar and their new-born son, Ismail to
a valley in the middle of a desert and told to leave them
there. Prophet Abraham did so with a heavy heart but he also
knew that Allah SWT knows best. In the middle of the desert
and under the hot blazing sun, Siti Hajar soon ran out of
food and even her feeding milk went dry. The baby cried out
loud for food and drinks. Siti Hajar ran desperately from one
mountain (Mount Safar) to another mountain (Mount Marwah)
looking for water and help. After she had run seven (7)
times, she went to her baby who was almost on the verge of
dying when suddenly she saw water oozing out from the ground
beneath the baby's legs. That water is known as Air Zam-Zam and
from that day onwards, the Arabs started to
migrate and settled at what is now known as Mecca. Subsequently Prophet Abraham and
his son, Prophet Ismail, also built the Kaabah at the
present location. |
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After we completed the Sai', we performed the Tahalul by
cutting at least three (3) strands of our hair. It is said
that the hair cut this way will light up our path in the
journey towards Padang Mashar after we are awaken in the
next world (Hari Kebangkitan). I observed some of us are not
contented with just three (3) strands of hair, they had the
whole hair on their heads cropped or shaven clean :-) |
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At Mount Marwah after completing the Tahalul
(hair cutting) and thus, Umrah |
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After the tahalul is completed, we were no longer in the state
of Ihram and therefore our mission to perform the Umrah can
be considered as already accomplished. Shukor Alhamdulillah....to
Allah SWT for having us as HIS guests in His House (Masjidil
Haram) in Mecca and also guests to our Prophet PBUH in his Masjidil Nabawi at Medinah and allowing us to perform the
Umrah without any major glitch. |
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After completing our Umrah, the rest of the week in Mecca was
spent performing more umrahs, tawafs, solat fardhu berjemaah,
solat sunat, visiting historical places and of course,
shopping. I shall describe them in more detail in Part 2,
which also include the miracles of Zam-Zam water which I
personally experienced and would like to share them with
you. |
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Continue to Part 2... |
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