SPECTACULAR ... Mecca by night.
| Overcome at the Multazam WAS my MAKER mad at me? I couldn't understand this! Everything had gone wonderfully well over the past few days, and now, in my last moments in Mecca, this had to happen. Why? I was in the midst of performing tawaf Wida, the final circumambulation around the Kaabah - a last farewell to Allah - before I left the Holy Land for Jeddah, and then back to Kuala Luinpur. Like the compulsory Umrah tawaf the Wida required us to circle the Kaabah - the first structure of which was built by the Prophet Ibrahim - seven times. But things were not going as smoothly as I had hoped. It was the third time I had to take my ablution. It seemed that no matter how careful I was, physical contact with the opposite sex in the huge crowd kept nullifying my ablution. I was beginning to feel quite desperate. This was certainly not how I had felt the previous two days - from the minute I first set foot in Mecca, after a two-hour bus ride from Medina. Then, I often felt engulfed in HIS Majesty. After my prayers in Masjidil Haram, where the Kaabah was, I would find myself traipsing alone, sobbing as I walked away from the mosque towards my hotel, thinking of HIS greatness. Then there were moments when I would just smile with a heart soaring into the skies as my voice silently sang so, so loudly, praises of thanks to HIM. There were so many times I felt HE was close by, watching over me. Really watching over me! When one performs the Umrah, the first thing to do is to pasang niat (place an intent in the heart) before entering Mecca. There are specific places to do so which are known as Mikat. And if you are already in Mecca and intend to do the Umrah, you need to go out again to pasang niat. The nearest Mikat, is Tanaim, which is about 10km from the Holy Land. You would already need to be in your ihram (two large unsewn white cloth) before reciting your niat. Then you make your way to Mecca by whatever transport, bus or car or van... On reaching the Masjidil Haram, you circumambulate the Kaabah in the middle of this huge mosque, seven times. This is followed by the saie which is part walking and part running between Bukit Safa and Marwah. Lastly, you cut some strands of your hair. And you're done. Upon completing my first Umrah - which took about three hours - I had the opportunity to kiss Hajar'ul Aswad, a stone from heaven, in the corner of the Kaabah, and recite a short prayer. There was a rather big crowd but when I went into it, I felt I didn't need to push as somehow, slowly, I was sucked in towards the stone until I was there, right in front of it! I had another chance later. And again the same thing happened. The Hajar'ul Aswad is one of the more mustajab (effective) places for your doa (prayers) and wishes. The most mustazjab is inside the Kaabah, which not many get to. The second best place is the Multazam, a small space between Hajar'ul Aswad and the Kaabah's golden doors. Hajar'ul Aswad is the third best place, followed by Makam Ibrahim, Hijir Ismail and Telaga Zam Zam which are all near the Kaabah. Your doa is also mustajab while circling the Kaabah. Then there are other places including Raudah in Prophet Mohammad's mosque - Masjid Nabawi in Medina. I thought I'd try for Hajar'ul Aswad yet again, to make it three. I was hoping to pour my heart out to Allah and continue my long list of doa and wishes. Then I saw the crowd. I saw so many old people, some of whom were being squashed right before my eyes, by those around them. Much that I wanted, I just couldn't bring myself to push on. I tried to console my heart: "No, this is not how I want it to be. I will sacrifice this time. After all I have already had my chance. And twice too!" With a heavy heart, I started to leave. And as I turned around, I suddenly saw that the Multazam, an even better place to doa, was rather empty. "Empty?" I was dumbfounded. This place was usually packed all the time. But there was only one person with his hands on the Kaabah then. And when I came along, in quite a daze really, he just made way, without even looking at me. It was amazing because usually, some people would cling for a long time at this particular spot. Some would even sob uncontrollably and loudly, which actually is not advisable. Anyway, there I was. And I felt I was there for a long, long time... long enough for me to look back and wonder why there wasn't anyone pushing me! I got to do the Umrah thrice. And on one occasion while I was circumambulating I started asking, feeling rather guilty, for a lot of things. Some of them were quite silly really, but meaningful to me. For instance, I love cooking and hoped that I could one day own a food outlet of my own. And I have always dreamt of it being famous with many, many customers. I felt very guilty making this wish as I realised that most of the prayers offered to Allah, while I was going round the Kaabah, was all about me already. In the prayers there are requests for a good life here and in akhirat (the hereafter>, for guidance to be good, for rezeki (prosperity), for a life without suffering, and a death free from it... everything was there. And the prayers were for all of us. And here I was asking for more.., and a food outlet at that! On completion of my second Umrah, as I was casually chatting up a new acquaintance about his hotels and other businesses, out of the blue he asked me, "Would you like to open a food outlet in Mecca? And if you are interested, then you should also open one in Medina." Again, words could not come out of my mouth. It was just too good to be true! Indeed, there were more of such incidents during my time in Mecca that made me feel even closer to Allah, that helped further reinforce my belief in HIM (and I pray this faith stays). So why, my heart whispered, was this happening to me on my last day here? Why did I have to take my ablution, over and over again? What's God telling me? An ablution would be nullified when a man and woman who are not muhrim (people who can legitimately marry one another) touch. The first time, after circling the Kaabah once, a woman accidentally brushed her hand against my arm. Because of this, I had to go out of the circle, walk some 300 metres away, near the Zam Zam well, and take my ablution again. I decided to start at One although I was told earlier that I could continue from where I stopped. I wanted everything to be perfect for HIM. Then, as I was about to go into my second round, the second time, I felt someone's foot on mine. I was then quite afraid to see who it was, but she zoomed past me, unaware. All I could do was calm my heart with "Patience, Sham, patience." The third time it happened, I told myself that I'd just ignore the incident and continue going. But then, who was I trying to fool? And so it was, I went out again to take my ablution. By this time I was frazzled. My mind was trying to focus on what I was supposed to do but it strayed to the bus, which I was told earlier, would be waiting to take me and several other journalist friends to Jeddah, by 4pm. Surely it was way past four. And what made matters worse was the sight of other journalists coming out of their tawaf ritual, which takes about half an hour to complete. And it happened yet again. Now, I was really frantic and as I took my ablution again and got set to tawaf. In my heart again I asked God "Allah. Please. I don't, know what I did wrong but do forgive me. My bus is waiting and the others are almost done. And I'm still here. "You know that I want to do the best for YOU but I don't think I can afford the time, now I hope you don't mind if I start at Two. Thank you." And so it was that I started from where I stopped and it was smooth sailing. Still, deep down, I wasn't too happy. Why did this happen... I do not know, and maybe I'll never know. "But at the same time I was asking, God, hoping beyond hopes that he'd show a sign that all my prayers had been accepted. Half of me truly didn't believe there could be any way this would happen. Yet half oF me dared to hope. When I finished and was about to go, in the huge crowd that was near the Kaabah, a guard suddenly called out to me. "Haj, Haj,.." He was waving,., at ME to come closer and pray at the Multazam. The sign was enough to make me break into tears. I could only cry and cry. Allahuakbar! Allahuakbar! Allahuakbar! (God is great!) Extracted from:- Life&Times - New Straits Times Previous page | HOME | Next page |