My journey for Umrah, Some strange sight seeing

My journey for Umrah, Some strange sight seeing

By: Md. Kamaluddin Qasmi KSA

As I aimed at Umara and Haj by coming to Saudi Arabia, Al-Hamduliillah one part of the story is over. I performed my Umrah and came back from Makkah and Madinah. I would, herewith, like to put forth the summary of my journey to enjoy my fellows by reading as I enjoyed by looking the strange sights. I had a dream from the beginning of my childhood that I must visit the most sacred place for Muslims Makkah and Madinah. But I was thinking too, it is almost impossible for us to bear this expensive journey. I knew I am the student of Madressa and the graduate of Madressa earns too little to go to Makkah from India. But when I came to Deoband and saw our some Ustaz performing haj in spite of earning very little. I felt condoled that Allah sees our intention and forbearance and fondness. He doesn’t see our content of income, may be Allah enables a person earning very little and doesn’t enable a person earning a lot. It is Allah omnipotent alone who opens the way. The day has come that I was waiting for long. I came to Saudi Arabia the country which Allah blessed with Kabah in it. I joined my job in Al-Qassim Burraydah. I prepared for journey to the holy place Kaba. My preparation was over and I set on Wednesday 18/5/2005. Here in Al-Qassim Burraydah Saudi it is a tradition that Umarah buses leave on Wednesday evening in week and comes back on Friday evening on very cheap rate. Makkah is 12 hundred km away from Al-Qassim. In general bus takes 150 riyal for up Makkah but on this occasion bus takes only 50 riyal for both up and down via Madinah. Just after performing Asar Namaz I along with my colleague Minnatullah sb set out my journey I took my seat in the bus. Such buses happen luxurious as luxury bus in India. In the bus they arranged to let with family passengers occupy the header seats and singles to sit footer seats. I got the seat in the middle adjacent to window. I made nothing as luggage. My all belongings were Ihram and one pair dress. When the bus left, one person went to driver and announced the Dua of journey by his mike as the mics are integral part of such buses to inform the passengers about next destination. Our bus moved on and on and directly stopped at a mosque to perform Maghrib and Isha Salah at the time of Maghrib. The mosque was not too tidy it seemed to be built for the travelers specially. The same above Maulana appeared to lead Salah. He first led Maghrib and then Isha salah. I was not willing first to do so, as it is decided among Hanafi sect that Taqdeem Haqiqi is not allowed. But I followed him intending to repeat the same later. After Salah we brought some snack, biscuit one riyal and milk for two riyal and had it together with my journey partner. About 15 minutes interval our bus again moved and in its mood it ran generally at 160 speed that is the Rajdhani Train speed in our country. We stopped at 10 pm at a hotel where all the passengers took dinner. We took Khapsa, very famous dish in Saudi. It is like Biryani in India. It is Saudis' and Saudi hotel's favorite. It must be available in every dinner. We very fast took dinner and came into the neighboring telephone booth and dialed my village and talked my papa that I am going to Umrah today. It was 11 o’clock corresponding to 1.50 am in India. He prayed for me. We rode in the bus and with non stop we reached directly Taif the Meeqat for the people of this direction. The bus stopped and all passengers rode off and took bath. It was 3 o clock night. I descended. The Saudi government has done best for Moatamir and made thousands of the bath rooms there. I had been in Darul Uloom Deoband. There is a series of bathroom and toilet every where. But here is the story changed. Inter the main gate you will think you are going to any special residential type of building but you will come across nothing but bathroom series divided with well decorated parks inside. In that vast campus the bathrooms have been netted (built) there for example 30 x 30 face to face then at 100 meters another and likewise in all the directions. In that campus there is a mosque too where Mohrim performs two rakah as a sunnat for Ihram. In the campus Ihram and slippers are sold. I was not confirmed whether stitched slippers are also prohibited or not. I had already purchased two Shawls for Ihram but not slippers. I saw people purchasing it so did I. I saw there one thing very strange for the people like us belonging to India and Pakistan. I saw there slippers are lying everywhere and no one is present but at the distance. no one can touch where every one is in need. As I see in Burraydah the city where I do my job, the green grocers sell vegetables through out the day to late evening and go home leaving all the articles at the side of the road and no body touches them. We can’t imagine it in our country this security and trust. We took bath wore Ihram and went into mosque. The Fajar Azan had been called. I remembered Hanfi rule that after Subh sadiq (predawn) no Nafl may be performed except two rakat Sunnat of Fajar. My journey colleagues insisted me too to perform two Rakat for Ihram I simply told him. This time we cant perform this two Rakat he did not accept me and performed but me not. Still I am not sure I was on right or wrong. Just after Namaz our bus moved to Makkah the last and final stop. Madinah locates on the way back from Makkah so we would in Madinah next to next day. We reached Makkah at 6 o clock in the morning. The bus stopped where the tented rooms were supposed to be there for Moatamir. I had not booked the room intentionally thinking to pass all the 24 hours that were scheduled to stay in Makkah, in Masjid-e-Harram and not to sleep there. we would leave next morning from Makkah for Madinah at 6 o clock. We reached just Masjide Haram, but I was new not knowing it is now near or far. I kept my small article in the room of my journey friend promising not to occupy his room at night for sleep. He permitted too to sleep or take rest at any time but I stuck to my stand. With no stop we went directly straight as I was told that your destination is just straight. I saw a tremendous gate attached all around like arch. I was sure this must be Masjid Haram not else. (Bahut zishaan dikhi) I did not ask now any one and entered the gate as I am a bride entering the groom's house bowing head down filled with shame of new face and fear of consequence at the time of attendance. I walked on and on for 3/4 minutes. Then lifted head Kabah was in front of us. As I saw Kabah, the heart burst and eyes filled with tears. The favors of Allah turned like film series. Now we were no where or out of sense for 20 minutes and kept clung with the wall of Kabah. Then we started our Tawaf (patrol around Kabah). We had studied in the book Massaile Haj Tawaf and heard about the surroundings of Kabah and about Hajare Aswad and its virtues and Rukne Yamani and Maqaame Ibrahim and place about which Mohammad PBU said it is the part of Kabah but Quraish did not include because of lack of pure money. I saw all these thing with the naked eyes and saved its pictures in the mind for the rest of the life. This is Kabah and Masjide Haram. You see another building; it is Masjide Haram that in reality surrounded Kabah. The same picture can be seen from all around. To the left side Hajre Aswad has been attached in the middle of the wall of Kabah. It has been covered with the black cloth. To the west side of Kabah there is Maqame Ibrahim that is covered with the transparent glasses. It clearly shows the two feet print about which we have studied that they are the steps of Hadrat Ibrahim when he built Kabah. I saw there every type of people during Tawaf. I saw a child hardly might be for 1 or 2 months with his parents. In our locality 1 or 2 months after delivery the woman is considered too weak to move not to speak to go abroad and do the difficult work like Tawaf. The system of cleanliness in the campus is very strange. Twenty four hours cleanings go on without any disturbance in Tawaf. I found most of the cleaners belong to Bangladesh and some of them belong to India or Pakistan. Completing my Tawaf I turned to Sayee between Safa and Marwah Mountains. I had of the opinion that these two mountains would be at some distance and like other natural hills. I asked one of the volunteers where is Safa mountains. He told me go to south west corner. I went there. It is in the campus of Masjid Haram i.e. it is the part of Masjide Haram. To show the direction of the mountains there has been set a green light that can be seen easily during Tawaf. I went there I started Sayee (running) I was in the know of it that in the pacific place in Sayee running fast is required but here there was not such indication. There were some green lights to indicate the person to run fast. I came to know it later. We completed our Sayee. And came to the out side to see what is there. I am at the gate of Masjid from the west. I asked a person there is any historical place at near like Cave Hira and Muzdalfa and Mina. He told me see the library written there. it is the birth place of Mohammad PBU. It was closed leaving a signboard. It read: it is innovation to come to visit such buildings. The government has converted it into library. And just opposite to it there were many toilets about which I was told it is the house of Abujehl converted into toilets. And the rest of the historic places are far away you will have to hire taxi for 70 or 80 riyals. If you are in a group you will be easy to reserve a taxi and visit them. I postponed the visit to the journey of Haj scheduled this coming season. My Umrah was over. I have to shave the head or to have my hair cut. I went to a salon and preferred to have my hair cut. Because here I repeatedly heard some ignorant saying that in first Umrah shaving hair is compulsory. So to remove this misconception I made hair cut and be in quest of bathroom there. I was told that that underground of courtyard of Masjide Haram from east is all bathroom. By automatic lift we entered inside and saw the large queue of bathrooms. Without any wait we entered and taken bath and came back and again patrolled around Kabah. We made Tawaf as many times as we could as we studied that tawaf is better than Namaz there in Masjide Haram for Haaj and Motamir. My day time ended and performed Maghrib Salat and fortunately Qari Sodais led Maghrib Salat. It is the very imam of Haram Sharif. Millions of fans all around the world listen to recitation and students try to imitate his style. It is fortunate I am directly listening to his recitation and following him in congregation. we made tawaf first after Maghrib salah and then took a little rest. I had eyes on every activities of Haram Sharif. There ran Bukhari sharif Dars too in the campus of Haraam. Students were sitting with the books but books not on the desk but in the hands. I could not know the name of that Mohaddis sb. The topic of that day was "Shamail Nabwi PBU. i.e. to what extent the prophet's hair turned grey?. I attended the class and observed the method of teaching; it was very simple going little into depth. I performed Ishaa salah. Thereafter I again made Tawaf and took dinner and once again I made Tawaf. I stretching legs in Masjide Haram made drowsy not a full swing of sleep. I passed most part of the night in Salat, recitation and Tawaf. In Masjid there were a number of people lacking the rented room out side they wanted to sleep but police did not let them sleep. They patrolled to awake them. The night passed we had to leave from Makkah to Maddinah at 6 o clock morning. We patrolled again for Tawaf. And came to the friend's room, collected my articles and sat in the bus. The bus moved and passed the crooked roads of Makkah. We saw the tremendous buildings of Makkah with thirsty eyes. As we crossed Makkah the drowsiness prevailed us, we went to deep sleep in the bus sitting because we didn’t sleep for two days day and night. We stopped in a place I didn’t know which place I had reached it was the Juma Namaz time. I thought the driver stopped for Salah. The mosque was at the distance. We on the way heard the second Azan of Jumah. I whispered my fellow (lagta hai ki yah Harame Makki ke takkar ki masjid banaya gaya ho) it is as gracious as Masjid Haram though still I was unaware the fact that it is Haram-e-Madani. I went inside made ablution and sat in the courtyard listening to Khutba when I didn’t find the room inside the mosque. My eyes passed through a writing on a building " قيامك في مدينة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فرصة لترك التدخين" I shocked " I told my fellow we came to Madinah city not the Masjide Nabwi. It will be at the distance he spoke nothing. Later on I watched everything that was written on the wall of the mosque. I told my fellow it seems we are in Masjide Nabwi. The Masjid is as in the period of Mohammad Sallallaho alaihe wasallam. It was added from behind as the Banglawali mosque in Delhi. It has been advanced leaving remained the shape of earlier. You can see there it is the place where Hadrat Bilal used to call Azan it is the place where Hudur Pak used to lead salah, it is the place where was the room of Hadrat Aaysha, as it is place where three friends are taking rest about which Mohammad (pbu) said it is the piece of the paradise. Rodaye Aqdas has been encompassed by a small building with small holes to see for visitors. They have provided the separate rows for females so both sexes may not intermingle. At two o clock we were scheduled to move. We performed visiting and left. Just beside Masjide Nabwi there is Jannatul Baqi. The time didn’t permit us to visit it, so we saw out of the boundary and continued to walk. Our bus rolled and ran on and reached Al-Qassim the origin of my journey at 10 o clock. The first we met was Moulana Nematullah who had seen off us when the beginning of our journey. It is the end of our journey May Allah get you too to holy house and the city of his beloved! Amin allahuma amin Md. Kamaluddin Qasmi