Umrah 2013 - Day 5

It was a lovely breezy sunny day. It was also the final umrah sunat today and my men were ready. Hubby and Afzal were wearing half-ihram underneath their jubah however, we had a hard time convincing Aqil to try the ihram. Since he has not reached baligh, we let him be. 

I also managed to snap a pic of Afzal with Hussain, a senior schoolmate who is in the same travel group.

On the way to Hudaibiyah, where the miqat is, there was a stop at a camel farm. Aqil was excited. He had made friends with a toddler also named Aqeel, whom we fondly call as Aqil junior. Aqeel Junior is the son of an ex-colleague of mine, cameraman Azman Hamzah, while I was still working at the tv station.

Finally, up-close with the camels. Hubby bought a bottle of camels' milk and let Aqil tasted it. He didn't like it and none of us tasted the milk.

We then proceeded to Hudaibiyah where my two men prepared themselves for the umrah. 

Once we reached Masjidil Haram, an Ustaz led the congregation while Aqil and I headed back to the hotel. As much as I was happy and proud that hubby and Afzal could perform the umrah, I was feeling sad and emotional in the hotel room, as I could only watched the live feed of the pilgrims performing their tawaf. But He had his reasons, and after much reflection, I do believe that He granted my doa of an ease journey for the sake of my family. Subhanallah!

After lunch it was free and easy and since the boys needed some rest, I had made contact with an acquaintance, Eka Mairina who is living in Makkah, dutifully accompanying her husband who is posted at Fairmont Hotel. 

We met after asar at Fairmont and catched up on her life and old times. It felt goof to know someone who is living the Makkan lifestyle with pros and cons. Sociable and friendly Aqil made friends with sociable and friendly Azza, Eka's 4 year old son. Both boys hit it off very well, no introductions needed.

We had coffee until just before Maghrib. Eka and hubby offered to drive us around Makkah City but we were too tired and there was packing to be done as we will be heading to Madinah soon. But we know we will meet each other again whether in Makkah, Singapore or Jakarta, inshaAllah. 

Umrah 2013 - Day 4

Many thoughts came to me when my period came the day before. What happened to the medication I took to stop my period? Did I forget to take after arriving in Makkah due to fatigue and a sense of being overwhelm (2 days)? Was my second umrah completed or null and void? What ibadah can I continue doing?

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The original itinerary for Day 4 was another umrah, this time the miqat is to be done at Tana'im (5km from Masjidil Haram). However, we were informed earlier yesterday that we could have another option - climbing Jabal Nur, the location of Hira Cave where Prophet Muhammad (as) would go for meditation. On one of his meditations, the very first message from Allah was revealed to him through Angel Jibrail.

Since I can't perform umrah, my husband and I decided to climb Jabal Nur to allow our children, especially Afzal an understanding of seerah and hopefully, he was able to connect what he has learnt in madrasah classes to the actual events and the revelations from the All-Quran. It was also to allow a balance of ibadah and a trekking holiday. Hubby and Afzal will perform the next umrah sunat.

Well-equipped with our track shoes, we were ready to trail the steps of our Prophet. 

Jabal Nur stands at about 900 metres (12,000 feet) high. Steps were carved from the rocky terrain to assist climbers up the mountain. Now, history has it that Prophet Muhammad's wife, Siti Khadijah would climb this mountain everyday to deliver food to her husband. You really wonder the strength, tenacity and determination of women like Khadijah and Hajar.

We encouraged and motivated our children to climb. We let Afzal climbed ahead while hubby and I encouraged Aqil along. 

With a bottle of zam zam water and a promise of a reward once we reached the top, Aqil tried his best. We were told that there is a 'coffee shop' at the top and promised Aqil an ice cream treat.

As we climbed, we rested and we savoured the view of Makkah city and the clock tower which is within Masjidil Haram.

Along the climb, there were many beggars and most of them had some sort of disability - like an amputated or distorted limbs. It was quite a disheartening sight, knowing that some of these immobile men were put there lying on their backs facing the hot sun taking opportunity of the generosity of pilgrims-climbers. They could be part of a syndicate but still we couldnt help feeling sorry for some of them. We gave Aqil many 1 Riyals to give away.

We finally reached the top and the children were feeling tired but victorious. Aqil didn't hesitate to ask for his reward but since there were no ice-cream sold at the little shack-like shop, both boys asked for instant cup noodles and more water.

The Hira Cave was on the other side which requires a short descent. We viewed it from the top. There were crowds of people waiting to enter the small cave. Hubby went down to have a look while we waited by the shack.

This was where the very first message from Allah swt - Surah Al-Alaq - was delivered to Prophet Muhammad (as) by Angel Jibrail. Prophet Muhammad (as)  was very shaken from this experience and encounter that he immediately descent the mountain, went home and covered his shivering body. Khadijah, noticing her husband's condition had asked him what had happened. After Prophet's explanation, Khadijah consulted with her uncle. It was then explained to her that his encounters meant that her husband is destined to be someone great. This was the beginning of his Prophetship.

Though it was not a requirement, some pilgrims performed sunnat prayers at the small cave. Ustaz had reminded that this is a historical site and there is no religious obligations whatsoever.

We returned to Masjidil Haram in time for dzuhur and lunch. We then had a free afternoon, and did a little shopping. There were many local stores selling abayas and famed Bin Dawood supermart as well as modern shops like Body Shop, Baskin Robbins, Starbucks etc. Modernity has seaped into Saudi Arabia even within Haram. 

We then bought  some snacks for a little picnic at the square while we awaited our next solats.

Umrah 2013 - Day 3

The itinerary for Day 3 were visits to various historical sites within Makkah and performing the second umrah (sunat), with the intention done at Jiranah (the miqat).

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Since we wanted to bring our children along, we also wanted to ensure that this will be a stress-free and enjoyable umrah as far as possible. We were advised many times by our elders to equip ourselves with patience, patience and more patience not only with the children, but with each other and with the different culture of the land we are visiting. 

One of the things hubby and I agreed was also to take turns to perform solat fajr at Masjidil Haram, as we know that Aqil may not be able to wake up early. Depending on circumstances, we also agreed to take turns to perform the umrah sunat if we cannot perform as a whole family. There were 3 additional umrahs that we could do in the package. Though I was happy and quite satisfied that we have completed the rukun, there were still many things that I wanted to do that I hoped will be fulfilled in the days ahead, if possible.

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My handphone alarm went off at 430 am on Day 3. Energized, I was ready for Masjidil Haram for fajr and wished that my kids will be too. Alhamdullillah, both children could wake up and dark skies notwithstanding, our little family of four made our way to Masjidil Haram.

The wintry breeze was nice and cooling, and the children were in a better mood and frame of mind, having rested well. Knowing how much this trip meant to me, Hubby had told me earlier to go ahead with the umrah sunat today and he will take care of Aqil. We also did not push for Afzal to perform the umrah sunat since I didn't want him to 'struggle' with his ihram especially if hubby will not be accompanying us.

After breakfast at 7 am, we were ready for the various visits.

Jabal Al-Rahmah - this little mountain is where Prophet Adam (as) met his wife, Hawa (Eve) again after they were outcasted from heaven to earth. We climbed this not so high mountain with much love and humility in our heart, and make many doas at the peak. We were told that if you are single and looking for a soulmate, this is the place to make doa for a life partner. 

During the coach ride, we passed Arafat, one of the places and obligations during Haj. There were rows and rows of white tents for the mass assembly of the Haj pilgrims which symbolizes the Day of Resurrection. 

Ustaz Yusof (in green) also took a picture with the children with the yellow signboard at the back. The yellow signboard stated where Arafat starts and ends.

Nimra Mosque which only opens during the Haj period, was also the spot where Prophet Muhammad (saw) delivered his last sermon or farewell message. While the Prophet was praying here, the very last verse of the Quran was revealed to him, and so the Holy Book - the Quran was completed. It was also here that a photoshot of the travel group was taken.

We then proceeded to a small mosque in Jiranah (22 km from Masjidil Haram) for our ablution, prayed two rakaahs tahiyatul masjid and made intention for the umrah sunat.

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With blessing from hubby, I followed the other pilgrims and performed my umrah sunat.

Upon completion of the 7 rounds of circumumbulation or tawaf, we performed 2 rakaah sunat umrah behind Maqam Ibrahim or Station of Abraham facing the Kaabah.

We then had at least 3 sips of zam zam water before we moved on to the sa'i.

The sa'i between the hills of Safa and Marwa was in honour of Siti Hajar (Hagar). Sa'i which also means struggle makes us remember what Hajar had gone through, walking and running from one hill to the next 7 times to catch sight of a caravan or water for her crying child, Prophet Ismail (as). The green light area is where male pilgrims are encouraged to jog instead of walk in remembrance of what Hajar had done. May my steps from Safa and Marwa be blessed by Allah. However, my steps are small and pale in comparison to what Hajar had gone through under the searing heat of the once dessert. After her 7th lap, Allah swt caused a miracle to happen - a spring gushed forth beneath the feet of Baby Ismail. This is the eternal spring of zam zam. Now, the walkway between the two hills is fully enclosed within the Sacred Mosque, sheltered from the rays of the sun with beautifully carved windows and marbled tiles instead of sand and stones, and various zam zam waterpoints in between for the thirsty pilgrims. Subhanallah! 

As I sat atop Marwa hill and got help from a female pilgrim who did the tahallul (snipping of at least 3 strands of hair) on me, I felt insignificant but grateful for the sacrifices of my ancestors, and for being able to complete yet another umrah. Alhamdullillah!

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When we were doing the sa'i, the azan for Asar came and we stopped to perform Asar before completing the remainder of the sa'i. The leading Ustaz (an Indonesian) also highlighted that the most mustajab of doas are after Asar at Safa and Marwa. I took that advice very seriously. 

As my knowledge was not in depth, I also discovered from the Ustaz that the obligation of umrah is a physical act, there is no necessity for any Arabic doas. Only the intention and the  physical acts of 7 tawaf, 7 sa'i and the tahallul are obligatory, the doas if you so wish can be on your own and in your own language. How easy it is to perform umrah! He also recommended for us to do tawaf sunat at our own time which we could include our children and can use a stroller if we did it on the second floor. I was happy to know this bit of information. 

By the time the umrah was completed, it was going to be Maghrib soon. I returned to the hotel only to discover my period had come. That is another story in itself. 

Umrah 2013 - Day 2

To land my feet on Masjidil Haram was an emotional experience for me. Tears of humility and gratitude flowed down my cheeks as I walked the marbled floors and finally caught sight of the kaabah, with Aqil wrapped in my arms in the wee hours of 21 December. I was overwhelmed, it was a dream came true.

After completing the umrah rukun at 3 am, the children were flat out. Afzal slept while Aqil, though exhausted couldn't and was quietly watching tv. It was less than 2 hours before fajr prayer and after a good shower, hubby was wide awake and decided to return to Masjidil Haram for his fajr which I gladly loved for him to do that, while I stayed at the hotel for our children and performed my fajr in the hotel room. After fajr at about 6 am, we went for breakfast with Aqil who somehow could not sleep yet while we let Afzal continued sleeping as he could not open his eyelids. After breakfast, we then caught some sleep. I put my alarm at 1130 am so as to have another shower and prepare for dzuhur. The kids were still tired and Aqil was cranky as can be seen in the top left picture. 

He wanted to be with me instead of his dad and brother, so I gladly brought him to the women solat area - my bag filled with a book and colour pencils for his doodling. So he sat beside me and doodled while I prayed. 

After dzuhur, we had lunch as provided in the package, and after which we treated the kids to Saudi ice-cream since everyone back in Singapore had suggested for them to have it.

After Asar, the kids were still jet lagged  that they wanted to rest in the hotel room so Afzal volunteered to stay with Aqil in the room while both hubby and I made our way to Masjidil Haram for Maghrib.

Hubby suggested for us to just stay on till Ishaq before we return to the hotel, and will meet me back at our usual meeting point - in front of KFC at Makkah Hilton's entrance to return together.

After Maghrib, I literally wandered around the square - soaking in the atmosphere, reflecting on my life's deeds and misdeeds, seeking his Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness for myself and my loved ones.   

It was a purely me and Him time. 

After Ishaq, I waited for hubby in front of KFC, but he was unusually late. The other pilgrims from the same travel group had already made their way to the hotel and yet no sight of hubby. It was only much later when I took out my handphone and saw his sms message. He had returned to the hotel immediately after Maghrib because Afzal had messaged both of us that Aqil was crying loudly and was asking for us. Astaghfirullah, I didn't realise both Afzal's and hubby's sms messages on my handphone until then. I quickly walked back to the hotel room. 

When I reached the hotel room, Aqil was asleep. Hubby had also dozed off while Afzal was watching tv. Hubby apologized for dozing off while I apologized for not realizing the sms messages. He had returned to the hotel after Maghrib for the   children so he performed Ishaq in the hotel room instead. I felt a little bad though.

The itinerary after Ishaq was for the pilgrims to take a coach ride to Muzdalifah for an Arabian dinner. With Aqil already asleep and all of us physically exhausted, everyone was agreeable to give Muzdalifah a miss. I told hubby that Afzal and I will inform our tour officer that we will not be joining them and will get simple dinner from the local shop. Another family with young children also gave Muzdalifah a miss. We also needed to reserve our energy for Day 3. That night, we had broast - their specialty fried chicken for dinner and slept soon after.  

Our first Umrah journey - Day 1 and 2

The day came. We were both anxious and excited at the same time. Here we were at Terminal 2 of Changi Airport with hubby and Afzal, adorning half ihram.

My intent to perform umrah has been on-going inside me for a very long while. When the desire was so strong, I even say it out loud to my parents. Though I was unsure when I will be called upon Him to be his guest, I was determined it will be a whole family affair. Finally, I told my husband we will do it this year, with the kids as well.

We shortlisted two travel agencies, and finally chose Shahidah Travel. The main reason, we wanted the umrah to be as convenient as possible since we are bringing our young child. The hotel's location - Makkah Hilton, which was just in front of Masjidil Haram, was the main deciding factor. With a young kid in tow, we thought it would be better to choose hotels that were directly facing Masjidil Haram (eg. Clock Tower which houses Fairmont and Swissotel, Intercontinental and some others).

However, one of the things I would do differently is not to fly direct into Makkah for our umrah rukun first. We left our home to be at the airport at 10 am on 20 Dec, and finally reached Makkah at midnight of 21 Dec (5 am Singapore time), checked in quickly and continued with our umrah rukun until 3 am. We were mentally and physically tired, and Aqil was cranky. However, with His Grace, we completed the umrah without major glitches. We were proud of both Afzal and Aqil to have been able to go through the rites and we were grateful for He gave us patience with our children and each other and determination to see it through. 

Alhamdullillah, our umrah completed. Amin.