CHAPTER
2: THE JOURNEY THERE
After we completed
Fajr prayer in the Stirling Masjid, we started loading up for the
first step of the journey - Edinburgh airport. We had to be at the
airport for 7.00am to check in our luggage. Everyone was quiet on
the journey to the Airport in brother Ghulam's car. People often
think about their family and friends they are leaving behind or
the life they once lived or their businesses and work they are leaving
behind. Life after returning from Hajj is never the same again.
Many millions of people make this journey; some of them may never
return alive whilst many return home and completely change their
lives. Everyone's life is changed in some way or other.
As I was sitting in the car I wasn'tthinking about the loved ones, or even my business or my
lifestyle in Scotland; I was only anticipating reaching Makkah.
Hadith after Hadith passed through my mind as I thought about this
momentous journey. It was a trip to the land where the greatest
human being was born and I was going to walk on the land that was
blessed with the footprints of the most beloved of all creation.
Ever since I knew about Islam I had looked forward
to this adventure. The dream of visiting Makkah, the place Islam
originated from, was soon going to be a reality. The sight of baitullah,
the House of Allah, was going to be before me. In reality, it had
always been before me as I pray towards it everyday but now I was
going to lay eyes on this holiest of Holy places. I had seen the
Kabbah in pictures and on TV but now I was going to see it in real
life with my own two eyes, I just didn't know what to expect or
how I would react.
The excitement of completing one of the pillars
of Islam, fulfilling a commandment of Allah would be of more satisfaction
than becoming a father, or becoming a millionare - nothing could
compare. I had a deep fear that I might make some mistakes or might
do something wrong on the Hajj. I prayed to Allah that I could complete
this Hajj without any mistakes and that Allah would accept this
Hajj.
In my past life, I had done so much wrong and had
gone against the commandments of Allah many times but this journey
I was doing only for Allah and only to fulfil the command of Allah.
This was a chance for me to put these wrongs right. To stand before
Allah, in the holiest of cities and ask for forgiveness from all
these sin. Most people go to Makkah to make ammends, motivated by
the attributes of Allah - the most kind and most merciiful.
I was so determined to complete this adventure,
it didn't matter what difficulties lay ahead or what trials I would
go through to complete it, I was ready. Allah had already planned
this for me, I was ready to accept these trials and I knew deep
down that this would test my patients and in fact would probably
re-define the word patience.
The whole car was silent and everyone sat in deep
thought. Even brother Ghulam was silent as he navigated the frosted
roads on this cold wintry morning. The Imam then started reciting 'labaik allahulma lubaik' breaking the silence. This was
when I really felt the goose pimples all over my body and the whole
car seemed to come to life, all the Hajjis reciting the lubaik in
one voice. This is the age-old call every Hajji makes on this most
important of life's journey until they reach Makkah. This is the
dua on every Hajjis lips and indeed the first dua every Hajji learns.
It felt like only a few seconds and we were at the
airport. When we arrived I could not believe that so many Muslims
that were going to Hajj this year and I was still in Scotland. Even
here the scene was awe inspring with so many Muslims, all gathered
together, like a big family, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, cousins….
and I felt part of this family and every part of my soul told me
that I belonged here.
I must have looked silly but I still find it hard
to express my thoughts, even today. I was smiling, not just a smile
more of a grin, an uncontrollable grin, from ear to ear. I was happy,
no elated, it was overpowered. It's the kind of happiness and joy
you experience when you first become a dad or on your wedding day.
I just couldn't wait to get on that plane and be on my way.
The first hurdle was the queue at the check in desk.
There were masses of brothers and sisters ahead of us in the queue.
Some with carrying too much extra baggage and other problems were
cropping up. We patiently waited and helped each other get through
the checkout stages. Even I took one of the suitcases from a sister
and put it through my baggage so that she could take all her belongings
with her. It felt good watching Muslims working together and helping
each other.
This was not the normal scene you would get on a
to trip to Pakistan or some holiday resort nor were there people
tourists or sightseers. This was a special trip to Makkah to perform
the Hajj. We had concern for all our companions and all the Hajjis
that were making this journey. We went out of our way to help each
other and to make it as easy and comfortable as possible. It's an
unbelievable phenomenon.
Once we got past checking
in and customs, it was a matter of waiting for the plane to be ready
and our flight to be called. Some of us quickly got some last minute
things together, like sickness pills, so that the journey could
begin. The gate was finally called and quickly we hurried onto the
plane. It was like clockwork and before we knew were landing in
London Heathrow. Again we swiftly went to the next terminal to get
our connecting flight to Cairo. The flight was expected to leave
at 2.00pm
This was the first test
of patience; our flight departure time was delayed by two hour.
We made good use of this time by praying our Zuhr and Asr Salah,
sharing a meal together and reading our green Hajj books. Finally
our flight was called and we rushed towards the gate. The mad rush
was a bit chaotic, I think everyone was eager to get going and everyone's
patience was wearing thin by this delay. After we got on the plane
it was a further three hours before we lifted off.
I travel to Turkey every
year and have never had any problems with my flight or have been
affected by bad weather conditions. Usually you can expect turbulence
to shake you about a little but we were tossed from side to side
up and down like a salad. It was pretty rough in Egypt and in the
middle of this, it was time for Magrib Salah. Imagine the scene,
brothers were trying to pray Magrib, fulfilling the command of Allah
since they were on this journey to Hajj; the turbulence was tossing
the plane about and the pilot was shouting on the speakers for everyone
to sit down and buckle up. It was quite an experience especially
when we tried to land in Cairo, in the middle of a sand storm.
Usually I would have
been glad to land in one piece and feel the solid ground below my
feet. I would have been ever so grateful to Allah for this. But
I was on a holy mission, to fulfil Allah's command - the fifth pillar
of Islam. During this flight, I was in a win or win situation. If
I passed away, I died trying to complete Allah's command and if
I lived I became a Hajji!
The next stage was most
daunting of all for me. Throughout my preparation for Hajj, I had
been more worried about this than anything else. This is when the
last stages of the journey begins. It's the stage when we truly
are different from all other traveller and we literally strip away
the world with its false standards and adornments and become just
the human being….
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