The Journey of Hajj - Part 6: Haram Shariff and the Effort of Dakwah & Tabligh

We arrived in Makkah al-Mukarramah about 12 days before the day of wukuf at the Plains of Arafah. Thus, we opted for haji ifrad, choosing to be in ihram for whole duration of that period. My first three days in Makkah was what I could only describe as confusing and chaotic. Unlike in Madinah where separation between men and women in the Masjid Nabawi was strictly observed, I seemed could not find any place in the Haram Shariff that were separated from women for devotion. There were instances where I had to pray in a saff (row) surrounded by women and it had caused me great distress. 

It was not until the fourth day when, alhamdulillah, I finally found the gathering area of karkuns and the masyaikhs and elders of dakwah and tabligh where prayers and devotion could be carried out in calmness and peace. It was situated at the top floor near the corner of the single minerat of Haram Shariff. You might noticed that the other three corners of Haram Shariff have double minerats. Subhanallah! At the said single minerat top floor area, women seemed to assemble in harmony in the rear saffs and men converged in the front saffs, although there were no curtains or barriers between them. Only on a few occasions did I noticed some ignorant women tried to sit in front area to have a good look at the Kaabah. Someone would quickly asked them to go back to the rear area. The other places of the Haram Shariff seemed to be full of inseparable men and women, perhaps husbands and wives sitting next to each other fearing that they would get lost. I observed the situation twelve days before the day of wukuf at Arafah though as the people began to leave Makkah after performing the rituals of hajj, the other areas in the Haram Shariff slowly  adhered to the separation rules. 

Therefrom, every time my wife and I would go together to the Haram Shariff, walked across a sea of people, climbed up a couple of elevators and sit quietly at the peaceful corner - I, in the front row, and she, not far behind me. It was an added pleasure to have glimpses of our masyaikhs and elders in devotion at the same corner. Sometimes I would gather with the other Malaysian karkuns, sitting in small groups or halqahs, listening to a short targheeb given by a senior Malaysian tabligh worker or an aalim.

Every morning after subuh prayer I would rush back to the residential hotel. We would gather in a room that we had collectively agreed upon for our gathering place every morning for our daily mesywarah or consultation. Before the consultation started, someone would deliver an early morning bayan or a talk exhorting the listeners for the effort on deen. As the room was just enough to accommodate 4 beds, sometimes the many people that attended the morning consultation would spilled outside the room. Blankets were spread on the floor for us all to sit. We took turn between ourselves in conducting the consultation. The consultation generally discussed to what extent our effort in the work of dakwah and tabligh among the hujjazs in Makkah for the last 24 hours, and what would be the extent of our effort for the next 24 hours. It was also decided who would conduct the daily reading of the kitaab (book) Fadha'il Haji, Umrah and Ziyarat by Sheikhul Hadith Hazrat Maulana Zakariyya Kandhlawi rahmatullahu alayhi, and who will deliver the early morning bayan the next morning.

At approximately 10am every morning, we would spread blankets on the floor outside an appointed room and one of us would begin reading the Fadha'il Hajj. After sometime, a pair of us would go from room to room exhorting and urging the hujjazs to join in the assembly of the reading of hadiths relating to the virtuous deeds of hajj, umrah and ziyarat. A few minutes after the pair had join back the assembly, another pair would continue to make a round from room to room urging the same thing from the hujjazs.  The rounds would continue until the assembly dispersed after about 2 hours for everyone to get prepared for midday solaah. The assembly would usually attracted a handsome number of hujjazs sitting in the circle of ta'leem.Sometimes during the rounds, we learnt that a hajji was sick and we would find time to visit him again later. These are the daily routines of our effort. My wife, on the other hand, would also read the Fadha'il Hajj to her room mates at an appointed time daily in her room. Alhamdulillah, we find ourselves absorbed and occupied during the whole duration of our journey for hajj. This was only due to the great blessing from Allah Most High.

One of my room mates was a hardcore PAS or Islamic Party of Malaysia's member. He used to say in amazement that even in Makkah and Madinah the tablighis were on the move with their programmes. His words caused a broad smile on my face although they were not actually 'programmes'. In fact, they were aamal or devine practices that Rasulullah sallalaahu alayhi wassalam and his blessed Companions radiyalaahu anhum had taught and passed on to the ummah after them.

The Journey of Hajj - Part 5: Pok Soh and Mok Su

I first heard about Pok Soh when we were still in Madinah. People at my maktab were talking about an elderly man who got lost, not knowing to find his way back to the residential place after stirring out with the people to Masjid Nabawi. Only after two days, he was found in an ailing condition, broken down and severely dehydrated, submitted to the shivering weather of Madinah. Needless to say, he had to receive an emergency medical treatment. Like many other people, in the first instance, I was amazed as to how he got lost amongst the multitude of people, enduring the hardship and the weather, chill at daylight and cold at night, without any drink or food. Even at daytime, I wrapped myself up with a wool Pakistani blanket around my body. It was not until our arrival in Makkah that I had the opportunity to get to know Pok Soh.

He was a fragile man of about 75 years old from Kelantan. He was a very soft-spoken man who always put a smile on his face. He had never been out from his village in Nilam Puri, at the outskirt of Kota Bharu. He traveled for hajj with his sister, Mok Su, aged 63 years old without being accompanied by other able relatives or friends. The incident in Madinah had left him traumatized and impaired. He had turned out to be a sort of burden to his room-mates. They were complaining to the officials of Tabung Haji about his disability and inability to take care of himself...the filth and foul that he had caused them for not being able to care of his hygiene. It was during this time that I started to devote my attention to Pok Soh. Eventually, it was decided that he and his sister, Mok Su, would be placed in one room, specially for the two of them. From that moment, I had been taking care of Pok Soh, and Mok Su had been taken care by my wife.

Soon after, some of the other hujjazs thought that the two elderly brother and sister as our parents. All praise to Allah Most High, I and my wife still cherish the sweetness of hajj, particularly all the time spent with the two special elderly folks. I believe that Allah Most High sent us for hajj to also take care and give khidmat to the needy Pok Soh and Mok Su.

The Journey of Hajj - Part 4: The Effort of Dakwah & Tabligh in Madinah

The meeting place of karkuns in the Masjid Nabawi was at the area right behind the floor of Ashab-ul Suffah. My journey on ziarah and hajj coincide with the year when most of the elders and masyaikhs of dakwah and tabligh effort performing ziarah and hajj. Hence, there were a large number of karkuns from all over the world sitting quietly in devotion at the place inside the Masjid Nabawi. It was like a gathering between a jord and an ijtima'. As if I could still see Maulana Saad Kandahlewi damat barakatuhu prays nafl solaat just a few feet from me. And Maulana Zubayr damat barakatuhu was being pushed on a wheel-chair to his sitting place. I could only manage to have a glimpse of the two masyaikhs in awe among the many other luminaries of this ummah who had endured harship on their selves and wealth for the sake of upholding the deen. I dare not even go near them for du'a out of fear of causing agitation and distress to them by my presence. Moreover, earlier muzakarah at Masjid Jame' Sri Petaling markaz discouraged us to flock in towards the elders and masyaikhs for the same reason.

For eight days in Madinah al-Munawarrah, I had been in the company of the elders and masyaikhs in Masjid Nabawi trying hard to keep a distance from them even though many other people still converged meeting them. Except in one occasion when an African brother besides me suddenly asked me, "Who are those persons whom the people huddled to meet?", pointing at the masyaikhs. I briefly told him who was who. He then told me that he would like to join the people in meeting them. As a matter of playing host to him, I stood up and brought him to the masyaikh that was sitting nearest to us. He turned out to be Maulana Tariq Jamil of Raiwind, Pakistan. He gave us a broad smile as he extended his hands. I requested du'a from him. While my African brother went up to the other elders and masyaikhs, I quietly returned to my place of sitting.

One day, in Madinah, I was on my way down in a crowded elevator heading towards Masjid Nabawi when I overheard a rather loud conversation behind me. A person told another person that he could have joined the hajj envoys in expensive hajj travel package since he's used to be driven around by a driver in government-provided car, but he had chosen to be with the common folks for this journey of hajj. I looked behind my shoulder looking at the man in his early 50's. I thought that he must have been a member of a royal family since he used the word "rakyat jelata" for common folks. But upon inquiry, he turned out to be an Assistant Director of a religious body in Malaysia! It then crossed my mind that I need to bring a local Arab karkun to meet him for khususi mulaqat. 

The work of dakwah and tabligh in Madinah during hajj season, among other well-organised work, is that everyday after asar solaat,  the ever hard-working local Madinah Arab karkuns  would make themselves available at the place in Masjid Nabawi behind the floor of Ashab ul-Suffah for anyone karkun to guide them to meet anyone from his native country for khususi mulaqat. Alhamdulillah, on this occasion I managed to meet an English speaking local Madinah Arab brother and brought him to meet with the Asssistant Director at his room. Though they were conversing in Arabic, I shared the enthusiasm and diligence of the Arab brother. Masha'Allah! It turned up that the Assistant Director was a scholar of Darul Uloom Deoband when he was young.

After my hajj, I happened to bumped onto the Assistant Director on a few occasion, and even after his promotion he was so kind in acknowledging me, talking for awhile before we parted our own separate ways. We have a good relationship between us.

The Journey of Hajj - Part 3: Ziyarah of the Holy Prophet

My first visit of the Holy Prophet SAW's masjid and resting place was none like I had expected. Despite my earlier effort in preparing to meet Rasulullah SAW with the best ethics that I could possibly do, I felt like a rough ill-mannered illiterate bedouin who came from the most remote part of the desert to the holy city of Madinah, unaware of the extent of greatness of his host. The narrative of the ignorant bedouin who had a pee in the Masjid Nabawi during the time of the Prophet SAW came to mind.

First, I got mixed up on the proper entrance door to visit the Prophet SAW. Instead of entering through Bab-ul Jibreel, I tried to enter the masjid through Bab-ul Baqee. Rightly, I had been stopped from entering by the guards since Bab-ul Baqee was the point of exit of the the flow of people entering from the opposite Bab-ul Jibreel. Still wondering why the guards had stopped me the first time, I tried to enter again without success. Finally, after a few vain attempts, I just stood outside Bab-ul Baqee feeling very sad looking from afar at the resting place of Rasulullah SAW.

Soon afterwards, when dawn was approaching, still in confusion I lamely entered Bab-ul Nisaa' hoping to find a good spot for me behind the Rawdah. The number of people was far more than I had expected and I was really struggling to find even a tiny space to sit. Like a lost bedouin who has no idea where he was heading, I walked over the shoulders of devotees again and again, inviting uneasy stares from the people around me. It was then that I felt like a ruthless moronic barbarian standing alone among the civilised cultured people. 

Alas, alhamdulillah, indeed Allah Most High had extinguished the pride and self-sufficiency within me at that point of time in the most perplexing way. Truly, Allah is the One for Whom nothing is hidden from His Knowledge.

It was after fajr solah that I managed to find the right way to make ziyarah of Rasulullaah sallaalaahu alayhi wasallam through Bab-ul Jibra'il with the guidance of the kitaab Fadha'il Hajj, Umrah and Zirayah by Maulana Zakariya Kandhlawi which I have to refer again. I tried my very best to follow the detailed ethics of zirayah as beautifully stated in the said kitaab. I started crying  profusely the moment I whispered, "Assalamu'alayka ya Rasulullaah..."
How would I be able to give karguzari to my beloved Nabi sallalaahu alayhi wasallam?

The Journey of Hajj - Part 2: Arriving at Madinah al-Munawwarah

We started the journey from Jeddah Airport to Madinah by a fleet of buses. We were in flight group KT82, the second last group of pilgrims from Malaysia that was destined for Madinah before Makkah. It was a long journey to Madinah. I slept for the most part of the journey. An hour before reaching Madinah, I began to look at the notes that I had prepared for the journey. I recalled a hadith of Rasulullah SAW, "Whosoever come to me as my guest, with no other purpose than to visit me, I will be his intercessor." I immediately renewed my niyyat to make the journey only for the sake of Allah.

I was concern as to what extent my journey could be as close as the journey of Rasulullah SAW. I mean, there we were travelling by bus, without being able to stop at any masjids or places that Rasulullah SAW and the sahabah r.anhum had stopped for a rest, or to drink water at the wells that Rasulullah SAW and the sahabah r.anhum had stopped for a drink. I would not have the opportunity to stop at Mu'arras near Bir Ali/Zhul-Hulaifah even for a two-rakaat solah or a short du'a. And it would not be possible for me to get off the bus at Bir Ali (about 10km from Madinah) and walk from thereon bare-footed towards Madinah as did Rasulullah SAW and the sahabah r.anhum. Nevertheless, alhamdulillah, I still could recite durood sharif as much as possible. And I began to build up my devotion and fervor to meet with Rasulullah SAW by exhorting my wife of the virtues of Madinah al-Munawarrah and its inhabitants, the resting place of Rasulullah SAW and about 10,000 sahabah r.anhum who had served as the vanguards of Islam.

It was about 2am. I felt the warmth of Madinah as I entered the city and glanced again at my notes as I recited the du'a “Allahumma haaza haromu nabiyyaka, faj’al huliyy wa qho yatam minnanar wa a maa nanm minal ‘azaabi wa suu ‘al hisaab.” (O' Allah! Verily this is the land of Your Prophet SAW. Do make it as a cause for my salvation from the hellfire, protection from the torments, and protection from calamities on the Judgement Day).

After the hustle and bustle of rooms allocation, I managed to get a short nap. I then took a shower, put on my best dress and immersed myself with the green coloured raihan attar which I had bought in India and kept it safe for special occasion. I then slowly walked to the Masjid of the Prophet SAW.

My first visit of the Holy Prophet SAW's masjid and resting place was none like I had expected. Despite my earlier effort in preparing to meet Rasulullah SAW with the best ethics that I could possibly do, I felt like a rough ill-mannered illiterate bedouin who came from the most remote part of the desert to the holy city of Madinah, unaware of the extent of greatness of his host. The narrative of the ignorant bedouin who had a pee in the Masjid Nabawi during the time of the Prophet SAW came to mind.

First, I got mixed up on the proper entrance door to visit the Prophet SAW. Instead of entering through Bab-ul Jibreel, I tried to enter the masjid through Bab-ul Baqee. Rightly, I had been stopped from entering by the guards since Bab-ul Baqee was the point of exit of the the flow of people entering from the opposite Bab-ul Jibreel. Still wondering why the guards had stopped me the first time, I tried to enter again without success. Finally, after a few vain attempts, I just stood outside Bab-ul Baqee feeling very sad looking from afar at the resting place of Rasulullah SAW.

Later, when dawn was approaching, I lamely entered Bab-ul Nisaa' hoping to find a good spot for me behind the Rawdah. The number of people was far more than I had expected and I was really struggling to find even a tiny space to sit. Like a lost bedouin who has no idea where he was heading, I walked over the shoulders of devotees again and again, inviting uneasy stares from the people around me. It was then that I felt like a ruthless moronic barbarian standing alone among the civilised cultured people. 

Alas, alhamdulillah, indeed Allah Most High had extinguished the pride and self-sufficiency within me at that point of time in the most perplexing way. Truly, Allah is the One for Whom nothing is hidden from His Knowledge.

The Journey of Hajj - Part 1: The Beginning

In the year 1423 Hijri (beginning 2003), I had been blessed with the opportunity to travel the Hijjaz with my wife for hajj, alhamdulillah. It all started during a weekly mesywarah (consultation) for the Kuala Lumpur region at the dakwah and tabligh centre, Masjid Jame' Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur. Towards the end of the mesywarah, a senior person of Tabung Haji (Malaysia's Pilgrims Management and Fund Board) stood up to give a short announcement. He announced that Tabung Haji had been given a substantial extra quota for pilgrims for the forthcoming hajj season. Those who wish to perform hajj were required to write to Tabung Haji expressing their interest including those who had not even register or not in the waiting list.. He said we could open an account for registration with Tabung Haji with minimum amount of RM10.00 and top-up the account to the required amount later. I was very excited with the news.

I told the good news to my wife and she was overjoyed with it despite she was heavily pregnant with our fourth child, Muhammad Talhah. I felt her joy since a few days earlier she had told me that she wanted to perform hajj. All these happened despite the fact that we both had no accounts in Tabung Haji and we did not have much in our savings. The next thing I knew we were queuing at Tabung Haji counter and paid RM10.00 minimum payment each to open up an account. On our payment slips, it was written the year 2012 as an auto-run queue that notified us the year that we were supposed to perform the hajj. It was indeed a long queue!

Despite a little savings that we had, my wife remains optimistic that Allah Most High would make it easy for us to perform hajj in that year. We started going for Hajj courses conducted by Tabung Haji at the nearby masjid. Soon we went for injections, medical check-ups and before we know it, it was already time for us to make the special hajj passports. All these activities went on while we did not have any idea how to raise enough fund for the journey.

Then it was time for the hajj jord or assembly in the dakwah and tabligh markaz. It was only for menfolks. We were requested to assemble from morning till zuhur for a muzakarah or discussion briefing on the effort of dakwah and tabligh during hajj at the Hijjaz. By then I had already knew my flight group - KT82 - among the later batches, and the second last group scheduled to perform ziarah first at Madinah al-Munawarrah, before going to Makkah. The muzakarah was very comprehensive and clear. I've not heard anyone talk about the real meaning of hajj as the khudama' that had been tasked to conduct the muzakarah. Unlike the courses conducted by Tabung Haji that only talked about the manasik of hajj, the muzakarah focused on the meaning  and spirituality of hajj and the hajj of the Prophet sallalaahu alayhi wassalam. 

And then it was time for us to settle all the RM9,500 each for the hajj cost imposed by Tabung haji for everyone going for hajj by mu'asasah or general hajj package. It was also the cheapest among the hajj packages. Truly, we managed to pay for the cost only by the grace of Allah Most High. It was inexplainable. Suffice for me to say that when Allah Most High wills, then nothing could stop His will.

Remembering Arwah Adnan

The first time that I saw him was in a masjid in Hulu Langat, Selangor in 2002. He had joined us for khuruuj in the path of Allah for three days upon tasykil by Azizi, one of the karkuns in our mohalla (locality). That was the first time for him to join a mission of dakwah and tabligh. He was in his 50's, did not talk much but mixed well with us quickly and easily. On the second day, however, he told us that he had to leave for some personal matters. We urged him to complete the three days period as it would benefit him the best. I always remember an advice from our 'elders' that in the work of dakwah and tabligh, completion of the duration in developing our imaan is very important. It is just like a cake that needs to be baked in the oven for a specified time to get the best result. Even if all the ingredients are mixed correctly, it still needs to be baked in the oven for a specified time. Otherwise, the cake would be spoiled. Similarly, imaan is only acquired through patience and perseverance (mujahadah). However fully equipped a person with ilm or knowledge, he must combines his ilm with mujahadah in order to derive any benefit. All the time, to get the most precious thing that a man could wish for as imaan requires sacrifices. Sometimes one had to forego one's own comfort at home, sometimes it requires us to surrender our leisure time...the price of imaan is not cheap. Really, it depends on each individual in each different circumstances. Anyway, after much persuasion and exhortation, he finally agreed to complete the 3-days period required for the short khuruuj.

On the third day of that khuruuj, to our pleasant surprise, he agreed to my casual invitation for him to join me for 40 days khuruuj in the path of Allah in the following month. We had never expected him to easily agreed to such a long tasykil since through our experience, people (including me) would always give excuses for not spending a chillah or 40 days in the path of Allah or require more time before being able to do so.  For the sake of doing justice to this article, I have to disregard my shame and embarrassment by revealing that it had taken me three long years before I managed to ease myself from the burden that had been delaying me from going for long tasykil. In those days, my brother used to say to me that the Sahabah radiyalaahu anhum had endured 13 years of hardship in Makkah for the sake of imaan but it looked like I was going for the record of spending 3 days a month in the path of Allah for 13 years before going for my first chillah. Alhamdulillah, his 'sarcastic' tasykil had made me realised how unworthy I was for wasting my self, health and wealth for things that could not guarantee me salvation from Allah Most High in this world and the aakhirah. The only comforting thing is that, alhamdulillah, after 3 years of spending 3 days in the path of Allah every month, I had straightaway gone for 4 months khuruuj without having to spend 40 days first, as usually is the case.

A week after that 3 enlightening days in Hulu Langat, he called me saying that he had informed his family about his intention to go out in the path of Allah for 40 days the next weekend and guess what...? His family was fully supportive about his intention and even encourage him to do it. Another thing that I found very unique and peculiar about his case. Most of the time people encounter all sort of hindrances and unnecessary troubles from their own family members when they spoke of going out in the path of Allah in dakwah and tabligh mission. Husbands were being hassled by their wives, sons were being chided by their parents, fathers were being stopped by their children...all for reasons that would never surfaced if the journey is for worldly gains. Husbands would not be hassled by their wives even if they have to leave home for days or months for work or businesses. Sons would not be admonished by their parents to spend days for camping in unknown locations or years of studies in the countries that their parents call kuffar countries. Thus, I felt it was unique and believe it was a great blessing from Allah Most High for him to easily realize his intention without any hindrance from his family.

I remember meeting him again at Masjid Jame' Seri Petaling, the centre or markaz for dakwah and tabligh effort in Malaysia, where people with the same mind-set and the same heart-felt from all over the country gather to be organised in groups or jamaat to go out in the path of Allah for 40 days or 4 months or even for 1 year accordingly. We were gathered in the same jamaat together with 10 other persons of various age groups and backgrounds, destined for Sungai Petani in Kedah. While staying for a couple of days at the markaz, he happily told me that his wife and his two sons had accompanied him earlier to the markaz. He took them for a short tour of the adjoining Madrasah Miftahul Ulum that hosts hundreds of students learning to become huffaz and 'aalims. His face brightened up when he told me of his intention for both of his sons to become huffaz and aalims as well.

The first few days when we arrived in Sg. Petani, he was still wearing jeans and t-shirts. Most of the time he remained quiet, attentively observing the aamal and discourses of others. In those first few days he was even reluctant to give any suggestion or syor in daily mesyuarah (consultation). From time to time, I sat with him in private, sometimes responding to his questions on various matters and sometimes just engaging in casual chat with him. He was always in deep thought.

After about ten days, he appeared jovial, sometimes cracking jokes with the others. He developed a close friendship with an Indian mu'alaf from Klang in our jamaat. The two of them waked each other up for tahajjud (late night worshipping) every night. On the third week of our chillah, he again returned to the state of engrossing in deep thoughts as if he was overburdened with something. Then he started telling us bizzare things that he encountered. One night after tahajjud he saw our amir together with someone else from our jamaat wearing all white kurta and amamah guarding the main door of the masjid all night long when both of them were actually fast asleep. Another night after tahajjud he saw hundreds of people in all white jubah and amamah sitting in the masjid behind him. Though amazed and astonished with what he encountered , we cracked jokes about them. I remember telling him that perhaps the end of time for him in this world is near. He and the others were laughing about it.

On the nineteenth day of our chillah, he first acted as mutakallim (one who deliver a message of deen) during umumi ghast (house to house visitation). He was sweating profusely in those 45 minutes of visitation. The elders of dakwah and tabligh effort say that we could actually put into practical about 500 aayat of the Holy Quran during umumi ghast if it is done properly in accordance with its required manners. Dakwah is the backbone of deen whilst ghast is the backbone of dakwah. 

That day on the twentieth day of our chillah, at about 3.00 am I was awoke by a loud cry. Immediately the lights in the masjid were switched on and everybody in our jamaat gathered around him. He laid reclining against a person. Apparently after tahajjud, he began to lie down on the bedding again when suddenly he held his head with both of his hand and cried aloud "Allah! Allah! Allah!". Before I knew it, I was already in the backseat of a car with his head on my lap speeding off towards Sg. Petani Hospital. It was quite a long journey as we were at a surau in a remote large rubber plantation settlements.

Arwah Adnan was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. 'Inna lillahi wa'inna ilayhi roji'un ("Surely we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return"). 

Upon request by his family, he was buried at Damansara. His funeral prayers were done both at Sg. Petani Hospital and at his house in Bangsar accompanied by a large gathering of people. We then continued our mission of dakwah and tabligh in Seremban area until completion of our chillah. 


May Allah Most High be pleased with him and have mercy on him. May Allah Most High be pleased with and have mercy on us and the entire ummah as well. Aamin.