Hajj: Old Habits Die Hard

it is always being stressed by the ustazs(=trainers) that one must 'settle' all debts and change one's repulsive habits before going for Haj. An example given is that if one 'accidentally' caused the death of another due to traffic accident has to pay blood money for it. And it is always mentioned that one has to be extra pious before departing for the Holy Land.

During the "Kursus Perdana Haji' just a couple of weeks before my departure, I noticed many would-be Hajis took two or three food rations for himself causing the shortage of food packages. Several would-be Hajis couldn't get their ration. Now if one deliberately taking food belonging to others, depriving others of their entitlement what use is them going for Haj?

In Medina and Mecca hotels, the Hajis and Hajjahs lost all inhibitions when it comes to collecting food packages. And the habit of jumping the queues at any service counters shows the ugly side of Malaysians and Moslems!

Old habits die hard, even among those chosen to be the Guests of Allah!

Haj Course

Immediately after getting the notification from Tabung Haji that I was selected to perform the Haj in 2010, I knew I have to go for the courses organised by them. This simple routine is not so confortable for me. The reason for my 'uneasiness' is that I am a shy person and I do not like people to know that I was going for Haj. I prefer to take my spiritual journey private for the fear of being a 'village celebrity'.

For that I choose a mosque at which the course was first introduced and luckily it was very far from my house. In my first session, I saw no one whom I know at the course. I was happy. Attending a course can be an experience as everyone who goes there always asks questions such as: "(are you) going this year?', "going with wife?", and the irritating (at least to me) "going by muasasah or package?". Of course my wife and I have to choose the muassasah terms as it is cheap. For the uninitiated, "package" means going for the haj using private (Tabung Haji also has this mode) travel agents. It costs more, ranging from RM18,000.00 to RM60,000.00 per head.

Once the inquisitive person next to you gets your answer he/she starts telling you about the virtues of going via the 'package'. Worse still if he/she has performed the Haj before. He/she will rattle off tonnes of information to you about Mecca etc. I had gone for an umra (minor haj) years before but I never mention the fact to my numerous questioner....

Haji!

Last October (October 17, 2010) to be exact my wife and I went to the Holy Land for our haj - a once-a-life-time journey ordained for those who are able, financially and physically. It was a spiritually rewarding journey. Talking about haj, I feel proud as I was able - thank God - to perform the haj, finally. My father did his haj before his demise. So did my grandfather. My grandfather first went for haj in 1953 via steamship. I was not yet born then but I was told the return journey took six months. And my grandparents had to bring along everything except the house for the journey including the lesung batu.

My grandfather went for haj twice. The 1953 journey was with my grandmother, who passed away in 1957, before I was born. He remarried and eventually he and my step-grandmother went for haj too.

My father also went for haj more than once. I don't think I could do that, the reason being financial and my physical weakness.

I shall try to make postings on my haj very soon.