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....
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