We arrived in Jeddah around 9:30 pm. The Saudia flight was always odd; chaos in the beginning then smooth as everyone settled in. The cabin crew could have been thinner and wear mire smiles on the face. They looked tired and annoyed by something. This one stewardess was super nice, lovely and comforting. In a long haul flight all you need is safe and comfortable journey. Leave your hopeless grin and long breath of disappointment at the departure gate. I saw a couple of boring movies, a nap, a taste of nice biryani and that’s it. The announcement of descent means pack up we are there. Another hour and we found ourselves in a Makkah hotel negotiating whether this is the right hotel.
At 2:30 am we do the tawaf among not so compromising crowds. Pushing and shoving were naturally common practice. I could feel someone’s belly on my ass . Please lady not here! and she just pushed me aside. The Indons were always moving in a group and when they right behind, you must move aside and give way. They are small but deadly. The men smelled terrible when they raised the arm pits to start the round aaaarrrggghhh! shit bro ! go! It was brutal on the mataf but these Indons were soliciting to take you to kiss hajarul aswad for a hefty sum. I just couldn’t imagine how they found a niche demand out of desperation and turned it into a money making opportunity.
We ended up on the hill of Marwah before the azan was called. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel for a little rest. I just couldn’t sleep and planned for a morning walk.The last time I was here my accommodation was a few minutes away.I returned there to trace my brief time here during Ramadhan 2023.
Similar walking rituals only the faces were different. After Fajr there were some locals spreading their goods for a bargain. I walked on to the hotel we used to stay. The name has changed but the ambience remained almost the same The. corner shop still managed by those from Turkiye / Uzbek and randomly said things in Malay for the excitement of his customers. i looked for the tasty one rial flat bread he used to sell. None. that thing usually goes very fast.the biryani restaurant was refurbished but looked the same. I ordered a 40 rial lamb biryani maybe will last for the day.It was unbelievably delicious and I drooled at every scoop of the rice and the lamb. Heavens..
Spiritually, the journey to Makkah has always been a refinement process. Some sort of recharging the null and lull episode of my faith. Doing the umrah and solat and dua made up the formula for a renewed me in a sense that you know when it happened. you know you know lah! It manifested beyond written words because nothing can truly describe the recovery of my soul (or yours)
The awakening of your faith can be a long process. It cannot be an overnight thing as the soul needs to mould itself into something extraordinary. Sounds hopeless but we can always make dua to assure our straight path.
ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَ ٰطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِیمَ﴿ ٦ ﴾
“Show us the straight way”
Al-Fātihah, Ayah 6
In the mosque, a different type of people from different countries trying to compromise the imperfections of each other and make the whole process more interesting. I sat there at three in the morning waiting for the azan at five and found myself doing a bit of that and a-bit of this. Occupied in a time where I could have been dreaming in a warm bed. None of us is perfect but within you and me perfection is reachable, doable. I kept stretching, moving my legs to ease the straining joints. This old horse has started to define the time; when and where it hurts. The time pains are taking place you just surrender and let the body relax and take care of itself. There’s no need to panic. Insyallah everything will be fine.
Healing is another reason to be here. The broken you could be patched up just by sitting among the chaotic folks and feel the calmness within. Doing umrah you will struggle to complete the rituals and at the end some kind of accomplishment suddenly overwhelmed you. This place is magical and has been for thousands of years.
We only have two days in Makkah and later tonight we will leave. The opportunity to come and prostrate in this sacred place is magical beyond my “stay home you will be better off” kind of thinking. I feel safe and secured at a place I know over the years. Why, then, go beyond your safe four walls and make yourself shit for no reason. The reason being that the better you or your world is over that hill and you need to move your ass over there and take a look. Well, if you found nothing interesting you can always climb back down. Not too complicated isn’t it?
The crowd is getting restless and someone has just pick a fight over a mere place on the floor. This place is huge and the dude pick this corner to flare his issues. Ignored and moved on. The rage drained out but someone still sitting with unfinished business. An Arab with a bunch of old Nigerians. The Africans will make sayur out of you dude…..give up.
Time for solat.
