3:38 am. The alarm went off from inside my pocket. I was already out and about. There is no particular reason why my alarm was set at that exact time, it kinda stopped at that number… hahahaha it was “around that time lah!”
The morning seemed unchanged from last night—- the same heat, no wind and the sky was as dark as before. Usually you expect the morning will change somehow to set a new day. Not today, as if it’s still yesterday. Maybe it was me, wanted the time to standstill. Didn’t want this beautiful time to pass and me to depart soon. It’s a long way from home; not sure I would be able to come back and walk this street again. Somehow this land has made our hearts beat a different rhythm. Pure harmony.
Uurgggh this Taliban guy has just put his wet slippers infront of my sejadah. SOB. But you know I’m not gonna say anything;he’s scary as an afghan on TV. I was astonished, however, when he gave me a glimpse of his face, he has the most beautiful eyes— a pair of hazel eyes. Like barbie’s(not even Ken,hahaha). The rest of him , the turban, the beard and the physique, was scary as shit. But the eyes were unbelievable. I remember now the Afghan girl on a magazine cover some years ago. He has the same strange pair of eyes. After Fajr, I left him alone and set to start my daily tawaf.
11:30am and I was late for Zuhr. The scorching heat drove my pace even faster. Many entrances have been closed and the late comers such as myself resorted to the edge of tawaf area . Found a place and set myself for Zuhr.
The heat here is something else. So hot you can’t even tolerate it in anyway. People escape it at all cost. And if you are foreign to this land you better pack a bagful of sunscreen . After the heat in the middle of the day, a wind blows in and the place becomes more bearable, liveable. A shade under the tree can now be the port to lie down and nap away. By Asr time, the heat subsided and the open space can be seen busy again. The life returns and remains active till late night. I have started to understand this cycle and found the reason I have survived 20+ days since my arrival. The lesson—- heat is not a plaything, for you and me it could spell trouble….. fatal trouble.so don’t play play. Today the heat was measured at 46 degrees celcius (max). I just could not imagine how people in earlier time manage the heat. Difficult time. Zamzam water is unique and magical in some sense. Its existence in the middle of a desert reminds us the prophecy of Ibrahim ,son Ismail and the mother Hajar. Their struggles and life of what we celebrate in our haj and umrah.
Tonight will be the start of “last ten days of Ramadhan”. People came with blankets and pillows to do iktikaf and the night prayers. I will join the night prayers InsyAllah.
Solat Tahajjud began at 12:30 am. Ended 2:00 am.
