Let's plan for Haj
this year
This may be mentioned that the first two pages of
this article concerning various Haj visa categories and their availability relate
particularly to Pakistan.
This document contains detailed information about how
to perform Haj in a shorter time (8-12 days) on your international passport without going
through the government's formal application system. It does not touch upon religious
and spiritual aspects of this great event but limits itself to providing information that
will make it an easy and memorable experience in contrast to what you commonly hear from
returning pilgrims. It guides you about what to expect and do once you are there. As the
document grew quite large I had to add an outline and the main article follows.
Haj Visas…. various kinds and their
availability
Preparation (stuff you need)
Travel….. Choosing an airline
Jeddah airport proceedings
Accommodation… Makkah, Mina and Medina
Logistics of main Haj event
A roundtrip…
Mina-Arafat-Mina
Tunnel to Mina
Mina (hotels, tents, shops,
toilets, medical services, Khaif)
Off to Arafat
(facilities)
To Muzdalifa (facilities)
Back to Mina
Rituals (comfortable ways and
timings to perform Rami and Tawaf)
To Madina (transport, stay and ziaraat)
Back to Jeddah airport (different proceedings this time)
MAIN ARTICLE
I had been planning to perform Haj for many
years but could not, for many reasons. Primarily because I had not been issued an
'invitation' but more worldly reasons included busy work schedule that would not allow a
45 day absence, small children who did not want to be left alone and could not be taken
along either, and minor deterrents like horror stories from Haji camps, Haj flights and
mo`allims in Saudi Arabia and whether to perform Umra before Haj. (By the way I realized that performing Umra before Haj gives you no
idea about the Haj at all since Umra is purely an all Makka affair whereas Haj is entirely
an out-of-Makka expedition). Another problem was the uncertainty about the kind
and quality of accommodation in the government sponsored scheme. If you happen to see a
government Haj application form for regular scheme you will find a specific column that
classifies accommodation into ordinary, good and very good and you are supposed to choose
one of them. But quite confusingly it mentions nothing about their respective charges; all
Hajis pay the same amount whichever category of accommodation they choose. To
resolve this confusion, when I took up the matter with Haj counters of various banks in my
area (LCCHS, Lahore), I could only strengthen my belief about the poor performance of
these and other institutions associated with this holy cause; nobody knew anything, so I
wanted to be in charge of my own accommodation (and, as I later found out, it was the
correct decision ).
With all this background I wanted to perform Haj in a
way where:
- The stay could be short (10-12 days);
- Haj flights and Haji camps could be avoided;
- I could choose my own accommodation;
- I could avoid mo`allim's dictation; and
- If possible, spend less money
Year 1997 was wasted in gathering information and not
getting the right links but this year 1998, everything appeared to be falling in place. I
performed Haj (all gratitude to Him) and in a way that I'll always remember. I am an
experienced globetrotter but honestly, nothing comes even close to this event when I take
a comparative look at all my past (and may be future) journeys.
When I came back, I discovered that there was a large
number of people who had similar limitations as mine and, when I gave them the facts were
immediately prompted for next year's Haj. I realized that I may not be able to reach all
of them physically but still would like them to know that their ambitions can take form of
reality. Hence this detailed description of what they need to know, expect and do. I would be delighted to answer any questions that may arise from this
article. You can find my postal and email addresses at the end of this article.
Haj, basically has two distinctly separate experience
domains, logistic and spiritual; this write-up will only touch upon the former as the
latter is purely subjective and two pilgrims sitting next to each
other in the Haram may be poles apart in this respect.
VISA
There are two kinds of Haj visas; regular Haj scheme
visa of the Pakistan government (which includes both self-supporting and sponsored) and
the NOC visa. This article focuses on performing Haj through the latter.
In the regular scheme, the government invites
applications approximately six months in adavnce (i.e. late Jamadi-ul-Awal or early
Jamadi-ul-Sani) and almost every applicant gets a visa through the Pakistan Haj ministry
on a special passport (Haj passport). Applications have to be supported by bank drafts of
the full fee (approx. Rs 75,000 per person). These hajis will have to stay 40-45 days in
Saudi Arabia, not because of any religious restriction but purely because transporting
80,000-100,000 persons does require that time; so the ones who go early, come back early
and vice versa.
The NOC visa, on the other hand, is a category where
Saudi embassy directly issues Haj visas without involving the Pakistan Haj ministry;
apparently anybody with reasonable contacts should be able to get this kind of visa. But
lately some agencies have taken the responsibility of arranging this visa for all those
who wish to get it, on a fixed fee basis. This visa is endorsed on the international
passport and gives the passenger the freedom to choose his time of departure as well as
his duration of stay in Saudi Arabia. Virtually any route to Jeddah and back on any flight
can be taken but with two notable differences; firstly if any flight other than PIA is
chosen the fare has to be paid in foreign exchange earned abroad.
A good way of doing this is to buy a ticket on an account issued abroad and for this any
Master/Visa or Amex card issued abroad will serve the purpose. Secondly, this is going to
be an undiscounted fare of the economy class; so it is going to cost Rs.5000-7000 more
than a similar fare in non-Haj season but then, don't forget to get
Jeddah-Madina-Jeddah vouchers with it which makes its price worthwhile.
Now choosing to get a visa through the government
scheme would mean:
- Submitting applications with full fee (Rs.75000
approx.) before the last date, usually the last week of Jamadi-ul-Sani (September for year
1998); - traveling according to the schedule provided by the
government; - traveling on Haj flights only;
- staying in Haji camps; it is usually mandatory to
report at the Haji camp 24-36 hours before the flight departure time; - losing the opportunity to select or change
accommodation in Saudi Arabia - Traveling to Madina and back by road.
On the other hand the NOC visa would allow:
- more time for securing a visa (i.e. almost until two
weeks before Haj); - having complete control of your entire Haj schedule…
from selection of flights and dates of travel to selecting accomodation and food; - By-passing the Haji camp
- Travel to Madina and back by air
Going on an NOC visa however, will also mean that you
will have to find your own accommodation in Makkah (details follow) immediately upon
arrival, so choose a flight that arrives in Jeddah around
midnight or early morning and gives you the whole next day for this hunt.
Lately the Saudi the government has made it mandatory
for all kind of Haj visa holders to pay the mo'allim's fee which amounts to 770
reyals and includes two services. First your registration with the mo'allim (which is
your booking of tent stay in Mina) and second the entire road travel while in SA (which
includes Jeddah airport to Makkah, Makkah to Mina, Mina to Arafat, Arafat to Muzdalifa,
Muzdalifa to Makkah and finally to Madina and back to Jeddah).
PREPARATION
The one golden and ever applicable advice in the
context of preparation is that you 'perform Haj like a
commoner; forget your status and bring your expectations to their lowest'.
This would mean that you are on 'Jihad' and not on picnic. Remind yourself: “I am
going to accommodate everyone and everything; I am going to be patient and kind and …
not lose temper, at all”; if you can achieve this your Haj will be the most pleasant
and unforgettable expedition (like mine).
Travel light .... is one thing I could never do on
my world trips but on Haj it was quite easily achievable, primarily because you don't
carry 3-piece suits, jumpers and shoes etc. Two or three shalwar qameez suits, two sets of
Ihram, a pair of rubber slippers and a few other utilities are all that are really needed
and hardly make a suitcase. Do carry a copy of Quran preferably
with translation and other recommended books for the occasion. You will miss
them if you don't. The list of articles provided by various sources and departmental
stores will be an extravagance for the NOC traveler; nobody irons clothes, shaves or even
combs hair during these days.
Haj, for the next 5-6 years
is going to fall in excellent weather conditions as it is receding from summer into
winter.
Medicines are quite important; you will need them, without exception. You must carry pain
killers, antidiaarrheals , antibiotics, and antiallergics and be well familiar with their
use. A small but useful list should include:
Disprin/Panadol tablets
Buscopan tablets
Dependal-M tablets
Avil tablets
Actifed-DM tablets
Dramamine tablets
Marzine tablets
Ampiclox 500mg capsules
Ceporex 250mg capsules
Do carry some petty cash in the form of reyals or US
dollars besides your main reserve as you might encounter some unforeseen expense.
Carry 5-6 photographs, as you will need them at the
mo'allim's office.
Always keep a photocopy of your passport and air
ticket in your wallet.
TRAVEL
Your visa agent will get you an NOC visa after you
have paid him his fee plus mandatory mo`allim's fee . Then he will advise you to get
vaccinated against meningitis which you should; many will offer you a valid vaccination
card without getting the injection for Rs.200-300 but I won't recommend this.
After this your travel agent (if different from visa
agent) will get you a flight schedule. It is generally advisable to book your tentative
roundtrip seats 3-4 months in advance (like for Haj 1999 get your seats booked by December
'98); this will give you the opportunity to select the best dates, route and flight.
You are quite likely to get seats later on as well but then you will have to make
compromises.
Remember… there is always
a last date of entry into Saudi Arabia for Haj every year which is usually
around the 1st of Zilhaj. To avoid any last minute disappointment try to travel
before this date. This will also provide the opportunity of staying in Makkah for
6-7 days before the regular Haj proceedings - an experience the memories of which you
will cherish for the rest of your life.
*Catch good sleep before you set out from home
because it is most likely that you won't, for next 36 hours.
*It is best to wear the Ihram before leaving for the airport.
*Be at the airport at least three hours before flight departure time because all flights
to Jeddah during these days will be fully packed and you are quite likely get stuck in
long queues if you do not reach at the airport well before departure time. This will also
give you time in the waiting lounge “to memorise verses necessary for Haj” which
one can not, earlier on for many reasons.
*Travel time is 5 hours (Lahore-Jeddah) and travel itself quite comfortable.
JEDDAH AIRPORT
All hajis will be taken to the Haj terminal at Jeddah
airport without any distinction between regular scheme and NOC visa holders. This terminal
is about 5 km from the International terminal and visitors are not allowed here. So don't plan to ask a friend or relative to pick you up at the
airport since he'll not be able to sneak in.
Jeddah airport is the place where you will find how
well you have prepared yourself for Haj. It is usually a 3-4 hour long immigration process
and if at the end of it you are still smiling, hopefully you'll keep on, for the rest of
your trip.
There are about 8-10 levels of immigration process
with ample local staff taking care of arriving hajis. I found
them very gentle and patient, contrary to what I had been told and hence built
up my expectations. Most of these are temporary staff hired just for 2-3 months to tide
over the Haj period. Because of their relative inexperience it takes longer than normal.
If you realize this you'll understand the delays. So, relax and prepare yourself for
a long wait. But there is hardly ever an unpleasant incident and as a rule of thumb ”
if you don't create problems for yourself, it is sure they won't”.
One of these counters will give you a computer ID
number so that you can be traced through it if and when required. Another will take the
770-reyal bank draft that you got made in Pakistan and will replace it with bus travel
vouchers, which will be utilized step by step.
After the immigration formalities are complete you
will be directed towards the Pakistani haji section of Haj terminal. This is a portion of
a huge (approximately one square kilometer) area outside the airport building and is
covered by fiberglass canopies as ceiling; this area has provision of food, toilets,
phones, Saudi airline and bank offices and quite an elaborate souvenir market. Prices here
are almost the same as in the city so I'll advise you not to
waste time buying things in Jeddah, Makkah or Madina. Perform your Haj with
full concentration and you will have ample time on your way out to buy everything from
here, be it a 15 reyal watch or a 4500 reyal big screen TV. These shops are open round the
clock.
In the Pakistani haji section the entire flight is
handed over to a Saudi mo`allim who breaks it up into smaller groups (usually 50-55
persons in each group) to be transported to Makkah by coach. As you board the bus one of
mo`allim's representatives will take possession of your passport and in return will
give you a wristband that carries the name and address of mo`allim in Makkah. The passport
will remain with mo`allim as long as you stay in Saudi Arabia and you won't need it
either. So don't panic
and don't try to get it back by various means. It will be here, at the airport, when
you come back to depart.
The buses are all air-conditioned and quite comfortable in general; they take approx.
60-90 minutes to get to Makkah stopping on the way at a couple of check posts for records
and registration purposes.
You will be dropped close to mo`allim's office,
en bloc, usually next to a building where other Pakistani hajis are putting up; from here
you are on your own. If you arrive here in the morning, as I suggested the best thing is
to take your breakfast in a nearby Pakistani hotel and go for Umra straightaway. The best
time to do it in peace is between 9.00am and 12.00 noon or between 1.00pm and 4.00pm since
less people choose to perform Umra in rising temperatures.
After you are through with `Umra you will need to look for accommodation and you need to
do this in a very organized manner. Don't panic;
even if you don't find one you will still have your Host's house to spend the
night. You can leave the luggage almost anywhere, in a shop or any hotel nearby to claim
it later; nobody will touch it. Now that you have been to the Haram once you know the
geography of the area. Remember ... all accommodation in
Makkah in Haj season is on seasonal basis i.e. whether you stay for two days or
the whole Haj season (45 days) you will be charged the same amount; there are no daily or
weekly rental plans available. All residential buildings are located in a circle around
the Haram but there is a discrete difference in price structure if you divide this entire
circle in two semicircles. If you stand facing Bab Abdul Aziz of the Haram you will
have Al-Jiyad at your back and right and Misfala on your left making one semicircle. This
area is relatively less dense in buildings and has many five stars hotels including the
Hilton and hence a very high rate (usually between 1500-3000 reyals per person for the
season). All rooms are air-conditioned and most buildings on this side have lifts.
The other semicircle extends on both sides of Bab
Safa on the opposite side across the Haram. This area is much more thickly populated and
comprises usually smaller hotels and private houses that are let out to hajis. The rate
here is approximately 300-500 reyals per person for the season. These rooms are also
air-conditioned but you may have to put up on the 5th floor without a lift; but then you
must realize that you have only to get down once and come up once in 24 hours; all day you
will be in and around the Haram. A standard accommodation in either semicircle means one
of the eight 3-4 inch thick mattresses on floor in a 15x12ft carpeted, air-conditioned
room; the number of mattresses (or persons) in a room may vary depending upon the size of
the room. Bathrooms and toilets are communal. A place near the Haram and on ground floor
is almost three times as expensive as compared to a 3rd floor room 200 yards from the
Haram. Remember ... you only have to get down once and go back to your room at night
spending all day in and around the Kaaba, so distance and number
of stairs should not upset you. People looking for a place near the Haram
actually want to spend more time in the room and come out only for prayer.
I was disappointed to discover that regular scheme
hajis had paid 1600 reyals per person for their Makkah accommodation whereas I could find
a similar accommodation for 500 reyals and a much superior one for 1000 reyals and that
too at the last moment in peak Haj season. (As I mentioned in the beginning that
accommodation was one of the factors that forced me to travel on NOC visa and I was happy
that I did).
FOOD IN MAKKAH
You will find numerous Pakistani restaurants on all
streets around the Haram. The quality of food is usually good and a reasonable variety
available. A meal costs 5-8 reyals per person including two large size chapatis and is
usually more than one person's requirement; along with a can of coke or pepsi, which costs
one reyal, one needs nothing else. Other food shops include KFC, shawarma and local take
aways but I would recommend to stay away from testing your gut on
this trip since food poisoning is probably the commonest complaint during Haj
and it can ruin the whole idea of being there. Take simple, clean, wholesome diet and use
mineral water or can drinks with it. It is good to use salted yogurt (Labban)
intermittently to avoid getting heat exhaustion.
Your mo`allim is supposed to provide you with an ID card for which I advised you to bring photos from
Pakistan (just to save time); this ID card is computerized and will be your legal document
as long as the passport remains with mo`allim.
Remember ..... you have to
buy Qurbani vouchers in Makkah which are available at many places but some of
these are unofficial and hence unreliable; it will be best if you purchase one from
Al-Rhaji Bank counter anywhere in the city; this is supervised by the government and
hence, is quite reliable. It costs 375 reyals per person and has approximate time of
sacrifice written on it.
Do take some time out to
visit historical places; the city is full of them and it is an unbelievable
experience standing in the 'hujra' of Hazrat Ayesha or at the front
door of Hazrat Abu Bakar's house and if you happen to know something about them you
will realize how immortal these personalities were.
MAIN HAJ EVENT
Haj totally is an out of Makkah affair and involves a
roundtrip to Arafat from Mina and spans over three days.
Makkah ---- Mina
--------Muzdalifa ------- Arafat
5km
15km
15km
DAY-1 (8th Zilhaj)
You are required to leave Makkah after Fajr prayer
and get to Mina, at the most by mid-day; this is usually possible in three ways:
* using mo`allim's transport;
* through private vehicles; or
* through the 'Tunnel'
Remember that you have paid for Haj transport when
you applied for visa and now have travel vouchers (already described) so you can check
with mo`allim about departure time to Mina. The buses are generally nice and comfortable
but due to a mass movement after Fajr, logistic problems do occur which result in long
waits while in the bus. You'll still make it to Mina, in time in most probability, inspite
of everything.
If you don't want to use mo`allim's transport
because of rush, long waiting time etc. you can then opt for a private vehicle;
interestingly a very large number of private car owners (from a junky Chevy to the latest
Landcruiser) turn to taxi business during Haj season. They charge 10-100 reyals per person
for Mina and similarly for Arafat and back depending upon whether you want to travel
during rush hours or otherwise. Don't be fooled by a
courteous looking owner who invites you to get into his car and take you
wherever you want to go; you are going to pay for it.
Because of the ever-increasing number of pilgrims it
is virtually becoming impossible for all 2.5 million plus to be transported from Makkah to
Mina between 5.00 -11.00am. So quite a few decide to go there during the night or even
after Isha the night before. I must re-emphasize here that Mina
is only 5-6km from Makkah and a very large number of hajis opt to walk to Mina
using the specially made 'Pedestrian Tunnel'. It is a wide (about 25ft across) covered
passage, well ventilated and illuminated. There are also gaps in the tunnel where it
becomes uncovered and remains open to sky for 20-30 meters and then becomes covered again;
this is most probably to help improve the ventilation and give exits to people for various
reasons. No vehicles are allowed in the tunnel so walking with the crowd chanting
'Labbaik-Allahumma-Labbaik' is quite an experience and the time passes very quickly. This
route is best used after the Fajr prayer on 8th Zilhaj and I'll strongly recommend it for
those who are physically fit and don't mind walking; ladies and children are no
exception, if accompanying.
There are at least six roads leading into Mina valley
constructed at different heights from ground level to allow unimpeded flow of vehicles;
they are all heavily guarded by local police who appear quite helpful and agile and do
their best to avoid jamming. Your driver may try to drop you at the highest level road
since this is least used and hence he can take many roundtrips from Makkah to Mina on this
to make as much money as he can but this will make you walk over a kilometer to the
residences. Therefore you'll have to tell him to drop you at the lowest of the roads
that leads straight into the mosque Khaif.
IN MINA
Mina is going to be your headquarter for the next
four days (or five, if you choose to stay on as the Holy Prophet PBUH did) so you must not underestimate the importance of your residence here.
You have two main purposes to stay here; one, say most or all of your prayers in Khaif
mosque and two, get as much time in peace and comfort to pray, recite the Quran and offer
nawafil as you can in full concentration. You will have to go out to Arafat and come back
here again the next day. For this you have two options:
· You have already paid the mo`allim for
the tent in Mina, so you don't have to pay anything else; when you use
mo`allim's transport he'll take you straight into the tents booked for his group of
hajis. From 1998 all hajis from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will be
accommodated in fiberglass tents with air coolers installed in them. This is to avoid fire
accidents and provide lower temperatures to avoid heat stroke etc. but beyond this the
picture is not very attractive. The tents are spread over an area of approx. 5.0-km and
you'll only get to find out how far from Khaif mosque you are located when you get there.
Usually the distance is over a kilometer and this forces most hajis to say their prayers
in small groups inside or close to the tents. Secondly the food provided officially by
mo`allims is hardly ever sufficient or decent, so one is always on the look out for food
at various shops between the camps or the ones which are located around Khaif mosque. In
spite of the fact that facilities are ever enlarging, the number of hajis always appears
to outsource them. As a result, quite a large number of them do not get a chance to get
reasonable food. This causes frustration and depletion of energy on the one hand, but more
importantly, takes away concentration and hence spoils the spirit of this event on the
other. You can imagine walking for 20-30 minutes around mid-day, in the heat, to get to
the food shops, spend an hour or so getting (or maybe not getting) it and then walking all
the way back to take your lunch around 4 O'clock, just to gear up for a similar
exercise in the evening. One is virtually restricted to this routine and allowed to have
little time for the main purpose that one came here for. But then this is my opinion and
there will be quite a few who settle down in the routine and get food in their tents on
more regular basis and are hence satisfied.
· The other option in Mina is private
hotels, of which there are very few with a total capacity of under a hundred thousand
people. They are located right around the mosque and hence closest to the market and the
Jamarat. Accommodation is similar to that in Makkah and all rooms are air-conditioned. The
rent however is quite exorbitant, approximately 3000 reyals per person for 4-5 days. This
includes good quality, wholesome food, provided on time, in a very congenial atmosphere.
Toilets and bathrooms are communal but OK. This also ensures good sleep and access to all
the provisions round the clock and virtually means that you have nothing else to do but
concentrate on the “job”. You can offer all prayers with jamaat of Khaif even if
you leave your room when the moazzin is halfway through the call. Then you can come back
and busy yourself with the Quran or read some other stuff that you may have. Best of all,
Jamarat are only 500 yards from the hotels so you can go there any time you want. In other
words, the money you pay will be fully rewarded and hence I strongly recommend it for
those who can afford it, but remember, these hotels need advance booking which is done at
Makkah by various hotels until a couple of days before the actual take off to Mina.
Facilities in Mina
The facilities n Mina are quite adequate but they all
concentrated around Khaif with the exception of toilets which are scattered all over the
camp area. There is only one shopping area where you can find almost every thing of daily
usage at a reasonable price. So if you have forgotten your wrist watch or umbrella back in
Makkah you'll find plenty here.
Many take-away food shops are there to serve the
hajis but they do get overcrowded and finally exhausted by the mob at meal times.
A massive setup of public toilets and ablution taps
is available adjacent to the shopping area; these are quite clean inspite of excessive
usage, thanks primarily to the high pressure flushing technique.
Public phones have been placed in groups of 10's
and 20's at many sites but most of these use prepaid cards which cost a minimum of 50
reyals and are easily available all over Saudi Arabia and even Mina. It is best that you buy one at Jeddah airport and keep it handy for the rest of
your trip. A large telephone and telegraph office building also overlooks the Khaif for
those who want to send telegrams or faxes back home.
In addition to conventional shops a very large number
of footpath vendors occupy the roads of Mina but mainly around Khaif and usually carry
souvenirs of 1-10 reyal value. The prices are generally negotiable by 40-50%.
One very unique service that you will encounter all
through the Haj is supply of free foodstuff by philanthropists (individuals and
organizations both). Every now and then a huge trailer would be noticed surrounded by a
small crowd and a couple of men from the back of trailer throwing food items in the air
allowing people to test their catching abilities. Food items supplied by these include
mineral water, fruit juice, milk, yogurt and fresh fruit but there is usually one item in
one container. I realized that they somehow get to you precisely when you are desperately
looking for a drink and in bright sun there is hardly anything superior to a bottle of
chilled mineral water.
There are two other very elaborate systems of
services that require special mention. Firstly the medical care which comprises a large
array of brand new ambulances, well equipped and staffed, to provide emergency care to
anyone in trouble and if necessary, shift him to Mina General Hospital which faces the
ladies entrance of Khaif mosque. Secondly a very extensive and extremely energetic setup
for garbage removal; about a third of 2.5 million hajis are almost continuously eating or
drinking and littering their surroundings very casually. So even if left unattended for an
hour the tarmac is covered by many layers of empty juice packets, plastic bags, water
bottles and other kinds of wrappers. Numerous, completely automated dumper trucks are seen
constantly cleaning the area of such garbage to keep the area clean for hajis. This is a
facility the importance of which can only be underestimated if one has not been there
physically.
Day-2 (9th Zilhaj)
OFF TO ARAFAT
After having spent the first day (8th Zilhaj) in Mina
you will proceed to attend the main Haj congregation in Arafat. Logistics for this are
just the same as those for coming to Mina, except that the distance to Arafat is a little
longer (25-30km approx.). You will have all three options open to you for travel i.e. go
walking, travel with mo`allim on his bus or use private transport and pay for it. Take off
time is again after Fajr prayer and one has to arrive in Arafat before Zuhr.
Remember .... This is the
only day during the whole Haj event that the entire crowd (2.5 million plus) moves
together so your patience needs to be at its best today. Like multiple roads
into Mina there are many ways out of it but due to mass movement of an unbelievably large
crowd all roads are packed with vehicles. This is the time when even local Saudis and
hajis from neighboring countries join in on private cars. It takes approximately an hour
to an hour and a half to cover this 25kms to Arafat and it is a good idea to keep a few
drinks and snacks handy.
On your way to Arafat you will pass through the
Muzdalifa valley; this is almost half way down and is the place where you will spend the
night today on your way back from Arafat.
Like Mina, Arafat is also a valley and is sign posted
by big yellow boards all along the periphery. Remember, you have
to be inside the 'Arafat begins here' signboards whether you have
arrived here walking or have been off loaded by a vehicle. If you get to Arafat before
Zuhr try to get to the mosque Namra to say your prayer with the jamaat and attend the
“Khutba of Haj”.
As in Mina you'll find everything of utility
here; drinks, fruits, take-away food and above all, free distribution. Some do get a
chance to get complementary food supplied on behalf of the king but I could not. Toilets
are quite a few and well scattered and you will not really be left looking for anything.
'This day is the
Haj'. So be there early and well prepared about what to do. You have to
spend 6-8 hours there and if in the middle of it you feel you have nothing to do and want
to go to sleep for a while (I saw many) it will be like sleeping on your long term future.
You leave Arafat after sunset usually by the same
transport that brought you here.
TO MUZDALIFA
At dusk mass departure from Arafat begins; for some it is a departure from their previous lifestyle while for
others it is just a way back home from a picnic. Logistics once again are no
different; long vehicle queues jamming all roads, bumper to bumper, inching their way
forward. Almost everybody is tired so patience is much more in demand than ever before.
Eventually you will get on to the main road and set out towards Muzdalifa, which you
passed by on the way while coming to Arafat.
In the Muzdalifa valley you will have to spend the
night under clear sky on rocky, uneven ground. If you have a plastic prayer mat (which you
will definitely buy in Makkah for 8-10 reyals) it will suffice. If you haven't you
can buy one here. Some people carry sleeping bags which I thought were a little luxurious
refuting the whole theme of this stay. Even here you will find cold drinks, some food and
fruit vendors and free distribution. Be sure that 'He' will not let you go to
sleep without food.
One thing that you may do in Muzdalifa is collect
small, peanut size stones, of which there are plenty for the whole crowd; you can do this
before going off to sleep or after Fajr next morning before you set out for Mina.
Day-3 (10th Zilhaj)
BACK TO MINA
As you left for Arafat yesterday, you will have to
leave Muzdalifa after Fajr for Mina. It is the same exercise; get on the bus, wait
patiently and try to make yourself comfortable, at least as much as you can. You will get
to Mina by breakfast time. This completes your roundtrip to Arafat and practically the
Haj. From now on you will be performing certain rituals for which you must know the
philosophical background and the best time to perform them. The rule is 'Learn and avoid the mob psychology; stay behind by a couple of
hours' and you will stay out of trouble.
1 . Remember that the vast majority of people avoid heat;
so you can either perform a ritual in heat in 20 minutes in full concentration or in
cooler time in two hours in a mess and that too with no idea of what you are doing. If you
choose to do anything between 10.00am and 4.00pm it is very likely that you will be
through quite easily.
2 . Avoid doing anything close to prayer
timings because the 'mob thinking' makes plans to do this/that when they are out
for prayer.
3 . Rush or overcrowding is only a relative
term during Haj and hence no rush means only a few thousand people and not a few hundred
thousand.
Having understood these rules you may follow the
routine below:
1 . People in general are in a haste to get
out of Ihram (for no apparent reason; on the contrary I wanted to continue with it) and
for this they have to get their heads shaved; there are three types of services available
for this.
· hajis shaving eachother's head
.... Naturally free of charge.
· Freelance, amateur style barbers who charge 5.0 reyals but shave more skin
than hair. I would strongly suggest staying away from them as this is the most potential
source of cross infection.
· Govt. authorized barbers who have two designated sites close to Jamarats.
These are primarily two huge pavilions covered by steel shades and have approx. 500 chairs
in each with a licensed barber standing behind each. You have to buy a 10-reyal coupon at
the main entrance and take it to the barber of your choice; he will ask you to opt between
a razor and machine shave. If you want a razor shave I will advise you to carry or buy one
good quality disposable razor in Makkah for this occasion; or at least ask the barber to
use a new blade. A machine shave is safer and equally effective. This is the only
recommended place for the job; don't try other alternatives.
If you wait only until lunchtime the place will be
much less busy and barbers in less hurry; so go there after lunch and get a shave of your
choice.
2 . Next ritual is stoning of Jamarat. Again
it is best to go there between Zohr and Asar prayers and you will find your way through
quite easily but remember:
· There are two levels at which stoning
can be performed, the traditional ground floor and a newly constructed overhead bridge
that serves as first floor.
· Jamarat are basically three, concrete
pillars approx. 100 meters apart. They are roughly 6×6 ft in width and depth and stand
more than 30 ft high; the top 8-10 ft of the pillar goes through a big hole in overhead
bridge. Thus the people at ground floor aim at the base of pillars while those on the
bridge stone the top.
· The overhead bridge or the first floor
has a one way movement system i.e. on a U-shaped bridge people go up from one end and come
down from the other, thus avoiding a turn around and treading.
· The ground floor has no such system;
people are found walking in all directions. In general they prefer this route because they
can avoid the sun and this in turn leads to more rush here. They push through the crowd up
to the Jamarat, stone it and then suddenly appear to lose control. They turn around
and run with their heads down against the flow of people basically to avoid being hit by
stones. (This absolutely incomprehensible because the stones are very small, aimed at a
higher level and don't commonly hit you; but even if they do they are too small to
cause any injury). This is the commonest place for accidents
hence and people once panicking are very difficult to control; scores of lives
are lost for no apparent reason. My recommendations for you hence are:
· Choose a time between Zohr and Asar
prayers, so that you should be at Jamrat around 3 O'clock.
· Choose whichever floor you like but
remember that at this time it is not possible to stick to the teachings of guide books or
mo`allims (which means that you should stone the Jamara in such a way that the
valley of Mina is on your left and Makkah on your right. You will spend the whole day
trying to get into this position and are still not likely to succeed since everybody is
trying to do the same. Therefore people form a circle around Jamara and stone it from all
angles.
· The best approach under the
circumstances is to go past the Jamara, turn around and enter the crowd from the far end;
the crowd is thinnest here and you will have little problem getting to the first row and
hence stone from a very convenient position.
· Always carry more stones than you
require because some may fall out of your grip in the rush and it will be extremely unwise
to bend down and gather them to complete the count.
· After you have stoned, remember one
very important thing. “Don't panic and don't run”. Try to make your
way out as patiently as you made in and in the process you may be caught by a 'low
flying missile' but I assure you this wont hurt at all. Keep your calm and you will
come out safe everytime.
3 . After stoning, the last part of the Haj
proceedings is going to Makkah for Tawaf-e-Ziarah. For this you will have to make your own
travel arrangements. As I mentioned earlier that if you are fit and don't have small
children accompanying you, it is best to walk through the Tunnel. This is the easiest,
most pleasant and a highly moving experience; it takes 30-40 minutes to get to Haram
which, while moving with the crowd, doesn't even appear that long. The timing is
again important. Use the same guidelines that I mentioned on page 10 in the 'Back to
Mina' section; briefly again: try to make use of the time that others tend to avoid;
don't go close to any prayer time as there is unnecessary overcrowding close to
prayer times and avoid cooler hours like 5-8 am and 6-10pm. The rest will be fine.
4 . You will come back to Mina after this
'tawaf'; you may use the tunnel but if tired get on public or private transport
which is ample and charges 5-10 reyals depending upon whether you choose a public or a
private vehicle.
You may stay in Mina for two or three days as you
might have already planned and then pack up and go to Makkah. You have now completed your
Haj by 'His' grace, something that 'He' does not offer to everyone,
inspite of their willingness and resources.
You have two options in Makkah now; go to Madina or
go home. Remember; going to Madina is not a part of Haj;
you may go there now or some other time. But don't go there with the understanding
that your Haj will be incomplete without this visit. Also remember that your stay in
Madina can be as short as a day and as long as you want. The quotes referred to in this
context are quite baseless and the books provided by Saudi govt. clearly mention that Haj
is complete without travel to Madina. Most people go there just because they may not
get a second chance to come.
If you have planned to go to Madina you can either go
by air for which you have vouchers in your air ticket; this is the best way to travel
since this saves time and energy. But remember, if you travel by
air you must carry the photo ID card given to you by the mo`allim when you
arrived in Makkah. You will not be able to board any plane or bus without this card. But
if somehow you did not get air travel voucher you still have coach travel voucher for
which you paid in Pakistan and received the vouchers at Jeddah airport. Go to
mo`allim's office and get the plan for this travel. He has a program to transport all
hajis allocated to him; buses leave around midnight and take approx. 6-8 hours to Madina
and you will get there by breakfast time.
Remember .... If your
flight out of Saudi Arabia is from Madina tell the mo`allim about this and make
sure that he hands over your passport to the bus driver who in turn will deliver it to the
mo`allim's agent in Madina. This will ensure your trouble free journey back home. On
the other hand, if your departure is scheduled from Jeddah you can even leave your extra
luggage in your Makkah residence and collect it on return.
IN MADINA
Accommodation in Madina is much easier to find and
cheaper as well; you may find a room here on daily/weekly or monthly basis or get a
package deal for the number of days that you want to stay. An accommodation similar to
that in Makkah will cost around 50-70 reyals per person per day. One good thing about
Madina is that at no time during the Haj season is it thronged by all hajis
simultaneously; some go there before and some after the Haj and hence the city looks
quieter, cleaner and more friendly.
The food, as usual is quite good, cheap and plenty
and you are probably going to remember it for a long time.
Other than saying prayers in the Masjid-e-Nabvi there
is not much to do; so you can utilize this time to visit historical places. The best way
to do this is to form a small group and get an Urdu speaking cab driver to get you a
roundtrip. It costs 10-15 reyals per person and takes 2-3 hours but is really worth its
while. You can do this even if you are in Madina for a day; leave after breakfast and you
will be back by Zuhr.
The duration of stay in Madina is purely subjective
so it can span from a few hours to a few weeks; so plan it accordingly but do get
confirmed air reservations of the roundtrip before embarking upon it.
If your flight to Pakistan is out of Madina do keep
in touch with the mo`allim's man so that he is aware of your departure time and is
not found to be missing at the eleventh hour. He will not hand over the passport to you at
any cost so don't belittle yourself trying to get it in orthodox pakistani ways
(which I have seen many try but only to be disappointed). At the scheduled time he will
accompany you to the airport and deposit you alongwith your passport at the immigration
counter (Maktab). The man at the desk will issue him a receipt of successful completion of
the job and hand your passport over to you.
In contrast to Jeddah, Madina is not a busy airport
(see below) so you can plan to be there only 3-4 hours before the flight time. But then
all flights to Pakistan from Madina only land at Karachi and if it suits you this is
probably the best route. On your way towards the plane you will be handed a copy of the
Quran which is a gift from the King.
If your flight to Pakistan is from Jeddah you will
travel back utilizing your Madina-Jeddah voucher; if you are travelling by air you will
have to get to Makkah on your own as you did while going to Madina. When
in Makkah reconfirm your flight at the airline office. Offices are open from
8.00am to 11.00pm but are extremely busy most of the time; here again our policy of
avoiding rush hours at the cost of a little inconvenience will prove its worth. Go to the airline office at 8.00 am and I guarantee that you will be
through in 15 minutes; after 9.00am the wait is only going to be longer and
longer. If you are travelling on an airline other than the Saudia, insist on mo`allim to
send one of his men with you carrying your passport to the airline office; he cant refuse;
this is primarily to get a boarding pass issued right there,
24 hours prior to flight time.
If, however you are booked on a Saudia flight you can
get a boarding pass at the airport as well, through one of the many counters of Saudia
airline established for this purpose.
Get in touch with mo`allim and tell him your
departure plan. Remember that you will be required to report at
Jeddah airport at least 10-12 hours before your flight departure time. The
mo`allim's man will try to dispatch you 24 hours before time since the earlier they
see you off the better it is for them to get done with their responsibility. Also that
their buses leave once everyday for the airport and they carry all passengers intending to
travel in the next 24 hours. Try to negotiate your departure time with him and he'll
finally agree on the condition that you will manage your own transport. He will ask you to
get hold of a Saudi taxi driver (not any taxi driver) who will be handed over the
passport. The taxi driver will charge you anywhere between 100-250 reyals for the service
depending upon your urgency and time of departure (i.e. day or night); if you can't
get a taxi mo`allim will get one for you. It should primarily be a man of his confidence.
After getting hold of your passport this taxi driver will take you straight to Jeddah
airport. As I mentioned earlier in case of Madina airport, taxi driver will deliver you at
the immigration counter (same place in case of Haj terminal Jeddah where you arrived) and
be issued an official receipt of acknowledgement. Now the passports will be handed over to
you, at last.
If you are travelling by a Saudia flight and have not
got yourself boarding pass, you can do this right away, at the airline office which is
located in the middle of this terminal. Remember ... no other
airline has an office here. Find the people travelling on the flight same as
yours and then make yourself comfortable, on the floor, amongst thousands of other hajis.
As I mentioned in the section 'Jeddah
Airport' on page 4 there is an elaborate market of merchandise at this terminal and
you can buy anything your pocket can afford. You may have checked the prices in city; they
are not very different here. This is the time to shop; it will pass time and you will be
happy that you did not indulge in this during Haj. You will also see a couple of Saudi
bank counters, which can exchange foreign currency for you. You can buy dates, tasbih,
cloth, audio-video cassettes of Taraveeh in Haram or Haj itself, electronics and anything
that you saw in town for general-purpose gifts.
Your luggage shall be checked in by the airline
approx. 5-6 hours before the flight time and surprisingly no baggage tags may be issued.
So mark your luggage boldly and keep it together; also try to get all your stuff on one
trolley, many of which come to collect the luggage from hajis. Actual check-in will start
approx. 3 hours before the flight time and will take almost the same time as it did when
you arrived. The staff is quite helpful and as I said 'if you don't create
problems for yourself they wont'. Infact, I found them quite contrary to what I had
heard about them, may be they are directed to behave during this period but I believe it
is very difficult to be artificially courteous for a very long time in a chaotic crowd. I
have my hats off for them considering the kind of their work and the kind of crowd they
are dealing with.
On your way towards the plane you will be handed over
a copy of the Quran as a gift from the king as I mentioned in details of Madina airport.
>From 1998 the government has decided to give each haji a Quran that has the Arabic
text and its translation in the native language of that haji. For this purpose a
tremendous Shah Fahd Printing Complex has been set up which has gathered the best Quranic
translations in scores of languages and printed them in excellent quality. This is something that probably will be your best friend for the rest
of your life.
This brings the entire expedition to an end. I have
tried my best to give every possible aspect a place in this article but if there is
something that demands clarification or further explanation I'll only consider that
an opportunity to earn some more reward from the Almighty.
I have put pen to paper for the first time so all the
discrepancies in this regard may kindly be overlooked. I believe that even if one of my
readers travels for Haj next year as a result of this write up my effort is well rewarded.
Last but not at all the least is the fact that I have
intentionally not touched upon the subject of spiritual transformation that one undergoes
during this expedition, simply because it can not be communicated, even in its smallest
fraction. The fact is ” someone who has not been there can
not even come close to it in his imagination” and just for this reason I
suggest that:
1. Even if you are travelling in a group of friends
go to Haram alone (or at most with your spouse), say your prayers in seclusion and perform
your rituals in solitude. This is one occasion where you need phenomenal concentration.
2 . You must be familiar with the exact
background of each ritual and the reason why you have to repeat it. This makes probably
the most vital difference to ones attitude while performing the ritual. For example you
will raise your hand towards Hajr-e-Aswad to begin your tawaf and you will see everyone
doing this in the most mechanical manner as if this was just another count. But if one
realizes that raising the hand is a symbolic gesture of extending one's hand to hold
that of the 'Almighty's while making a commitment that one is here to renew
one's forgotten contract and will never sidetrack again, it is impossible to remain
unmoved? Just the thought ran shivers through my spine; my hand in 'His'
Hand! I don't deserve this. Will I be able to keep my promise? How hard
will I have to strive to achieve this?
There are quite a few good books and audiocassettes
on the subject, which one can read or listen to even on the flight to Jeddah. A list can
be made available if anyone so desires.
3 . Don't take children along .... At
least on your first Haj. I say this for two reasons; one, they are too small to appreciate
the sensitivity of the trip and inadvertently, they turn the whole expedition into a
picnic; secondly, they will have to perform Haj again when they are adults. Hence, leave
this for a later date.
4 . Don't make friends on this trip, I
mean the friends who like gossiping and chatting to kill time. The less you mix up the
better it is going to be for your Haj. This does not by any means imply that you should
not be courteous.
5 . Remain on the look out for small good
deeds; get a poor looking fellow a cold drink, pay for someone's lost slipper, foot
the taxi bill for others; you may not get a second chance.
6 . Remember the narrative, in which the
Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said that Allah says ” If you go to Haj for
worldly reasons I'll give you the good things of this world but you'll have no
share in the life hereafter. And if you perform Haj for the life hereafter, I'll give
you the bounties of both, this world as well as the herefater”.
At the end of the Haj, you will realize how limited
our basic needs are and how easy it is to live without, for example a 3-piece suit. You
will also come to appreciate the change one needs to make in one's own lifestyle and
in attitude towards others, alongwith the glaring reality one always tends to avoid
'Wama khalaqtul jinna wa alins illa leya`budoon” (And I have not created all the
jins and the humans, except that they should worship me).
May Allah give all of you the chance to be his
guests.
Muhammad Rizwan
142-Z, LCCHS, Lahore
Phone: 572-5246
email: agris@brain.net.pk