The 80's Concludes - The Ballads of Youth

1987 - The Pligrimage.

July 1987 - at the age of 18 years old I had the oppurtunity to travel to Mecca to perform the Hajj & accompany my mom as well. I was still pretending to enjoy my youth at that time. Still listening to the rock musics with Search - Fantasia Bulan Madu & so on. Duting that time the hajj only cost RM5K per person with basic amenities unlike the hotels stays like now. We took penerbangan (flight) DC-10 that MAS leased from World Airways to be used during the Hajj season KT2 - KT stands for kapal terbang I guess (one of the first flight in that season) from Penang to King Sultan Abdul Aziz Airport in Jeddah.From Jeddah we travel to Madinah by air-conditioned bus. The journey took us around 8 hours. During the journey, the first time in my life I saw a lot of hills with no trees! I just imagine how the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) travels from Mecca to Madinah by walking & using camels during the Hijrah.!

I still remember when we arrived in Madinah at night; the first time I saw the green dome of the Prophet's mosques, my heart become so sad & felt like crying.We stayed in Madinah for around 8 days. One day I was so stubborn & disobeyed my mum & against tabung haji advice - I when to perform solat Zohor at the mosque although it is only advisable for us to perform the prayers at night time only in the mosque as the weather there during day time is extremely hot. After the Zohor prayer, I felt so dizzy & vomit. Well, believe me I vomitted on the expansive carpet in the holy mosque! I felt so regret about it, though for not following the advices. That costs me to admit in Tabung Haji ward for one day.

One day, after the Friday prayers, Yazid (the Madinah Islamic University student - who temp volunteer for Tabung Haji) who I befriended there & the person thatwe hired to perform the hajj for "arwah ayah", wants to bring me to see "Hukum Pancung" in front of Babuus Salam of the prophet mosque - but I declined the offer, I don't have the guts I guess to see the execution. Well in that country, they really mean business. I also had a chance to visits Jabal Uhud & maqam Saidina Hamzah. My heart so sad & touching - felt for the braves who get the syahid in fighting for Islam. We had also visited the first mosque - Masjid Quba' & Masjid Qiblatain (the mosque with 2 qiblat's).

After 8 days in Madinah, we travel to Mecca to perform the Hajj. We arrived late at night. We stayed in Level 7 on one of the buidings near the Holy Mosque. I can see The Yemen Arabs were very strong, who carried all of our bags by using stairs. They were damned fast. But they usually requests "bakhsis" (tips) as well form us.

The next morning, after dawn I had my first visit to the holy mosque. Only God knows how I felt when the first time I saw the holy Kaaba'. We performed the "tawaf selamat datang" & saie'. Right after that I had to chance to go underground to the place that we can get the "zam-zam" water. Felt so cold & so comfortable in that place.

During the 1997 Pilgrimage - one important events happened when Iranians pilgrims want to march into the holy mosque but meet with resistance with the Saudis Armed Forces. The center of events happened right in front of my eye during that fateful evening. The force imposed curvew on all of us, resulting we are unable to go the mosque that night.

The time has come - for the main event. After stayed 1 day in the Arafah, we traveled to Mina on the eve of Aidil Adha. After we arrived, I do something terribly wrong. I lose my temper on my mum. After that I went to Jamrah Aqabah through the Muassim' tunnel alone for "melontar" event. Right after that, I am totally lost (sesat). I am unable to see any jemaah from Malaysia or any Malaysia flags at all altough it is quite a lot before that. I guessed it is a lesson God gave me for my sins. Only right after dawn I managed to find my way back. It's quite strange, as it's actually got Malaysian flags near the place that I lost but I can't see it at all earlier.

After completing the tasyrigs days in Mina we traveled back to Mecca to perform the tawaf & saie' to complete the Hajj ritual. The mosques was very pack then. After completing the Saie', on the end of the Saie' path (from Bukit Safa to Marwah), I was been performed the "bercukur" event that means that I was finally become a Hajj at the age of 18 years old. Unlike others, I didn't use the Haji title at the front of my name. This resulting only a few persons known that I had already perform the Hajj.

After completing all the rituals, we had more relaxing days ahead before going back to Malaysia. Mom performed all the shoppings buying dates (buah kurma), carpets & all the souvenirs stuffs; and I do the exploring around the holy city. I managed to found a long tunnel right in front of the holy Mosque that actually connnects Mecca straights to Mina! I still remember the imams recite of Al-Fatihah during the prayers in the holy mosques, it's the most "merdu" & the best I've ever heard. I also ate my best ever ice-cream in Mecca. After each night, after performing the Isya' prayer at holy Mosque' during the journey back to our flats, I will stop over at 1 kebab stall right in front of Masjid "Kucing". It's the best kebab ever that I've ever taste. Nothing beats that in this wide wide world......