It's not a done deal, but in the early hours of Thursday morning, the 14th. of October, 2010 C.E. or the 6th. of Zulkaedah, 1431Hijriah, Idah entered the departure hall at the Kelana Jaya LTH complex, on the first part of a lifetime journey to be the "guest of God" at the Holy Land. Her group will land in Madinah at approximately 1 pm Malaysian time, Thursday, where she'll do the ziarah and the 40 solats over about 8 days at the Mosque of the Holy Prophet before travelling by road to Mekah to await the day of the "wukuf" or "stay" in the plains of Arafah, then with the stoning of the devil at the three pillars in Mina over 3 days, the completion of the haj with the "tahlul". And then it'll back to the Holy Mosque for the "tawaf" and "sa'i" .
We arranged for an all-ladies do'a on Sunday afternoon. I suggested that she just call the immediate neighbours because going for the haj nowadays doesn't involve the whole village like the old times. She agreed, but before you knew it about 60 ladies of various ages and sizes descended upon our humble abode. Anyway I was glad that Idah managed to get most of her close friends to come. I felt that it gave her a sense of satisfaction that they all came to bid her a good journey.
Before we left the house immediately after the Magrib prayers, everybody had the chance to spill the expected tears, and with the call of the Azan by Salleh from the surau, I drove out of the porch with Dekna by my side and Idah, still wiping her tears, at the back. After the very long wait at Kelana Jaya, there was another round of parting tears with the children before she finally entered the departure hall.
Dekna managed to make a last phone call from the car as we travelled back on the Plus highway to Seremban.
It would be a long 45 days for me, but if she does what I told her to do, it would be a deeply meaningful and busy stay, and all too short an experience for her. I pray that she remains healthy, because this is the most physical of the Islamic rituals. Good health, not always guaranteed, makes a big difference. Dr. Miszua and my brother, Dr. Din, have given her all the medical advice, and she's stocked with enough pills and ointments to last two hajs, but God Determines everything, insya'allah.
On her part, she said I should avoid living on Maggi mee and eat proper food, but I said not to worry. I eat like a bird, anyway - very little, though often. I had already pictured it in my mind - get a lot of eggs and beef sausages, the said Maggi mee, and plenty of fresh fruits and orange juice, and I'm set up.
As usual many also asked that she prayed for them, in Mekah and at the grave of the Prophet. In fact I saw several pieces of paper with names and notes to remind her.This is customary. Take the opportunity of being on Holy Ground and make supplications to the All Mighty. But God Listens from everywhere.
I did my haj 27 years earlier, but without Idah. I was not yet 39, but the friends from the new surau at Damansara Utama didn't find it hard to convince me to join them, "while young and healthy", they said. But there were other reasons,to tell in another story. The 3 kids were young, Memi being only one (no Dekna yet), and that meant I go solo.
Years ago Idah said for her first haj she'd like to do it with Dekna. Well, looks like that is now not happening. Anyway, I don't think Dekna is ready to embark on such a holy journey. So she has plenty of time to accumulate all her worldly sins. That would make her own inevitable pilgrimmage not only more meaningful, but also infinitely more necessary.
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