{"id":4512,"date":"2014-12-01T11:55:40","date_gmt":"2014-12-01T11:55:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aiya.org.au\/?p=4512"},"modified":"2021-07-10T18:34:04","modified_gmt":"2021-07-10T08:34:04","slug":"what-the-hajj-means-to-me-my-journey-to-mecca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aiya.org.au\/id\/2014\/12\/01\/what-the-hajj-means-to-me-my-journey-to-mecca\/","title":{"rendered":"What the Hajj Means to Me: My Journey to Mecca"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before I left Australian authorities had conducted sweeping and much-criticised<\/a> anti-terror raids across Sydney and Brisbane. In Melbourne, a young man thought to be sympathetic to the Islamic State had been shot dead<\/a> after he\u2019d tried to stab two police officers. The number of attacks on Muslims<\/a> \u2013 particularly women \u2013 rose. I knew I\u2019d be leaving for Hajj under these strained and tense circumstances and did various media interviews<\/a> about how Muslims felt they were under siege<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"IndonesianPilgrim\"<\/a>

Indonesian pilgrim taking a picture of a well which was used to draw Zamzam water, circa 1299 Hijrah (or the year 1882). Photo: Nasya Bahfen<\/p><\/div>\n

In preparation for Hajj I collected the du\u2019as people had requested me to make, and added my own for everyone close to me. Everyone advised me to build up a reservoir of patience. I mentally prepared by scaring myself stupid reading reviews<\/a> of Jeddah\u2019s international airport.<\/p>\n

There was no need to worry, however. The Saudi hajj authorities ran a tight ship. The Hajj and customs officials at King Abdul Aziz airport were helpful, courteous and friendly even though they help out millions of pilgrims each year. They\u2019d figured out that Indonesians were bad at queues \u2013 when our host showed a customs officer my Australian passport under my parents\u2019 Indonesian passports, the customs officer thought we were part of a group traveling from Jakarta, and told us to \u2018antri, antri\u2019. Our host explained we were guests of the Muslim World League, and the customs officer waved us through.<\/p>\n

The immigration officials, however, were something else. They deserved all the negative comments they receive in reviews of Jeddah\u2019s airport.<\/p>\n

We were picked up by our MWL hosts, and a driver who looked about fifteen. He was actually nineteen, spoke very little English, and expertly navigated insane traffic to Mecca-a journey of about one and a half hours from Jeddah. By \u2018expertly navigated\u2019, I mean he drove like a maniac. I traded worried glances with my parents all of us thinking the same thing: this kid \u2013 who we can\u2019t communicate with \u2013 is holding our passports and driving like he\u2019s possessed. But we got to Mecca safe and sound. While most pilgrims stay near the Haram \u2013 the Ka\u2019aba and its surrounds \u2013 we were put up in a guest house at Mina. For the Umrah or minor pilgrimage that most pilgrims do before the actual Hajj (with a break of a few days in between), we were driven to the Haram, which was six kilometres from Mina, and back by bus.<\/p>\n

My first sight of the Ka\u2019aba was emotional. We were fortunate and managed to do our first circumambulation (the seven circuits the pilgrim does of the Ka\u2019aba) on the ground floor, and very close to the building itself. Because Indonesians make up the largest single group of pilgrims for Hajj (and for Umrah throughout the year) many of the officials in the Haram spoke some bahasa. One showed me the direction I had to go in by saying \u2018Hajjah! Jalan terus! (Female pilgrim, go straight ahead!)\u2019. He waved and replied, \u2018kembali\u2019 when I smiled and said \u2018terima kasih\u2019.<\/p>\n

Back in our home country life went on \u2013 it was late September, which meant the AFL and NRL finals in Melbourne and Sydney. A newspaper in Australia wanted to do an interview about the link between Muslim NRL fans and the Canterbury Bulldogs \u2013 a topic I\u2019d researched and written about. The reporter kindly mentioned in his story<\/a> that I was speaking to him while doing the Hajj.<\/p>\n

Our Umrah completed, we waited until the 8th<\/sup> of Dhul Hijjah \u2013 the first day of the actual Hajj. After doing the dawn prayer Fajr, I grabbed my camera and ran to the highest floor of our guest house, and took a photo<\/a> of Mina, which had turned into the world\u2019s largest tent city. Muslims believe that doing the Hajj is accepting an invitation to visit Allah (God) and at that moment I knew that the three and a half million people who\u2019d been lucky enough to score an invite this year were there, in that tent city that stretched for miles, waiting to begin their Hajj. The pilgrims\u2019 refrain \u2018Labbayk Allahumma labbayk (Here I am my Creator, here I am)\u2019 reached my lips and I went back downstairs to wait with our group to depart for the plains of Arafat.<\/p>\n

Arafat is a desert, and searingly hot. My survival kit \u2013 sunscreen, wet wipes and moisturiser, all fragrance and alcohol free \u2013 was made redundant by the cool, air conditioned tents and prayer room tent provided by our hosts. They even set up a coffee stand under a breezy tent \u2013 a hipster Hajj. The ABC called, and wanted to speak with an Australian on Hajj. While standing on the plains of Arafat I did a phone interview<\/a>, exploring issues of technology-infused worship (or the problem with \u2018Hajj selfies\u2019) as well as my dismay at\u00a0not having any fellow Australian pilgrims around\u00a0with whom I could discuss James Hird and the Essendon Football Club.<\/p>\n

Over the next couple of days we did the ritual stoning of the devil after collecting pebbles at Mudzalifah, and our farewell circumambulation of the Ka\u2019aba, which was a far more crowded affair. From the second floor we took the classic photo of the Ka\u2019aba surrounded by masses of people, and saw a couple of selfie sticks \u2013 though to the credit of those people using them, these were generally used in a way that did not inconvenience the pilgrims who were still walking around the Ka\u2019aba.<\/p>\n

\"Mina\"<\/a>

The tent city of Mina, nestled in the mountains surrounding Mecca. Photo: Nasya Bahfen<\/p><\/div>\n

With the Hajj officially finished we were able to make a quick visit to Medina. Luckily for me this year the Hajj coincided with mid-semester break and while I wish I could have stayed a bit longer I had to rush back and finish teaching and marking. In Medina, seeing the Prophet Muhammad\u2019s final resting place was just as emotional as seeing the Ka\u2019aba for the first time. After doing a short, two unit prayer, I addressed him directly in my head and heart. \u201cI’m the crappest Muslim ever, but I’m a Muslim,\u201d I thought. \u201cI’ll continue to stumble, but I’ll try to live my life according to the values you set in this crazy land fourteen hundred years ago. So please intercede for me and acknowledge me as one of your followers on the Day of Judgement. I bear witness that there is no God but God and that you are the messenger of God. Peace be on you Muhammad son of Abdullah, and your entire Ummah (community).\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Before I left Australian authorities had conducted sweeping and much-criticised anti-terror raids across Sydney and Brisbane. In Melbourne, a young man thought to be sympathetic to the Islamic State had […]<\/p>\n

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