The
Morning of Aidiladha
For there is so many things that proves the authentication, and the greatness of Islam, there is one that I think is the best one of all, the 'hajj' pilgrimage.
Today
is Aidiladha. I was sitting the mosque, around 8:00am on this Friday 26th
of October 2012. ‘The Takhbir Raya’ is being heard throughout the mosque and
its surrounding area. A large number of Muslims gathered together, sharply
dressed and smelling fresh. It is a sunah for a Muslim to wear nice clothes,
and perfumes, on this sacred day. The Imam, is giving instruction on the
Aidiladha prayers (it is different from everyday prayers). After praying for two
raka’at, it is time for the khutbah (sermon). The khutbah, is just as important
as the prayer itself, just as the Friday prayers.
In
the khutbah, he said that this day is to commemorate, the sacrifice of Nabi
Ibrahim, and his family. Nabi Muhammad SAW, himself decree, that performing
‘the Haj’, is a must for all Muslim.
After
the khutbah, everybody in the mosque, shakes hand with each other, a sign of
peacefulness among the Muslims. As I walk out, I shook the hands of those who
sat around me, and smiled, as I too am a Muslim. Then I made my way out of the
mosque. As I was walking among the bodies of man, that surrounds the door of
the main praying hall. I saw in front of me, a group of Bangladesh workers.
They ware hugging each other, to celebrate that they have lived to see
Aidiladha for yet another year.
With
the scenery of hugging foreigners, and the hundreds of Muslim outside the
mosque, a thought flowed through my mind. If the mosque in Malaysia is filled
with this marvellous atmosphere, what of those who are at the Holy City of
Mecca?
This gathering of hundred of millions, if not billions of Muslim from all four corners of the earth, in one city, The Holy City of Mecca. The birthplace of our prophet Mohammad SAW. I am not trying to start a fight or anything, but there is no other religion on this earth can muster such unity of their believers as the Muslims who gathers for the 'hajj' pilgrimage once a year.
The people who comes here every year are all Muslims, but they are Muslims, from different countries, of different races and skin color, they speak in different languages, different gender, practice different cultures of life, and some are from a different sect of Islam. They are different from one another, yet the difference does not matter, because we are all equal under the eyes of Allah SWT, 'The One True and Only God'. Subject or king, heroes or peasants, all differences that exist between men, are cast out for this once in a lifetime experience.
I asked my father, what was it like to perform the 'hajj'? He told me that it was one that is definitely worth having, and we must as Muslims, but only if we can afford to. Walking, living, and praying side by side, with Muslims from all around the world will make your heart stumble, to the greatness of Allah SWT 'The Almighty', and the religion of Islam, which he had given to humans as a guide of life, by the way of Mohammad SAW.
Standing side by side on prayers with Muslims of a different origin, is a solid proof, of the truth that was brought to light by Malcolm X when he said, "I believe that the religion of Islam is the only cure for the cancerous disease of racism." It is because in the events like the 'hajj' Muslims who was divided by political and humanly conflict, may drop the negative feeling towards each other and stand united under the cause of Islam, and serving Allah SWT.
The
beauty and strength of Islam, I had witnessed here in Petaling Jaya, Is nothing
by a tiny glimpse to that compared in Mecca. As I was driving, back home from
another road (In Aidiladha, it is a sunah to take a different road back from
the mosque, from the one which you came towards earlier), A desire, grows deep
from within my heart.
I
would like to perform the ‘Haj’ in Mecca. I have never thought of it before, it
just came to me as sudden the wind blows, but as determine as the mountain, standing
tall for years long. It is a desire that I want the most now.
That
means I need to prepare, not only financially and physically, but also
spiritually. To perform the ‘haj’, is not cheap, it is expensive. That is one
of the obstacles, but perhaps, the main obstacle of all is the calling to ‘The
Kingdom of Allah SWT’. They say, even if you have the money, you cannot just
go. You could try, but if He does not want you to come, you will not be able to
set foot in Mecca. They say it is a calling, for when you are ready, He (Allah
SWT) will call you home, and perform the ‘haj’. I know pray to Allah SWT, so
that I live to see such day.
 | |
| @ Mount Arafat (Jabal al Rahmah) |
Live
to see the ‘Kingdom of God’, filled with Muslims from all over the world. Islam
is the second largest religion in the world, and is quickly becoming the first.
I look forward; to see them all in Mecca, when we are all dressed in the white
of the ‘ihram’. All men will look equal, under the house of God. I look
forward, to be at Mount Arafat, 'The Jabal al Rahmah' (the hill of forgiveness), where they say, if you try hard enough, you
could ask for forgiveness from ‘The Almighty Allah SWT’, for only He knows that
there is too many I done in my life. Not forgetting the very least, live to
drink the water from the ‘Zam-Zam’ well.
 | |
| Senad Hadric |
Yesterday,
I read the newspapers, on a man named Senad Hadric. He is a Bosnian. He had
just arrived to the ‘Holy Land’ yesterday, after he had walked all the way from
Bosnia, some 341 days ago. I looked at his picture, praying to God for the
safety of his arrival. What I saw in his face while praying to God, is the
face, of satisfaction. A victorious face, of a man, who reached the pinnacle
stage of his quest for God. I too want such a face, with I could wear gladly in
the city of Mecca and the whole world.
This
journey to ‘The Holy Land of Mecca’, seems to me like the greatest adventure,
for a Muslim to embark on. A mission of heart and soul, for ‘The One True God’.
Oh how would it feel, to actually be there on such a day as Aidiladha, after
performing the ‘haj’? As much as I could think of now, would only be a mere
imagination. An imagination that is not even close to the actual feeling of
when it happens.
Therefore
now, I look forward, to the day, when I will be called there to perform the
‘haj’, and when that day comes, it will surely be nothing short of a glorious
day. Insyaalah. For now, I only have to prepare and wait.
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