MY UMRAH trip this time, the first made after 1977, turned into a journey of enlightenment and discovery in terms of does and don’ts.
Like the 1977 visit, this time, it was during the relatively lean months of Safar and Rabiul Awwal. But the crowd compared to 1977 was too big. People in thousands were there.
In 1977, in the early hours of morning, say, 3am and 4am, at times only 10 to 20 people were there with me in the circumambulation of Kaaba, but this time during those early hours thousands of people were there, and the purpose of choosing a lean month, with the intention of kissing the Black Stone (Hajra-i-Aswad) with each of the seven rounds could not meet with success.
The peak months for the Umrah are Rajab, Shaban, Ramazan, Shawwal and Ziquad, when the scenario of Haram Sharif is no different than the Haj.
Umrah rituals, in the first place, are quite strenuous, but at the same time thrilling and enjoyable. However, given the choice one should go for Umrah when young and physically fit. Do not wait till old age and infirmity overtake you, because in that case the thrill and joy of worship will not be there.
The circumambulation of Kaaba and the up and down running between Safa and Marwa at a fast pace reciting the praise of Allah can be faithfully done only if one is physically fit and young. Both these acts are performed in the midst of and along with an endless stream of worshippers with full devotion.
At my age (70 plus, that is), the concentration is divided because while reciting the praise of Allah one has to give a lot of attention to hold himself properly for fear of losing control of himself and then falling down in a crowd which moves at a fast pace unmindful of its surroundings.
After performing one Umrah, I was too exhausted to even think of the second, while a young man of 25 years had the privilege of performing three, and he was quite excited about it. Of course, there were a few determined old men and women with an unmatched will power, too, who were not far behind the young man in the number of Umrah performed. Nevertheless, the number of old people remains significantly higher.
The facility of wheelchairs is available, but the joy and thrill of a worship that reminds us of the hardship undergone by Prophet Abraham and his wife, Syeda Hajra, greatly reduces.
An Umrah visit does not end with the circumambulation of the Kaaba and the up and down running between Safa and Marwa. Tahajut and Fajr prayers with the of and on circumambulation of Kaaba take a minimum of two hours, followed by one hour of Zuhur prayer.
When people go for Asr prayer, they return home only after Isha, in between they visit places like the cave of Hira, the cave of Sour and the old graveyard (Jannatul Muallah) where lie buried the companions of the Holy Prophet.
The routine remains too hectic, especially when the people want to spend more time in worship and prayers in Haram Sharif and other sacred places.
Secondly, never ever struggle to kiss or touch the Black Stone, because a vast majority of people use their muscle power to reach it. If the crowd is large and unmanageable, the best option is to raise both hands in salutation in the direction of the Black Stone and resume the circumambulation.
A young friend of mine did help me in touching and kissing the Black Stone at the start of the circumambulation, but if I would have become a little more emotional and enthusiastic, I would have lost my balance with major physical problem.
Thirdly, a lot of people, who otherwise cannot afford, are sent for Umrah by the rich. They swell the crowd by hundreds of thousands and make the going for those, who come on their own, difficult in the performance of the rituals.
The senders regard it as an act of charity. But I am at a loss to understand its logic. Why send people for an act of worship which Allah in His infinite wisdom restricted to only those who can afford.
If one wants to help the poor, the best thing is to provide them financial assistance in raising their quality of life so that they may get out of that category of people who are entitled to Zakat, pay off the loans of those who find repayment almost impossible and help the sick, who cannot afford medical treatment.
Then comes a visit to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah Munawwara. Here, too, one witnesses an endless stream of worshipper, no less than Haram Sharif. Although Rabiul Awwal was a lean month, getting a place within the area where the original Prophet’s Mosque stood remained an impossible proposition.
People used to line up the gate of the Mosque before the Azaan (a call for prayer) of Tahajut prayer at 3am in an effort to occupy a seat in the vicinity of Rouza-i-Rasool (Prophet’s tomb), the Prophet’s pulpit and the area of the original Mosque.
Once they occupy a seat they would not like to part with it at least till the end of Fajr prayer. Since they sacrifice their sleep for the coveted seat, their right to the place, understandably, cannot be questioned. As a result, the late comers are deprived of the opportunity to offer Tahajut and Fajr prayers at those sacred spots. The worshippers want to kiss every stone of the Mosque, drawing spiritual bliss.
The staff of the Mosque posted at all points, especially around the Rouza-i-Rasool keeps on explaining to people that one is not supposed to prostrate or bow his head before anyone other than Allah. The message of oneness of Allah Who alone is worthy of worship is conveyed clearly and forcefully at all points.
The authorities have blocked one side of the Rouza-i-Rasool, because, I have been told that worshippers had started its circumambulation.
Among places visited in Madinah are Janaatul Baqi and Quba Mosque. The former is located near the Prophet’s Mosque. Therein lie some 10,000 companions of the Holy Prophet. It opens to public (only men) for one hour each after Fajr and Asr prayers. It is visited by hundreds of thousands of people.
The melody of Quran comes out in all its splendour when its verses are recited by the Imams (the prayer leaders) at the Two Holy Mosques. It gives one a feeling that music has tremendous power for spiritual elevation. Although exceptionally long verses are recited, specially at Fajr prayer, one remains so spellbound that one wants the recitation to continue endlessly. The same is true when the Muazzins call for prayers — the divine melody pervades all over the Haramain Sharifain.
Umrah also provides a wonderful opportunity to meet brother Muslims from all over the world to discuss common problems, especially with reference to the need for Muslim unity, but the language barrier acts as a deterrent. One, in most cases, cannot go beyond Assalam-o-Alaikum and a warm handshake.
The Two Holy Mosques, it appears, have been expanded to their maximum limits. Each of them can comfortably hold more than a million worshippers at a time, and the facilities provided for the comforts of the worshippers cannot be imagined. One has to see them to believe it.
