A Common Man’s Hajj – Day to Day Recount of Hajj 2019 – Asrar Qureshi – Part 41

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This is a special series of Blogs which describes my time and experiences during Hajj this year.

Part 41

DAY 42 – 31 August 2019 – 01 Muharram 1441

Aziziya – Haram Shareef

Today is 1^st of Muharram. New Hijri Year 1441 has started.

Another year went by. We don’t know whether the years have become faster or our feeling has changed.

Surah Al Tauba; verse 36. “Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of which four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous [who fear Him].”

The four sacred months are Rajab, Zilqa’ad, Zilhajj and Muharram.

Today’s day is special. Our group shall depart tomorrow. The cargo company shall take the luggage in the morning while we shall go in the afternoon. It will take about two hours from Makkah Mukarramah to Jeddah airport. That would mean a few hours at the airport.

Doing Tawaf e Widaa is mandatory before departing from Makkah Mukarramah. Tawaf e Widaa is taking seven rounds of Ka’aba tul Musharrafah. And then two rak’at wajib ul tawaf. Sa’ee is not to be performed.

Tawaf e Widaa is about seeking formal permission from Allah to leave Haram Shareef. We come to Haram Shareef and leave every day, but Tawaf e Widaa marks the final departure.

Call it Baitullah Shareef, Ka’aba tul Musharrafah or Bait e Ateeq; departing from here without having any clue about returning is very difficult.

Out of 44 days, we spent almost 30 days in Makkah Mukarramah; and presented ourselves in Haram Shareef every day. We spent long hours here. We sat here with Ka’aba tul Musharrafah in view.

The sight of Ka’aba tul Musharrafah is an eternal beauty. It keeps getting to the soul silently, and surreptitiously; softens our entire being, moistens and smooths the roughness collected from wrongdoings; and cleans the dust on our most inner self. We feel light and cleaned as never before.

Sitting here regularly, first leads to familiarity, then to closeness and finally to devoted love. The love would increase with every passing day. How can we separate ourselves from our beloved? And that also from a beloved of this grandeur? It has to tearing and tearful.

As long as we sit in Haram Shareef, we know we are under Allah’s Sight and Protection. And we believe we are in direct communication. Whatever bothers us, we simply present it to Him. It is an extremely special feeling; and it can only be received here.

Tawaf e Widaa would signify that we would go away from all the grace and beauty. We shall not be able to see Ka’aba tul Musharrafah with moist eyes. Allah’s Protection shall be with us wherever we go, but this enveloping feel would be missing.

Allah is the Most Gracious, the Most High, and the Most Kind. It is His Grace that He gave us Ka’aba tul Musharrafah in this world. I don’t know what is appropriate to say, but to me the Ka’aba tul Musharrafah is the Most Special, Most Respectable, Most Loveable and Most Valuable Symbol from Allah. Allah makes it easy for us to connect with Him while we sit here. He showers His Blessings on us and Gives us easy Access to Himself.

Tawafe e Widaa would be very tough on me, I know. I reached Haram Shareef a while ago. I sat in Mataf, Ka’aba tul Musharrafah in sight, and wrote these lines. I may not be able to write any more after a while.

I still have to submit many requests to Allah; one would be that He gives me enough courage and nerve to seek permission to go. I don’t want to go. I don’t know if I would get permission to come again ever. I don’t know if I would live long enough to come back. I don’t know if I would get so lucky again, ever.

If you had had the good fortune to come here few times, you would understand. From one departure to the next arrival, all the time is spent in the requests to get the permission; and waiting for approval of request. Life goes on; our heart and soul keep getting heavier with worldly desires, sins and wrongdoings. The sights of Harmain Shareefain become blurred, and the longing to come here becomes intense. It becomes compulsory and mandatory to come here, present ourselves, cry and beg and cry more and ask for forgiveness and blessings. And renew our relationship with our Lord; renew our vows; and promise to become better person.

Please pray that Allah helps me to pass through the ordeal of Tawaf e Widaa with grace. Aameen