Oleh Rohaniza Idris
roha@bharian.com.my
Catatan awal menyatakan Sultan Mansur Shah berhasrat ke Tanah Suci tetapi mangkat sebelum dapat menunaikannya
IBADAT haji di negara ini dipercayai bermula sejak kedatangan Islam ke gugusan Kepulauan Melayu pada abad ke 13. Namun, catatan sejarah yang jelas mengenai perkembangan haji di negara ini sukar diperoleh secara terperinci kerana tidak banyak maklumat mengenainya.
Dipercayai orang Melayu yang berkemampuan dan terbabit dalam aktiviti pelayaran ialah kelompok terawal menunaikan haji, namun tiada catatan atau apa-apa penunjuk aras mengenainya ditemui.
Pengamal perubatan Portugis, Tom Pires mencatatkan dua pemerintah Melaka ada menyatakan hasrat ke Makkah iaitu Sultan Mansur Shah yang memerintah dari 1456-1477 Masihi atau 860-881 Hijrah dan Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah (1477-1488 Masihi/881-893 Hijrah). Namun, kedua-duanya tidak dapat meneruskan niat mereka kerana mangkat.
Dalam catatan itu, Tom Pires menjelaskan kedua-dua pemerintah sudah membuat persediaan, termasuk menyediakan emas yang berganda jumlahnya dan mempersiapkan kapal untuk pelayaran menunaikan haji.
Catatan Tom Pires bagaimanapun, tidak boleh dianggap sebagai rekod terawal berkaitan pelayaran masyarakat Melayu menunaikan haji ke Makkah kerana ibadah haji itu sendiri adalah satu kewajipan yang dilaksanakan umat Islam.
Catatan yang tidak kurang penting mengenai jemaah haji dari Kepulauan Melayu ialah perjalanan ilmuwan Muhammad Yusuf Ahmad atau lebih dikenali sebagai Tok Kenali pada 19 Masihi (13 Hijrah).
Tok Kenali berasal dari Kelantan melanjutkan pengajian agama beliau di Makkah ketika berusia 18 tahun. Dicatatkan beliau mengambil masa enam bulan untuk sampai ke Makkah. Tok Kenali kemudian mengambil keputusan menetap di Makkah bagi menuntut ilmu, di samping menunaikan umrah dan haji.
Beliau kemudian kembali ke Kelantan pada usia 40 tahun dan mengasaskan pusat pengajian Islam. Selain beliau, beberapa ilmuwan Islam di Kepulauan Melayu yang terkenal ialah Hamzah Fansuri yang belayar ke Makkah pada akhir abad ke 16 Masihi (10 Hijrah) dan Abdul Rauf Singkel menunaikan haji pada 1643 Masihi (1052 Hijrah).
Apabila tiba abad ke 19 dan 20 Masihi, muncul bukti yang lebih banyak berkaitan aktiviti mengerjakan haji masyarakat Melayu di Malaysia. Banyak artifak, manuskrip, bahan bercetak dan gambar direkodkan orang Melayu yang pergi ke Makkah menunaikan haji.
Cendekiawan Malaya Harun Aminurashid bergambar di atas kapal ketika menunaikan haji pada 1960.
Antara catatan yang menarik dihasilkan Munsyi Abdullah seorang terpelajar berasal dari negara ini yang menceritakan dengan teliti pelayarannya ke Tanah Suci pada 1854 Masihi (1270 Hijrah) melalui Hikayat Pelayaran Abdullah.
Selepas itu ramai cendikiawan Melayu dan golongan terpelajar yang pernah ke Makkah menunaikan haji dan umrah mengabdikan pengalaman mereka dalam bentuk tulisan bagi berkongsi ilmu dengan orang lain.
Beberapa manuskrip bertulisan jawi ditemui di Kepulauan Melayu menyentuh pelbagai aspek berkaitan haji, termasuk catatan peribadi dan maklumat mengenai haji bersifat keagamaan.
Cendikiawan Melayu Harun Aminurashid menulis pengembaraannya ke Makkah dengan kapal laut pada 1960 Masihi (1379 Hijrah) dalam bukunya bertajuk Chatetan ka-Tanah Suchi.
Harun menceritakan perit getirnya sepanjang perjalanan dengan kapal diberi nama Anshun. Antara petikan berkenaan ialah: “susah menjadi penumpang di dalam bahagian tengah kapal...orang yang ingin menunaikan haji mestilah sabar... di sini tiada keseronokan atau kebebasan seperti kebiasaannya ketika di darat...kamu terpaksa menanggung kesusahan ini di sepanjang pelayaran pergi dan balik daripada menunaikan haji, sabar ialah satu-satunya jalan penyelesaian terbaik.”
Selain Harun, ada beberapa tulisan lain yang menceritakan keterujaan mereka menunaikan haji serta gambaran perjalanan ke Tanah Suci seperti Jaafar Jusoh Al Haj (Perihal Pemergian ke Mekah dan Madinah yang diterbitkan pada 1937 Masihi (1355 Hijrah) dan Haji Ismail Haji Ishak dalam bukunya bertajuk, Ke Mekah Mengikut Jalan Darat (1975 Masihi/ 1394 Hijrah) .
Selain catatan perjalanan, ada juga ditemui penulisan jemaah haji berkisar mengenai perasaan, pandangan dan pemikiran mereka terhadap apa yang berlaku sepanjang perjalanan yang dipersembahkan dengan gaya tersendiri, termasuk karya seni seperti puisi, lukisan dan poster.
Dicatatkan seorang jemaah haji yang tidak diketahui identitinya mengubah nazam menceritakan perjalanannya dari Kedah ke Makkah.
Dalam nazam tulisan jawi itu, penulis menyatakan tiga bulan dari Kedahlah dan kurang, Pelayaran kapal tatkala menyeberang, Jikalau angin dari belakang sampai ke Jeddah (laut) yang tenang...Dua malam tuan sudah di Jeddah hendak berjalan pula ke Makkah disewalah unta mana yang mudah kecil sedikit daripada gajah...”
Di akhir nazam dinyatakan 120 rahmat ke atas Kaabah iaitu 60 bagi mereka yang mengerjakan tawaf, 40 bagi mereka yang bersembahyang dan 20 bagi yang melihatnya.
Sejak 1900 hingga 1969, jemaah haji negara ini hanya menggunakan kapal laut untuk ke Makkah. Mulai 1970 hingga 1976, sebilangan kecil daripada mereka menaiki kapal terbang tetapi kapal laut masih terus digunakan.
Sejak 1977 kapal laut tidak lagi digunakan, sebaliknya semua jemaah haji Malaysia menaiki kapal terbang untuk ke Makkah. Pada zaman kapal laut, pelayaran dari negara ini ke Makkah mengambil masa di antara dua dan tiga bulan, selain dilihat berisiko lebih tinggi.
Kebanyakan jemaah yang menaiki kapal laut pernah mengalami pelbagai pengalaman pahit, termasuk dilanda ribut taufan. Malah, ada kapal laut yang terbakar ketika dalam pelayaran di tengah samudera. Namun, semua itu dianggap sebagai dugaan dan ujian Allah.
Dalam perjalanan selama berbulan-bulan ke Makkah, ada jemaah yang uzur atau meninggal dunia di atas kapal. Bagaimanapun, rekod sebenar mengenai kematian itu sukar diperoleh.
~*~Ceramah Haji & Umrah~*~
INFO: Kapal haji
· Mendam Berahi (abad ke-15)
· Subulus Salam (1854),
· Antirorchus (1936), Bellophon (1936), Cyclops (1936) dan Potesilaus (1936)
· Agamemnon, Adratus, Atreus, Ajax, Eurubates, Glaucus, Idomeneus (1940-an)
· Prometheus (1950-an),
· Malaysia Kita, Malaysia Raya dan Kuala Lumpur (1970-an).
Peristiwa 1947
· 670 jemaah haji Malaya berangkat ke Makkah melalui Singapura dan 1,326 melalui Pulau Pinang. Daripada jumlah itu, 1,729 pulang ke Malaya, manakala 200 lagi terus tinggal di Makkah; 67 meninggal dunia iaitu 31 ketika dalam pelayaran, manakala 36 di Makkah. · Sebelum Perang Dunia Kedua hingga negara mencapai kemerdekaan, Singapura dan Pulau Pinang menjadi dua pelabuhan penting bagi jemaah haji Malaya.
· Kebanyakan jemaah sebelum merdeka dibawa ke pelabuhan dengan lori dan cara itu sering dikritik orang ramai menerusi akhbar. Satu peristiwa pernah menimpa jemaah di Pelabuhan Klang pada 8 Julai 1962 iaitu tragedi tangga patah menyebabkan 20 cedera ketika menyambut ketibaan jemaah haji di atas kapal `Kuala Lumpur'.
· Menjelang awal 60-an, kesulitan itu semakin reda apabila pakar ekonomi negara, Prof Diraja Ungku Aziz mengesyorkan supaya Tabung Haji diwujudkan. Dalam memorandumnya berjudul `Pilgrims Economy Improvement Plan' kepada kerajaan, Ungku Aziz mengesyorkan penubuhan sebuah perbadanan untuk mengurus dan mengendalikan urusan umat Islam negara ini yang hendak menunaikan haji dan umrah.
· Tabung Haji ditubuhkan pada 1969 dan menguruskan pergi balik jemaah haji ke Makkah dengan licin dan teratur. Tradisi dan amalan menjual harta benda untuk ke Makkah hingga menyebabkan `kepapaan' selepas jemaah haji kembali ke tanah air, juga semakin pupus.
Terminum Kahak Jemaah Pakistan
MANUSIA di sisi Allah adalah sama, kecuali amal ibadat yang membezakan darjat antara satu sama lain.
Kisah yang ingin saya kongsi bersama pembaca minggu ini berlaku pada rakan saya sewaktu mengerjakan haji beberapa tahun lalu.
Tujuan saya mendedahkan kisah ini bukan untuk mengaibkan orang. Sebaliknya untuk dijadikan pengajaran agar peristiwa sama tidak berulang pada jemaah lain yang akan mengerjakan umrah atau haji pada masa akan datang.
Sebagai hamba Allah, beliau sepatutnya tidak memperlekehkan jemaah lain disebabkan penyakit batuk kering yang dihidapinya.
Biasanya apa yang kita tidak ingini itu akan berlaku ke atas diri kita seperti mana yang dialami rakan saya.
“Harap-harap janganlah aku ditempatkan dengan jemaah miskin. Aku takut mereka bawa macam-macam penyakit, nanti berjangkit pula kat aku,” ujar beliau dengan perasaan benci dan sombong.
Kata-katanya itu menimbulkan kemarahan rakan jemaah yang lain.
“Tak elok awak berkata begitu. Kita datang ke Mekah untuk mengabdikan diri kepada Allah, tapi awak pula fikir bukan-bukan,” kata rakannya.
Sewaktu di Padang Arafah, beliau ditempatkan bersama enam jemaah lain dalam sebuah khemah berbanding khemah lain menempatkan lapan orang.
“Syukurlah, khemah kita cuma enam orang sahaja, tidaklah kita tidur berhimpit-himpit macam ikan sardin,” ujar beliau bangga.
Sewaktu berehat di dalam khemah, beliau ternampak seorang pegawai Tabung Haji bersama seorang jemaah lelaki kurus sedang mengendong bekas membuang kahak di pinggangnya.
Jemaah tua itu kelihatan menuju ke khemahnya.
“Tuan, saya tak mahu lelaki tua itu ditempatkan dalam khemah kami, nanti kami tak selesa,” kata beliau pada pegawai Tabung Haji itu.
Memang dari dulu lagi beliau tidak tahan dengan kahak, sebab itu beliau membantah hasrat pegawai Tabung Haji menempatkan jemaah kurus itu dalam khemahnya.
Ternyata Allah mengetahui niat setiap hambanya. Apabila pulang semula ke Mekah dan sebaik selesai solat Zuhur di Masjidilharam, tekak beliau berasa amat kering sekali.
“Panas betul hari ini, lebih baik aku pergi minum air zam zam dulu bagi hilangkan haus,” bisik hati beliau.
Disebabkan terlalu dahaga, tanpa disedari beliau telah mencapai gelas sebelah kiri yang telah digunakan oleh jemaah lain. Sepatutnya beliau ambil gelas baru di sebelah kanan tong air zam zam yang belum digunakan.
Sewaktu meminum air zam zam itu beliau terasa sesuatu yang aneh. Airnya agak pekat dan berlendir. Bila beliau lihat gelas itu alangkah terkejutnya beliau rupanya dalam gelas itu berisi kahak berwarna hijau.
Hiii... beliau hampir muntah kerana terlalu geli. Disebabkan tidak puas hati beliau bertanyakan pada jemaah berdekatan siapa yang menggunakan gelas itu sebelum ini.
Kebetulan seorang jemaah Pakistan yang sedang tercegat di situ memberitahu dia yang menggunakan gelas plastik itu. Lebih membuatkan beliau betul-betul muntah apabila jemaah Pakistan itu mengakui dia seorang penghidap batuk kering.
Dia mengaku kahak di dalam gelas itu diludahkannya kerana tidak ada tempat lain untuk meludah.
Kali ini beliau betul-betul termuntah apabila mendengar pengakuan jemaah Pakistan itu, tapi apakan daya kerana kahak tu sudahpun masuk ke dalam perutnya.
Barulah beliau sedar apa yang berlaku itu mungkin balasan Allah ke atas dirinya kerana bermulut celupar serta suka menghina orang sesuka hati tanpa mengambil kira perasaan orang berkenaan.
Beliau betul-betul menyesal. Sebagai menyuci segala dosa dan keterlanjuran yang dilakukan, beliau segera mengerjakan solat taubat di dalam Masjidilharam. Beliau memohon keampunan Allah berserta cucuran air mata.
Di bilik penginapan beliau segera menemui jemaah tua yang sering beliau hina sebelum itu. Beliau berjanji tidak akan memandang hina pada jemaah berpenyakit kerana semua penyakit itu berupa ujian Allah pada setiap hambanya untuk menguji sejauh mana keimanan hambanya.
-ijoks2009-
Petikan dari kisah ganjil di Mekah.
By Raya Shokatfard
The site of the magnificent building was just too awesome and grabbed me like a magnet.
As I was stepping down the wide steps leading to the center of the courtyard where the Kabah is located, I could only see ceilings and lots of people but suddenly… I froze.
My heart dropped when I saw the magnificent Kabah with the black cloth cover and shimmering gold Quranic verses surrounding it. I could not move. In a moment's time, 4000 years of history passed through my mind.
I imagined the day Prophet Abraham and his son, Prophet Ismail, (peace be upon them) put the first bricks or stones on top of one another to build this house. What was in their mind? I know a prophet does as he is commanded to do by his Lord and that was exactly the case with Prophet Abraham, as he was building the house of worship and a place for pilgrimage for the believers of the One God.
Yet, I could not help but wonder what was going through their minds. Could they ever imagine that a few thousand years later, millions would come from all over the world to this holy site to pay respect to the command of God and to make their pilgrimage?
I envisaged the centuries that went by and how this great house got ruined and was rebuilt various times. How it finally was turned into a house of idols instead of a house of God, as the pagan Arabs forgot the original purpose of this home and turned it into the most detestable site by bringing their commodities of idols to this holy site — bought, sold, and worshipped them.
The movie continued passing through my mind as I was wondering what it was like when Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) finally returned to Makkah after years of persecution, and at his first stop, he entered this holy site and destroyed all the idols at once and declared to all that, "There is no god but the One God."
I pictured again, what went on in the minds of those who had just embraced Islam upon Prophet Muhammad's arrival. Were they confused, happy, or just waiting to see what was next?
With this victory, and over time, Islam spread all over the world to include nearly one fourth of the earth population.
Suddenly, I came to myself, realizing that I was standing in the same place I don't know for how long. I stepped down and cautiously joined the crowd as they were circumambulating the Kabah. The site of this magnificent building was just too awesome and grabbed me like a magnet.
Everyone was walking, totally absorbed by the spiritual magnificence of this ritual, and busy in supplication. I also wanted to supplicate. I had a booklet telling me what to supplicate and where to do it, but I could not take my eyes off the Kabah to look at the book.
Finally, I just started supplicating from my heart and not reading from the book. I don't even remember what I was saying then. All I know is that I was so connected with my Creator without even uttering any words.
It was as if my mind was supplicating, but my tongue was unable to find the right words. I was supposed to circumambulate seven times, but I was so absorbed by the Kabah next to me, I couldn't remember how many times I did. Just to make sure, I did a few extra rounds.
As I was looking at the House of God, I remembered my home in northern California, surrounded by beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers, and green scenery. I always thought I was living in paradise on earth until I saw the Kabah.
No scene on earth could match this — no matter how awesome it is. What was happening with me? Most of my life, I preferred seclusion and spent much time in the mountains contemplating. But now among thousands around me shoulder to shoulder, breath to breath, even stepping on one another, I found such a deep peace I never had before.
Perhaps, it had something to do with feeling the presence of God in a more literal way than what I was feeling in the mountains. Also, realizing two of the greatest prophets who built and rebuilt this House were present at this site, enjoining on people pilgrimage, calling the worship of one God, gave me more sense of reality of time and space.
It took me some time to come to myself and feel what was going on around me till the second astonishment hit.
It came over the next few days… I had never seen so many people of various colors, languages, and backgrounds. It didn't really matter to them who is from where? They were all united like one body and doing the same rituals.
Sometimes I would see an old man or a woman looking up with their hands stretched in supplication, tears running down their faces, and caring for nothing except connecting with their Creator. Yet, people were extra courteous with each other in case of any needs.
Again, this reminded me of a different version of unity I experienced in the US. For years I attended a spiritual gathering with people of different backgrounds. Our motto was, "Unity in Diversity". We tried to love and help one another and be a brother, sister, mother, or father to one another. It felt good and was as if we had a unique community of our own.
But, now, I am one of nearly three million pilgrims. What about that? I asked myself, how the feeling differed. They were both spiritual and heartwarming; and this gave me a sense of belonging — but with one difference. The first one was cultivating human love toward other humans, and God was not among our concerns. But the second one was all about cultivating human love towards our Creator and as a result, love was cultivated among the adherents.
It was here that I truly felt the unity in diversity in its broadest sense. Had I not experienced this feeling, I may have still hung on to some of my good old memories of my spiritual group in the mountains, thinking that was the only time I felt unified with other humans. But on this pilgrimage, I had both: the Creator, and his creation, all finding their rightful place in my expanded heart.
_________________________________________________
Raya Shokatfard is the Editor in Chief of Reading Islam website. She has been an activist in promoting a better understanding of Islam and Muslims in the US for more than 20 years, and in Egypt for several years.
She holds an M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication as well as an M.A.D . in TV Journalism from the American University in Cairo. She can be reached at: mothers4peace@yahoo.com.
Story from...
Kisah yang ingin saya kongsi bersama pembaca minggu ini berlaku pada rakan saya sewaktu mengerjakan haji beberapa tahun lalu.
Tujuan saya mendedahkan kisah ini bukan untuk mengaibkan orang. Sebaliknya untuk dijadikan pengajaran agar peristiwa sama tidak berulang pada jemaah lain yang akan mengerjakan umrah atau haji pada masa akan datang.
Sebagai hamba Allah, beliau sepatutnya tidak memperlekehkan jemaah lain disebabkan penyakit batuk kering yang dihidapinya.
Biasanya apa yang kita tidak ingini itu akan berlaku ke atas diri kita seperti mana yang dialami rakan saya.
“Harap-harap janganlah aku ditempatkan dengan jemaah miskin. Aku takut mereka bawa macam-macam penyakit, nanti berjangkit pula kat aku,” ujar beliau dengan perasaan benci dan sombong.
Kata-katanya itu menimbulkan kemarahan rakan jemaah yang lain.
“Tak elok awak berkata begitu. Kita datang ke Mekah untuk mengabdikan diri kepada Allah, tapi awak pula fikir bukan-bukan,” kata rakannya.
Sewaktu di Padang Arafah, beliau ditempatkan bersama enam jemaah lain dalam sebuah khemah berbanding khemah lain menempatkan lapan orang.
“Syukurlah, khemah kita cuma enam orang sahaja, tidaklah kita tidur berhimpit-himpit macam ikan sardin,” ujar beliau bangga.
Sewaktu berehat di dalam khemah, beliau ternampak seorang pegawai Tabung Haji bersama seorang jemaah lelaki kurus sedang mengendong bekas membuang kahak di pinggangnya.
Jemaah tua itu kelihatan menuju ke khemahnya.
“Tuan, saya tak mahu lelaki tua itu ditempatkan dalam khemah kami, nanti kami tak selesa,” kata beliau pada pegawai Tabung Haji itu.
Memang dari dulu lagi beliau tidak tahan dengan kahak, sebab itu beliau membantah hasrat pegawai Tabung Haji menempatkan jemaah kurus itu dalam khemahnya.
Ternyata Allah mengetahui niat setiap hambanya. Apabila pulang semula ke Mekah dan sebaik selesai solat Zuhur di Masjidilharam, tekak beliau berasa amat kering sekali.
“Panas betul hari ini, lebih baik aku pergi minum air zam zam dulu bagi hilangkan haus,” bisik hati beliau.
Disebabkan terlalu dahaga, tanpa disedari beliau telah mencapai gelas sebelah kiri yang telah digunakan oleh jemaah lain. Sepatutnya beliau ambil gelas baru di sebelah kanan tong air zam zam yang belum digunakan.
Sewaktu meminum air zam zam itu beliau terasa sesuatu yang aneh. Airnya agak pekat dan berlendir. Bila beliau lihat gelas itu alangkah terkejutnya beliau rupanya dalam gelas itu berisi kahak berwarna hijau.
Hiii... beliau hampir muntah kerana terlalu geli. Disebabkan tidak puas hati beliau bertanyakan pada jemaah berdekatan siapa yang menggunakan gelas itu sebelum ini.
Kebetulan seorang jemaah Pakistan yang sedang tercegat di situ memberitahu dia yang menggunakan gelas plastik itu. Lebih membuatkan beliau betul-betul muntah apabila jemaah Pakistan itu mengakui dia seorang penghidap batuk kering.
Dia mengaku kahak di dalam gelas itu diludahkannya kerana tidak ada tempat lain untuk meludah.
Kali ini beliau betul-betul termuntah apabila mendengar pengakuan jemaah Pakistan itu, tapi apakan daya kerana kahak tu sudahpun masuk ke dalam perutnya.
Barulah beliau sedar apa yang berlaku itu mungkin balasan Allah ke atas dirinya kerana bermulut celupar serta suka menghina orang sesuka hati tanpa mengambil kira perasaan orang berkenaan.
Beliau betul-betul menyesal. Sebagai menyuci segala dosa dan keterlanjuran yang dilakukan, beliau segera mengerjakan solat taubat di dalam Masjidilharam. Beliau memohon keampunan Allah berserta cucuran air mata.
Di bilik penginapan beliau segera menemui jemaah tua yang sering beliau hina sebelum itu. Beliau berjanji tidak akan memandang hina pada jemaah berpenyakit kerana semua penyakit itu berupa ujian Allah pada setiap hambanya untuk menguji sejauh mana keimanan hambanya.
-ijoks2009-
Petikan dari kisah ganjil di Mekah.
By Raya Shokatfard
The site of the magnificent building was just too awesome and grabbed me like a magnet.
As I was stepping down the wide steps leading to the center of the courtyard where the Kabah is located, I could only see ceilings and lots of people but suddenly… I froze.
My heart dropped when I saw the magnificent Kabah with the black cloth cover and shimmering gold Quranic verses surrounding it. I could not move. In a moment's time, 4000 years of history passed through my mind.
I imagined the day Prophet Abraham and his son, Prophet Ismail, (peace be upon them) put the first bricks or stones on top of one another to build this house. What was in their mind? I know a prophet does as he is commanded to do by his Lord and that was exactly the case with Prophet Abraham, as he was building the house of worship and a place for pilgrimage for the believers of the One God.
Yet, I could not help but wonder what was going through their minds. Could they ever imagine that a few thousand years later, millions would come from all over the world to this holy site to pay respect to the command of God and to make their pilgrimage?
I envisaged the centuries that went by and how this great house got ruined and was rebuilt various times. How it finally was turned into a house of idols instead of a house of God, as the pagan Arabs forgot the original purpose of this home and turned it into the most detestable site by bringing their commodities of idols to this holy site — bought, sold, and worshipped them.
The movie continued passing through my mind as I was wondering what it was like when Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) finally returned to Makkah after years of persecution, and at his first stop, he entered this holy site and destroyed all the idols at once and declared to all that, "There is no god but the One God."
I pictured again, what went on in the minds of those who had just embraced Islam upon Prophet Muhammad's arrival. Were they confused, happy, or just waiting to see what was next?
With this victory, and over time, Islam spread all over the world to include nearly one fourth of the earth population.
Suddenly, I came to myself, realizing that I was standing in the same place I don't know for how long. I stepped down and cautiously joined the crowd as they were circumambulating the Kabah. The site of this magnificent building was just too awesome and grabbed me like a magnet.
Everyone was walking, totally absorbed by the spiritual magnificence of this ritual, and busy in supplication. I also wanted to supplicate. I had a booklet telling me what to supplicate and where to do it, but I could not take my eyes off the Kabah to look at the book.
Finally, I just started supplicating from my heart and not reading from the book. I don't even remember what I was saying then. All I know is that I was so connected with my Creator without even uttering any words.
It was as if my mind was supplicating, but my tongue was unable to find the right words. I was supposed to circumambulate seven times, but I was so absorbed by the Kabah next to me, I couldn't remember how many times I did. Just to make sure, I did a few extra rounds.
As I was looking at the House of God, I remembered my home in northern California, surrounded by beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers, and green scenery. I always thought I was living in paradise on earth until I saw the Kabah.
No scene on earth could match this — no matter how awesome it is. What was happening with me? Most of my life, I preferred seclusion and spent much time in the mountains contemplating. But now among thousands around me shoulder to shoulder, breath to breath, even stepping on one another, I found such a deep peace I never had before.
Perhaps, it had something to do with feeling the presence of God in a more literal way than what I was feeling in the mountains. Also, realizing two of the greatest prophets who built and rebuilt this House were present at this site, enjoining on people pilgrimage, calling the worship of one God, gave me more sense of reality of time and space.
It took me some time to come to myself and feel what was going on around me till the second astonishment hit.
It came over the next few days… I had never seen so many people of various colors, languages, and backgrounds. It didn't really matter to them who is from where? They were all united like one body and doing the same rituals.
Sometimes I would see an old man or a woman looking up with their hands stretched in supplication, tears running down their faces, and caring for nothing except connecting with their Creator. Yet, people were extra courteous with each other in case of any needs.
Again, this reminded me of a different version of unity I experienced in the US. For years I attended a spiritual gathering with people of different backgrounds. Our motto was, "Unity in Diversity". We tried to love and help one another and be a brother, sister, mother, or father to one another. It felt good and was as if we had a unique community of our own.
But, now, I am one of nearly three million pilgrims. What about that? I asked myself, how the feeling differed. They were both spiritual and heartwarming; and this gave me a sense of belonging — but with one difference. The first one was cultivating human love toward other humans, and God was not among our concerns. But the second one was all about cultivating human love towards our Creator and as a result, love was cultivated among the adherents.
It was here that I truly felt the unity in diversity in its broadest sense. Had I not experienced this feeling, I may have still hung on to some of my good old memories of my spiritual group in the mountains, thinking that was the only time I felt unified with other humans. But on this pilgrimage, I had both: the Creator, and his creation, all finding their rightful place in my expanded heart.
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Raya Shokatfard is the Editor in Chief of Reading Islam website. She has been an activist in promoting a better understanding of Islam and Muslims in the US for more than 20 years, and in Egypt for several years.
She holds an M.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication as well as an M.A.D . in TV Journalism from the American University in Cairo. She can be reached at: mothers4peace@yahoo.com.
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