This Year's A Test Of Fortitude, Devotion Of Muslims

By Mohd Shukri Ishak MAKKAH, Oct 1 (Bernama) -- The 1436H Haj season this year has really tested the fortitude and devotion of Muslims in performing the Haj pilgrimage, the fifth pillar of Islam. The crane-collapse tragedy on Sept 11 at the Grand Mosque killed more than 100 people, including seven Malaysian pilgrims, while the stampede accident in Mina on 24 September, left more than 700 people dead including one Malaysian. More than three million Muslims from around the world including over 22,000 Malaysian pilgrims came to the Holy Land to perform the Haj this year, with the important tenet on Sept 23 (9th of Zulhijjah) for the wukuf ritual at the Arafah plains. And now, after all tenets (niat) (intend), wukuf (standing and praying), tawaf (circling the Kaabah), sa'yee (walking seven trips between two small hills, Safa and Marwa) and shaving or trimming and compulsory (wearing 'ihram' cloth and throwing stones) rituals of the pilgrimage completed in order to achieve a blessed Haj, Muslims from around the world, including from Malaysia began to leave the Holy Land in stages. This Haj season certainly will leave a very deep impression, especially for the families and relatives of the pilgrims who died in those two heartbreaking tragedies. "We must believe in qada and qadar (faith and destiny), each incident, there must be a blessing behind it," said Tabung Haji (TH or Malaysian haj pilgrims fund board) pilgrimage manager Shahrul Azam Noorzeli. For Shahrul Azam, those two incidents must be seen as a test from Allah to His servants, who were seeking for His blessings at the Grand Mosque, one of the three most sacred mosques for Muslims besides the Nabawi Mosque in Medina and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, where someone will earn big rewards for visiting and praying purposes, let alone if someone gets killed in these mosques while worshiping. "There are many hadiths that say that anyone who dies during pilgrimage, then he died as a martyr and will be given the reward of Haj until judgment day," he said. All the bodies of the Malaysian pilgrims who died in the two tragedies were buried at the Syara'ik Cemetery in the Holy Land. The body of Zulkifly Samad, 50, who was killed in the Mina stampede incident was buried and shrouded in his ihram cloth. Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Ashraf Wajdi Dusuki was also in the Holy Land in order to ensure the pilgrimage affairs of the Malaysian pilgrims went smoothly, apart from handling the identification and burial process of the Malaysian victims of the two tragedies. Dr Asyraf Wajdi, who was newly appointed to the Cabinet last July, was quite calm in handling his 'first assignment', saying: "A lot of patience and sadness that we can see here in Makkah. This is all His glory. May all the pilgrims be rewarded with mabrur Haj (accepted by Allah). Let us pray for those who died in the tragedy to be placed among the martyrs". Malaysian Haj delegation chief Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman also thanked Sahabat TH, which contributed much to smoothen TH operations, especially in those two sad tragedies. "The 1436H Haj season is the most challenging year of Haj, the pilgrims have to face hot weather conditions (42 to 50 degrees Celsius) in the beginning of the pilgrimage, but the commitment and determination showed by Sahabat TH is highly appreciated, they helped a lot especially in the crane collapse tragedy," he said. Meanwhile, pilgrimage counselor, Ramli Ibrahim, in recalling the pilgrimage journey this year, said the pilgrims from around the world should really reflect upon themselves in strengthening their solidarity. "All Muslims, wherever they are, when they are praying they face the Kaabah, when they are here (Makkah), the one and only Kaabah and qiblat needs to be completely translated as a place that unites all Muslims. "Do worship Allah with our united hearts, have mutual respect among us, help one another," he said. --BERNAMA