The Journey...

From Kuala Lumpur

As the day progresses more and more relatives arrived at the house. I did manage to get a quick nap, but awakened when I heard the voice of my brother arriving from my hometown.

There's already five or more cars that had arrived. By maghrib my brother in law suggested that we all do a jumaah prayer for maghrib. That was quite impromptu and unplanned.

It is also suggested that after the congregation prayer it is to be followed by recital of the chapter yaseen from the Quran. And finally isha prayers. Congregation prayers is 27 times better than praying alone.

The living room was quickly converted in a praying room to accommodate the congregation of my close relatives. Mats were laid and arranged towards kaaba. Furnitures were put aside to make space. My biras/brotherin-law, jamil lead as imam. He had a formal religious school, while I am not from such a background, but he pursuit a job as a police constable. Now, he is retired.

By maghrib, the three rakaat prayer was smoothly completed, followed by the supplication.

The yaseen booklet was distributed and everyone readied to recite the yaseen.

Instead, jamil asked me to give a few words. I started by saying that I really felt honoured by the presence of so many of the wellwishers. Then I stated saying that it really felt good to have so many relatives that cared for me and my wife and their presence was heart-throbbing. And I burst into tears, and I did not know why. That must be the most difficult short speech that I had given because I had to speak while sobbing in
Tears. .. II then asked my mum and my mother in law permission for us to perform the hajj and to bless our trip.

Hajj trip is an invitation from the Creator Himself and if you are invited,
you will find things happening so fast and are like magic.

Finally I adviced the children to take care and to avoid things that would cause bad feeling or suspicions to the neighbours . And I thanked everyone.

We procceded to read the chapter yaseen from the quran together.

All that was followed by isha prayers again jamaah. Congregating the prayers is twenty seven time
more virteous than praying alone.

By the time we started to put the luggage into the car, the more neighbours had joined us all in the compound .

To formalise the beginning of the journey, brother jamil lead the azhan to start our journey of the hajj.

Yes, even if one had travelled the four corners of the world, this trip is expected to be unlike all other trips...