Subhan Allaah. A group of us from Al-Muyassar Tours, led by Shaykh Muhammad Alshareef of AlMaghrib Institute, almost didn’t complete our Hajj, as the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhe wa salam said, "The Hajj is (staying in) ‘Arafah."On the 8th of Dhul Hijjah, a day before ‘Arafah as we boarded buses to travel to Mina, the wind picked up and drops of rain started to fall. In the middle of the desert terrain, we wondered if this was a Sign. Did it mean that Allaah subhanahu wa ta'ala would wash our hearts during Hajj, forgive us and grant us Jannat Al Firdaus?
Bulbous grey clouds gathered above and burst forth as we --- and more than two million Hajjis --- drove, rode or walked to Mina. When we arrived at the tent city, the Sisters in my group ran to our tent #3-032 on Street 53A of District 6, amidst torrents of rain. As we nestled in wet and giddy, we noticed that water was funneling into the corner of our tent creating a puddle. Alhamdulilaah, most of it drained out as it funneled in.
What we did not know or realize was that while we were happy and dry, tens of thousands of "illegal" or unregistered Hajjis were camping under bridges and overpasses, on the sides of mountains, in the streets and in the valleys. We received news that thousands were flooded out and more than one hundred had drowned. Some of the Sisters in my tent shed tears at the fate of our "less fortunate" neighbors, but our shock turned to stoic understanding that those who died during Hajj would be granted, in sha Allaah, the riches of Jannat Al Firdaus. (Later, we learned that the deaths did not occur in Mina, but in Jeddah, inna lilahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon.)
The next morning, on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah, we prepared to leave after Fajr to take the bus to ‘Arafah. The plan was that we would arrive in the morning, settle in, combine Dhuhr and ‘Asr, listen to the special ‘Arafah Khutbah, and then, when the Khutbah ended, the clock would start ticking. From that moment until Maghrib, we would have approximately four and a half hours to pour our hearts out to Allaah subhanahu wa ta'ala in sincere Duaa'. All of us in our group had prepared pages and pages of Duaa' and this was the moment of Hajj we were waiting for.
As Rasool Allaah, sal Allaahu alayhe wa salam said, "The best Duaa' one can make is Duaa' on the Day of ‘Arafah." Ayesha, radi alay anha, narrated that the Messenger, sal Allaahu alayhe wa salam said, "There is no day in which Allaah sets free more servants from the fire of Hell than on the Day of ‘Arafah. Narrated Talha, Rasool Allaah, sal Allaahu alayhe wa salam said, "Apart from the day of the Battle of Badr, there is no day on which the Shaytan is more humiliated, rejected and infuriated than on the Day of ‘Arafah...because of Allaah's descending mercy (on that day) and His forgiveness of the great sins of His servants." On that Day, He, Al Jal wa Al 'Alaa, descends to the lowest Heaven and exclaims to His angels, "Look at my dusty and disheveled slaves," and the angels tell Him all the slaves Duaa’ big and small.
So we waited to take the bus to ‘Arafah, which was four miles away. 9 o'clock, 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, 12 o'clock. No bus came. Most of our group had departed by bus earlier, but our tent remained. Shortly after 12 o'clock, we turned on the transistor radio and listened to the Grand Mufti of Makkah deliver the ‘Arafah Khutbah to the Hajjaj. Meanwhile, we were still in Mina!!! What should we do???
Shaykh Muhammad gathered us together. The word on the street was that transportation was backed up due to the flooding. Parts of Mina were under 12-14 inches of water contaminated with sewage. Some frustrated Hajjis were trying to board buses that didn't belong to them. It was a dangerous situation. Some of the Brothers had already left on foot. The rest were preparing to walk to Mina, but the elderly and pregnant would have to remain behind.
We returned to our tent devastated. So close, but so far. Could it be that Allaah subhanahu wa ta'ala would not accept our Hajj after all of this. Some of us started to sob, particularly those too old or pregnant to walk. All of us made sincere Duaa' to Allaah subhanahu wa ta'ala that He would invite us to come and stand in prayer and supplication before him on ‘Arafah and that our bus would arrive. All of us determined to accept His Qadr no matter what.
Those of us fit to walk gathered bottles of water and prepared to go, leaving our sleeping bags and belongings behind, which we would need that night in Muzdalifah. We proceeded down Street 53A. Then the bus arrived, wa ALHAMDULILAAH!!!!!!!!!
In ‘Arafah, the Hajjaj had started their Duaa', so on the bus our Shaykh instructed us to do the same. We arrived at 1:50 PM, combined Dhuhr and 'Asr, and then proceeded to make Duaa' for 3 1/2 straight hours determined to make up for lost time. Our hearts softened by this ordeal felt totally vulnerable and humbled before Allaahu subhanahu wa ta'ala. We felt purified by the eradication of our Nafs (at least during those hours), since we thought that Allaah subhanhu wa ta'ala had rejected us and then invited us after all. We glorified and praised Him, exalting His Beautiful Names, so grateful to Him for this most wonderful of invitations which requires total submission.
That day, I made sincere Duaa' for all the Muslimeen. I prayed that Allaah subhanhu wa ta'ala would increase us all in Eman, would grant us goodness in this life and in the Hereafter. I prayed that He would protect us from the Hellfire and grant us Jannat Al Firdaus. I also asked our Rabb to invite us to perform Hajj soon.
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The writer, Sr Susan Smith, completed this past year's hajj. May Allah accept it from her. --TML
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