Hi. As I woke up today, I realised that it is the day of Arafah, where the pilgrims from around the world gather on one huge plot of land, Arafah. I can still remember this very day, th years ago where my family and I were there, submitting ourselves to the will of God. This year, the jemaah (pilgrims) are very lucky in a sense that the downpour in Mekah happened four days before the day of Arafah. This gives time for the authorities to clean up the place and ensure that the jemaah would feel at ease when they have to camp there for a night.
In 2009, Mekah received rain on the Moving Day, where literally millions of jemaah traveled a distance of around 21 kilometres from Mekah to Arafah. 21 kilometres is not really that far. But imagine this. 2 million people are heading to one piece of land, with a third world highway system. My experience was a 12 pm scheduled beginning journey ending up around 12 am at Arafah. I cant sleep due to the fact that my tent was soaking wet, the mattress was muddy and mosquitoes are everywhere. Thankfully the night ended fast and after subuh prayers I forced myself to sleep.
At 10 am, we went to this open field to wait for the time of Arafah, which is exactly the time Zuhur started at 12 pm. It was scorching hot. Well what do you expect in the middle of the field in Saudi Arabia? But as Zuhur approach, the wind suddenly blows. Out of nowhere clouds begin to form above us, protecting us from the sunlight. All we can hear were the sounds of azan and the military chopper covering the area. If you were there, you would immediately cry, feeling very gracious after witnessing the blessings of Allah with your very eyes. That was what I did. There's no feeling that can beat the ones during the time of hajj.
That was my experience during the day of Arafah. Being there in the hajj seasons offers many colourful experience. Many of them are wonderful blessings that are very hard to be found anywhere else in the world. Most of us would imagine Mekah as a barren land with nomadic tribe without any idea what civilisation is (our understanding of civilisation might differ). Try googling Mekah, and you would be very surprised. At the heart of Mekah is the center point of the Muslim prayers, Kaabah. Sit beside Kaabah (if you can do so quite comfortably) and you can enjoy the view of the marvel of the modern world, the Abraj Al Bait Tower, the second tallest tower in the world.
However, the one thing that I am quite disappointed with the Arabs is the way they treat the others, especially women. As many know during the times of the jahiliyyah, the Arabs bury their infant daughter as a result of their disgust toward womenfolk. Nowadays that barbaric act will be penalised therefore nobody dares to do it. However, I believe it is in their nature to see women as a creature one tier below them. You can see this by their treatments toward the ladies.
I was appalled with the news that Malala Yousafzai was almost assassinated due to her boldness in fighting for women education in Pakistan. Over there in a province controlled by Taliban, girls are not allowed in school, and given treatments of a lower standard. My guess is that they are trying to ensure that the girls are kept inside the house, not being exposed to the eyes of the public. While this might preserve the purity of the girls and Islam as the big picture, it actually deprives the rights of the ladies. Saidatina Khadijah and Saidatina Aishah are the two most beloved women in the life of Rasulullah, and their purity are guaranteed by Allah, but they still are active in their social life. Being active socially does not mean you are giving yourself to the devil, provided you adhere the rules there are.
My rants should stop here before I go on and on and talk about Nada Al Ahdal or Noora Al Shahmi. We might have different views on that, but one thing is certain, women should not be treated badly. They have the right to be treated with compassion, not hatred. The degree of how special women are can be depicted by the fact that Allah reserved a chapter in the Quran especially for them. Who are we to degrade them?
In 2009, Mekah received rain on the Moving Day, where literally millions of jemaah traveled a distance of around 21 kilometres from Mekah to Arafah. 21 kilometres is not really that far. But imagine this. 2 million people are heading to one piece of land, with a third world highway system. My experience was a 12 pm scheduled beginning journey ending up around 12 am at Arafah. I cant sleep due to the fact that my tent was soaking wet, the mattress was muddy and mosquitoes are everywhere. Thankfully the night ended fast and after subuh prayers I forced myself to sleep.
At 10 am, we went to this open field to wait for the time of Arafah, which is exactly the time Zuhur started at 12 pm. It was scorching hot. Well what do you expect in the middle of the field in Saudi Arabia? But as Zuhur approach, the wind suddenly blows. Out of nowhere clouds begin to form above us, protecting us from the sunlight. All we can hear were the sounds of azan and the military chopper covering the area. If you were there, you would immediately cry, feeling very gracious after witnessing the blessings of Allah with your very eyes. That was what I did. There's no feeling that can beat the ones during the time of hajj.
That was my experience during the day of Arafah. Being there in the hajj seasons offers many colourful experience. Many of them are wonderful blessings that are very hard to be found anywhere else in the world. Most of us would imagine Mekah as a barren land with nomadic tribe without any idea what civilisation is (our understanding of civilisation might differ). Try googling Mekah, and you would be very surprised. At the heart of Mekah is the center point of the Muslim prayers, Kaabah. Sit beside Kaabah (if you can do so quite comfortably) and you can enjoy the view of the marvel of the modern world, the Abraj Al Bait Tower, the second tallest tower in the world.
However, the one thing that I am quite disappointed with the Arabs is the way they treat the others, especially women. As many know during the times of the jahiliyyah, the Arabs bury their infant daughter as a result of their disgust toward womenfolk. Nowadays that barbaric act will be penalised therefore nobody dares to do it. However, I believe it is in their nature to see women as a creature one tier below them. You can see this by their treatments toward the ladies.
I was appalled with the news that Malala Yousafzai was almost assassinated due to her boldness in fighting for women education in Pakistan. Over there in a province controlled by Taliban, girls are not allowed in school, and given treatments of a lower standard. My guess is that they are trying to ensure that the girls are kept inside the house, not being exposed to the eyes of the public. While this might preserve the purity of the girls and Islam as the big picture, it actually deprives the rights of the ladies. Saidatina Khadijah and Saidatina Aishah are the two most beloved women in the life of Rasulullah, and their purity are guaranteed by Allah, but they still are active in their social life. Being active socially does not mean you are giving yourself to the devil, provided you adhere the rules there are.
My rants should stop here before I go on and on and talk about Nada Al Ahdal or Noora Al Shahmi. We might have different views on that, but one thing is certain, women should not be treated badly. They have the right to be treated with compassion, not hatred. The degree of how special women are can be depicted by the fact that Allah reserved a chapter in the Quran especially for them. Who are we to degrade them?
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