Health is key

After two weeks of stay in Makkah, I was down with a terrible sore throat that stubbornly refuses to give me a rest. Despite of the numerous gallons of zamzam water that I have consumed, I had accepted this as a test that I had to endure in order to win His Pleasure.

What started off with a rigorous Subuh and a heavy chore of doing laundry* ended with me in bed till late afternoon. I was beginning to cough then. Mak claimed that I had nonsensically spoken in my sleep that I sounded angry. I didn't have any recollection of whatsoever she was saying about.

By Asar, I was already up but I insisted to stay away from the crowd. I had a mask on the whole time as a social service, hoping that I would infect anyone, particularly those in my room.

This is the first time I had religiously worn a mask for health reasons. I had never had any fever nor flue during the H1N1 epidemic episode, so I had least the experience of looking like a female ninja. I had always thought then that wearing the mask would suffocate its wearer but ever since I had it on, the pre0judged assumptions about it is baseless.

It is a social responsibility of not circulating germs that are released into the air through the coughs, sneezing and whatever that takes place within the breathing process. While the room is constantly (and insistently) air-conditioned, my roomies have found ways to unlatch the window and have air circulated - in and out.

* I washed my own laundry, instead of sending it to the laundrette.

Where deoderant and talc powder do no wonder!

One thing that I miss doing in Makkah is putting on my roll-on deoderant and talcum powder as soon as I jump out of the showers. This is a routine back in Malaysia where it is common in order to ease any possible indecent smell. Here, on the other hand, bares witness a tendency of getting away without admitting to the routine. The air is as such that it allows a rather lackasidical attitude towards what is considered to be hygenic. Do not mistaken, thinking that the pilgrims fail to exercise cleanliness; they are constantly taking ablution (wudu') in order to reinstate the emphasis of cleanliness. There are some who remain religious at their Malaysian exercise of constant showering before going to bed to which I later notice their tendency to catch cold and cough as due to cold chest.

Another observation on the quality of air here enables cookies to a stay crispy despite of its unattended or left uncovered. This, I noted, twice while attending to invitated local homes when I nervously reminded the host to place back the cookies into the jar.

On another note, I also notice a rather laid-back attitude that co-exists among the locals that are quickly picked up by the pilgrims, especially Malaysians. What used to be seen as hacklers was then gradually turned to be tolerable, particularly when queuing for turns to take the lift. In the beginning, the idea of waiting for one's turn was a foreign concept.

Taking the lift to go up to the room or to go down for prayers is quite common in Makkah for pilgrims are placed within tall hotels around the Kaabah. So what started out to be impatient people who rushed into the lifts were noticeably turned into a progressive behaviour of waiting. Hastiness is seen as inappriopriate for there is no rat race to chase after. If one is seen to be hasty in his action, he is bound to stand out for straying eyes would follow his impatient act of forcing his way into the lift.

Although offensive words were never uttered, a quick renouncement of displeasure is quickly uttered at times.

Makkah: A massive Reconstruction in motion

Tall scaffoldings overlooked the Baitul Atiq with moving lorries, ferrying about grinded stones from the what was originally stone-hills that surround the location. Construction workers - all geared in high-tech boots and helmets - scattered the nearyby perimeters. Dust was a constant phenomenon if one is to walk along the roads towards Babul Fatah - Door No. 45, that any effort of sweeping it is utter useless. A constrast between the ready and the unready furnished the setting. Inside the mosque, pious worshippers crowd the avenue, leaving the place at constant attendance of its visitors.

At this point of writing, I was taking my time out from the usual zikir and Quranic recital perior before the five compulsory solat to observe my surroundings. At common, I would hop around to locate the best seat in the mosque before the call of azan. After some time, I realised that such habit is a terrible practice to continue, especially during the first ten days of Zulhijrah. It is during these period that the number of people that crowd this location seemed to overpour the city, making ikhtikaf a most trying phase. I was always trying to outbeat the crowd by changing my praying venue just to have plenty of ease while praying but alas! I never succeed at doing so.

Inside the mosque, familiarity is often left at bay once one steps into its grandeur doors. One particular instance is the space that he hopes to own by coming early. Thinking that an early secured spot would entitle one to that three feet by one and half to a comfortable space in order to extend his dua' to his Mighty is often a failure. I learnt this the hard way during one of my Subuh prayers.

My journey to the mosque would start as early as one hour before the first call of azan so that I could enjoy a place by the grilled window at the first floor at the Saie pathway. I reasone out such option is vital for my ability to focus well in my prayers.

By the second azan, the area was filled with assorted kinds of ma'mumah (masses). It is then when two Paki ladies approached the area, requesting for a spot between the jamaah, including me. As soon as I sternly denied to the request, believing that there is no enough space for the two of them, the elderly one asked me to move up a bit. I understood her by her hand gesture so that she could form another saf (row).

Well, one just has to take in all that are offered during this pilgrimage and in this case, I tell myself that control is never within my strength. As much as modernity tries to evade the Holy city, ancient attitude remains within it.