Haj

The stirring in the heart became stronger. The yearning, more painful. But the call from MUIS telling us that we were part of the quota did not come. 

Sometime in the middle of July (with Hari Raya Haji falling on August 22), when we figured that we were never going to receive the call, it came.

Waves of immense gratitude, humility and a large dose of tears hit me. Despite the rather last-minute call, Allah is indeed the best of planners and He made it easy for us. (insert more tears)

What I'm sharing next is the logistical aspects of preparing for haj and it is more relevant for pilgrims from Singapore. I'm not going to cover things which will be covered during your haj course. (Eg, what type of haj to do - ifrad? Tamattu'? etc)

(Disclaimer: Some parts may be repeated. Because I wrote this over many months. I will slowly tidy this up and make it an easier read for anyone who needs to refer to this to help them prepare the logistical aspects of haj.)

Prior to The Call (from MUIS telling you that you are going for hajj)

Start getting things ready. For example: 

• Make Allah #1. Syaitan will very easily whisper things into our minds and we unknowingly take their suggestions. Be very careful. Always make Allah #1 in all that you do. 

• Check your heart. It is easy to condemn people. At 3am in the morning, when you are suddenly awakened by the loud vroom of a souped-up motorbike, it is very easy to condemn him to a life of misery. But, don’t. Pray for him. Pray that he will be granted the wisdom to be aware of other people’s needs. This must be practised a lot.

• Somewhat related to the above – pray for others. When you hear someone coughing badly, don’t say kesiaaaaaaan (ie, poor thing). Quickly make do’a for the sick person. Also, do not say things like, you should eat this supplement or that whatever. Make do’a and mean it.

• Up your ibadah (eg, more solat sunat, solat on time, tame the heart etc). My ustaz recommends going for fardu ain classes along with the kursus haji.

• Get appropriate clothings if yours are not. For eg, get some jubah which are loose fitting. This is especially if all your long dresses are cinched at the waist. Make sure you can pull the sleeves up beyond your elbow to take your wudhu. I got myself some new jubah but didn't do the sleeve-test. So, I had to struggle a bit each time I needed to take my wudhu.

• Read some books on the rituals of hajj. Watch videos of hajj rituals so you have an idea on the order of events. This will be covered during the hajj class but it’s always good if we go in more prepared.

Immediately after getting The Call (or if you are informed early, it will be via a letter - not sure how things go for letter recipients though)

1.     Go to MUIS to sign the form and collect the list of packages. (Could be a different process if you were informed early)

2.     If you can't do that immediately, go to MUIS website and download the list of haj packages available.  

We downloaded the list waaay before we received the call so most of the packages we shortlisted earlier in the year were no longer available. Take note that the price listed does not include the flight. The flight will cost about $2800. Yes, it is the most expensive flight I've ever taken. So, the cost per person is approximately $10,000 + $2,800. Almost all the packages are full board, ie, all meals are paid for. You will never be hungry unless you are very fussy about food.

3.     Shortlist the packages which suit your timing. For us, TheHusband could not be away from work for too long so we chose the 20-day package which was one of the shorter packages available. Actually, the basic rituals of hajj could be completed in 6-7 days. So technically, you could go there for 10 days or less. But, you should not. The time spent at Shisha is important in training our heart and soul. The time spent in Makkah and Madinah is important too to help strengthen your hajj experience. So go for the full works - 30 days if possible.

4.     Solat istikharah to help in making a choice (Full disclosure. We didn't do this. We zoomed in on what fit our needs and went straight for it given the limited time that we had. No regrets choosing Hagel. Alhamdulillah.)

5.     Go to the travel agent you have chosen. Call and ask them what you need to bring with you. Most likely: 4 passport sized photos and 2 visa-sized photos, all the documents you received from Muis and of course, your passport.

6.     The travel agent will then tell you to do a few things:

·        Get your biometrics details taken for the purpose of getting a hajj visa. This has to be done by appointment which your travel agent will arrange for you. Bring passport and appt letter.

·        Get your jabs taken. Can be done at polyclinics. See a doctor and get him/her to certify what your illnesses are (if any) and any long term meds you are taking.

·        Attend kursus haji conducted by your travel agent

And that's it. It seems you are set.

Packing List

Next section is a bit more exciting. What to bring. I read quite a few blogs and some people said, bring 10-12 jubah. That is a bit excessive. There will be laundry facilities. Well, as long as there are toilets, there are laundry facilities, right? What more do you need than running water and detergent? Heh.

Jubah/abaya

• 5 jubah

I brought 6 because I read on a blog that this person brought 10 jubah for a 12-day trip and considered this essential. I initially wanted to bring only 4.

I bought 3 of them especially for the trip. I tried them on for size but didn't wear them for long periods. In the end, disliked all 3 because it was a struggle to pull up the sleeves beyond the elbow to take wudhu. Make sure your sleeves are wudhu-friendly. 

Some ladies like their jubah to sweep the floor. Avoid if possible. During tawaf, there's very little space and people will be stepping all over your pretty dress. You dont want your clothes to be ripped off while doing tawaf.  If you wear white, the bottom part will turn grey in no time. Try to get it altered such that the hem is slightly above the floor. 

Pockets! Deep pockets! Like, literally deep pockets! On both sides. Some ladies even put zippers on the pockets so as to protect their valuables. 

Colours? Lots of people like wearing white. But, for ladies, white is not an easy colour to wear because it can be much too translucent in the sun. Modest colours like black, brown or dark blue are perfectly okay.

Hijab & Serkup (Inner)

• 2 mini telekung (given by travel agent) (telekung = prayer garb commonly worn by Malaysians/Indonesians/Singaporeans. Mini telekung means that it stops at the waist. A regular sized telekung normally ends somewhere around the thighs)

• 3 black lycra tudung (hijab) (big ones) 

• 5 serkup (that inner piece you wear underneath your hijab to keep your hair in place)

My travel agent gave 2 pieces of mini telekung that is supposed to be part of our uniform. You may not like them much because the colour palette or style does not suit you. But please wear them. In the huge hajj crowd, such easy forms of identification will help you and your travel mates to spot you and for you to spot them.

Besides these 2 mini telekung, I also brought one more mini telekung (end up not being used) and three big black lycra tudung (used extensively). Those tudung saved me a lot of hassle - no styling needed, not easily crumpled, provides extensive coverage, takes about 2 seconds to put on.

But I had to discard one of them towards the end of the trip as the material wasn't as good as the other two and was pilling badly. It also required a bit of ironing before each use. So choose your black lycra tudung wisely. (I had no idea where mine came from. They were all gifted to me.)

I also brought a pretty shawl thinking that I would wear it on the way back. Haha. Of course I didn't. I value comfort most of all. Especially in a plane. So I wore my favourite lycra tudung on the way back. 

Undergarments and other garments worn under the outermost layer

• 5 bras and panties

I used disposable panties though. If you haven’t used disposable ones in a long time, please take note that the quality of disposables have improved significantly since the days of paper panties.

• Long sleeve inners (especially if you plan to wear white - which I didn't because I don't like layering more than necessary especially in hot hot places)

• 3 long pants to be worn under your jubah/abaya

Get pants with gathers at the bottom hem. This way, when you use the toilets, you dont have to hold on to your pants to prevent them from touching the floor. Get lightweight ones like those cotton pyjamas type. It's gonna be hot so lightweight anything is good. You may want to bring a pair of nice black pants to wear underneath an abaya you might buy in Madinah. There are some abaya which come with zippers or buttons. You need nice pants to go with them. That comfy pyjamas pants don't go well with those zippers/buttons abayas which have a short slit a few inches above the hem. (If you prefer petticoat instead of the lightweight pants, go ahead, get them petticoats.)

Handsocks

• 5 pieces or so. If you are into matchy matchy handsocks, go ahead and get them. Make sure they don't cover the palm of your hands because during ihram, your palm should be exposed.

Socks & Footwear

• 3-4 men's work socks

Why men's work socks? Because women's socks tend to end at the ankle. Part of your leg may be seen when the wind blows. Men's work socks are longer and thicker. I often have to layer my socks if I wear women's socks to solat because women's socks are thinner and your toes can sometimes be seen through the socks. 

• 1 or 2 wudhu socks

You don't really need wudhu socks. It doesn't take much effort to take off and take on your socks.

However there is one benefit of using wudhu socks - you will have two things less to handle when you take off your socks when taking wudhu. You have to handle your hijab, serkup and handsocks. So, when you take your wudhu in toilets whose floor is wet, you will appreciate that your socks can be simply pulled up.

The problem with wudhu socks is that after some use, the opening of the sock gets a bit loose and you will have part of your foot showing while you solat. So if you want to bring them, go ahead but make sure you get new ones whose elastic has not worn off. 

• 2 or 3 pairs of very thick socks with rubberised grips at the sole for you to wear during sa'i or a pair of clean sandals/slippers

You don't need these during tawaf. The crowd will be enormous. You only have enough space to shuffle (not the dance but the slow movement in which your feet don't get lifted off the ground). Socks with rubberized grip will make it more difficult to shuffle. But for sa'i, it's a lot more spacious. You will be walking on hard marble floor. Your heels will be in pain. For me, I was okay for the first 2 sa'i but by the end of the 3rd sa'i (all done on consecutive days), my feet couldn't take it. You can bring a pair of clean slippers/shoes that you can use for sa'i actually. So, that's one alternative. You can also bring your hotel room slippers.  

• 1 pair of extremely comfortable shoes. My Skechers are great! Initially I wanted to get a new pair of Ecco shoes. They are very pretty but I couldn’t get the one that I wanted in time for the trip so I settled for Skechers.

• 1 pair of waterproof slippers. Get the slides type because you are wearing socks.

• 1 extra pair of clean, comfortable slippers for sa’i if you so wish

• 1 small foldable shoe bag because you will be bringing your shoes into the masjid

Sun Protection

When I was unpacking my bag in Shisha, my roommate presented each of us with a sunhat. Why didn't I think of that? Sun hats or sun visors are essentials! The sun is very strong and you will be in the sun quite a bit.

• Sunhat/sun visors

• Sunglasses (if you don't wear glasses or wear contact lessons)

• Glasses with transition lenses, or clip-on shades 

Pyjamas

• 1 set (only!)

Really, you do not need more than 1 set. Your PJs can be T-shirt and pants (can double up as the pants you wear underneath your abaya. Or it can be a nightdress or baju butterfly. Whatever you are comfortable with. At Shisha, after a few days of wear, you can wash it in the morning and it'll be dry for you to wear it that night. Rooms are airconditioned so your PJs will be clean for many days. 

Reading Materials

This is essential. You will have A LOT of free time in shisha. Don't waste it on idle chatter. Really. Bring some books that you can read there.  Examples would be:

• Quran with translation (You should have a target for Shisha - khatam the Quran or memorise a few surah etc)
• Books on zikir/wirid to be recited especially in Arafah. There are some recommended zikir that you can recite throughout your time in Arafah. 
• 1 or 2 paperback books (eg books about the life of our prophet etc)
• List of do'a that people have requested you to make

Laundry

This was actually my topmost concern. I normally pack 4 sets of clothes maximum for a loooong journey and 2 to 3 sets for short ones. I was unsure of laundry facilities for this haj trip. I asked around and was sure of only one thing - the desert heat will dry my clothes in 2 hours.

So I brought the laundry supplies below. They seem a lot but they don't occupy much space. At Shisha/Aziziyah, you will have enough time and space to wash your clothes. I'll get to the laundry bit right now.

• Collapsible pail/bucket

The collapsible bucket! Extremely helpful. The other option of soaking your clothes would be to put it in a plastic bag. And if it requires overnight soaking? Well, you can carry that plastic bag through the night. Not exactly fun. Or you can hang the water-filled plastic bag on a hook but the hook will most probably not be able to take the weight. So helpful it was that for all the services provided by the bucket, I have decided to call it Haji Baldi.

• Clothesline

The clothesline was helpful in Shisha. It was hung from a curtain rod to the hinge of our room door. If you get a string to be your clothesline, it will be okay but you will have the problem of your clothes sliding to the middle. The clothesline I had can be bought from neighbourhood shops for around $2. It ensures that your hangers stay in place because the clothesline looks like a ladder. 

• Clothes pegs

• Hangers

You need them for the shisha leg of the journey. I brought foldable hangers but you don't need those things. You can buy cheap, sturdy hangers from the Value Dollar store and leave them behind in the Shisha apartment for the next group of pilgrims to use. I brought about 10 hangers and was more than pleased to share them with my Shisha roommates (who were awesome!) 

• Scrubbing brush

Essential just in case you don't have access to a washing machine


Ihram Toiletries

You will need unscented and alcohol-free products when you are in ihram. If you are doing umrah, your ihram period will be very short. There is no need to get these. If you are doing haji tamattu', your ihram period will be relatively short too. At the most, about 1-2 days. You can get by by borrowing from your haji ifrad friends. Haji ifrad people will be in ihram for about a week. We also tend to spend a long time getting ihram-friendly toileteries.

When I was on a Saudia plane, I saw an ad for Cetaphil products which are ihram friendly - including an SPF50 sunblock. I am pretty sure you can buy this from any pharmacy there. I did not see these products in Singapore/Malaysia pharmacies (in case you are looking for them here). But we love to be prepared so let me share what I brought.

• Shower gel
• Shampoo
• Lip balm
• Underarm deodorant 

The four items above were from https://www.facebook.com/aslebotanicals. They were gifted by a friend. (Masya Allah. So many things we used and brought were gifts from family and friends. I do'a for Allah to grant them goodness in this world and the Hereafter. Amin.)

• Physiogel moisturising cream

• Nu Skin perennial intense body moisturizer
• Nu Skin NaPCA moisture mist

The Nu Skin products above were also gifts from a friend. Subhanallah. The moisturiser was good for the entire face and body. You need to moisturise a lot over there. The mist spray is for you to mist your face from time to time to ensure you don't lose too much moisture. 

• Unscented wet wipes. 

Baby wet wipes are good. Easy to get unscented and alcohol free ones. Make sure you get unscented ones. Some baby wipes are scented. 

• Heel balm - men need this because when they are in ihram, their feet are exposed all the time. Remember to smear a lot of it all over your heels before you sleep. 
• Tissue paper
• Panty liners/pads

How much money to bring?

Given that our accommodation and all meals are paid for, we don't need much money once we are there. You'll need money for sadaqah, your dam and perhaps some shopping. Shopping. Hur hur. If you find shopping stressful (like I do), just standby loads of $$$$ for kurma and pistachios. Good quality kurma - ajwa alia - costs about 80 riyal per kilogram. We bought about 7kg but we feel that we could have gotten more. Pistachios cost about 50 riyal per kg. I bought 4kg of it but as I said earlier, more would be good. To have a feel of how much is enough, make a list of all the people you want to give things to and do the maths.

Just in case you fall in love with some beautiful prayer mats or an exclusive abaya, make sure you have credit cards or you have activated your ATM to make withdrawals overseas (I did but somehow I still couldn’t withdraw my money. Allah’s way of making sure I don’t spend too much!)

Spend your time wisely

Before the hajj rituals begin, you will have a lot of free time. Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesian pilgrims will often be housed in different apartment blocks in Shisha. You will be in apartments that can fit 4 to 8 pilgrims of the same gender. This, I feel, is when you start to feel the enormity of the pilgrimage you are in. My father and another friend reminded me that it was easy to lose focus here. I was advised to have a goal to achieve during my time in Shisha and stick with it – for eg, khatam Quran or memorise a few surahs.

Avoid engaging in idle chatter. Sometimes, such conversations are necessary to form bonds but keep it minimal. Avoid discussing people because such discussions can lead to gossip. If you are one who tends to talk too much (me), try to develop an awareness of what comes out from our mouths. I realise that if you set all these goals, Allah will make it easier for you to achieve them.

Do’a for others

Before you go for your hajj, your friends and family will ask you to make specific do’a for them. Write all these down on a piece of paper and on your phone. You may forget so writing down is a must (preferably on 2 different mediums so if one goes missing, you still have a back up). If they simply say, “Please make a do’a for me”, all you need to do is do’a for their goodness in this world and the Hereafter. Simple do’a but such a far reaching effect it has. Masya Allah. Even if they did not ask you to do’a for them and they did not even know you are going for your hajj, do’a for them when they appear in your mind. Do’a for people you dislike, for them to lose that unlikeable nature so that you may love them for the sake of Allah.  And then, forget that you’ve made all the do’a so that pride has no chance of creeping into our hearts.

Getting a cold or flu is common there. The dry dessert air will also cause you to cough incessantly. When you hear someone coughing, don't say things like 'poor thing'. Quickly train our tongues to make a do'a for the person to recover. Our hearts will follow soon enough. One of my friends gave me a bag of cough drops. She told me to pass it around to random people. When people around you start coughing, pass some cough drops to them. 

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This is all that I’ll write for now. If I don’t post this now, I don't know when I will do this. If there are any mistakes here, they are mine. The truth is from Allah.