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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Hajj Tips |
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| M.F. |
| 01/28/03 at 06:17:04 |
| Assalamu alaikum, Before it's too late, let me share some of the things I wish I'd done last hajj :) Maybe other people have tips as well: -Try to walk from Arafat to Muzdalifa and from Muzdalifa to Mina if you can. The buses sometimes take longer to get there than you on foot, and it's unbreathable a lot of the time. Mina to Arafat is a bit long but if you can make it walk there too. -Don't buy those green or gold water bottles they sell there. The strap is very uncomfortable, they're heavy, they don't necessarily keep water cool, and they can be leaky as well. -Do buy an umbrella, they're cheap and a huge relief from the sun. (they're even cheaper after it's all over but they really do help a LOT when walking anywhere). -Have a good backpack, carry water in the backpack at all times. And good walking shoes. -When going to Arafat, leave your personal belongings in Mina. We were told to but didn't listen, and had to carry everything back to Mina, and it got very heavy after a while. In Mina, nothing had been touched. -At the Jamarat, wait. You'll eventually see a place you can go in from. For women, walk directly in front of your mahram and have him clear the way for you with his arms. Keep your head down at all times. Don't push, a way always clears. Pretty soon you'll be right at the rim of the bowl (we did the ramy at the lower level because you can go out to the side afterwards. Upstairs you can't go against the flow, there's only one direction to go in). DON'T DROP YOUR PEBBLES!! :D This happened to me on the very last one on the last day and I had to go in again. -Don't throw your stones from a distance. Chances are you'll only hit someone's head. The key is WAITING till you get right up there. You will, don't worry. One of the funniest sights we saw was this short young man throwing way from the outside. He'd jump high in the air like he was making a slam dunk or a smash and throw as hard as he could. I don't think he could have gotten any of them in. Wallahu a'lam. -On the way out of the jamarat keep your head lowered. You won't be in Ihram anymore (after the first one) so, men, wear a hat or a baseball cap. -Don't forget to bring clothes to change into after your out of Ihram like I did!! :D -While at Mina, stay at Mina. It's very tempting to want to go to Makkah every day. We did one day, and found out later that there's much more reward in staying at Mina, for all three days too, although for me it took a LOT of sabr (I don't know if I had enough sabr cause I got VERY anxious to leave after a day or two). There's no trees, no shade except for the inside of the stifling tents (AC doesn't help at all), nowhere to go... anyway, it takes a lot of sabr, that was the hardest part for me.... -When descending from Arafat, (according to Amr Khaled), the first sin you might make is saying : :I don't know if Allah accepted it..." He DID, and you should thank Allah for the opportunity, but don't go wondering and doubting... -Try to go to Madina AFTER you've completed Hajj (this depends on the agency of course) because Madina is very restful, and you'll need the rest afterwards. Going there before sort of unfocuses you from the whole purpose of being there, wallahu a'lam. -There's really good food at a restaurant called Hira in the Bin Dawood Shopping center right outside the Makkah Haram. We found this out on Umrah. You buy one portion (20 ryals) and it's enough for 2 people or more. You might crave veggies after a while, and they offer grilled meats with a huge side of veggies. It's also a nice thing to just shop for fruit and veggies, buy a big plastic bowl (1 ryal during Umrah) and make your own salads and sandwiches. They even have bottled salad dressing. -That huge flat round bread they sell all over, and in particular at this place called Ful is delicious and totally addictive, but it causes TERRIBLE GAS! Not something you want to worry about during tawaf and between prayers! That's all I can think of right now.... Anyone else? I'm going to compile a list and give it to people I know who are going insha Allah. It's getting down to the wire!! Has anyone seen the images from Makkah? They finally removed the women's patch of prayer space :D |
| 01/28/03 at 06:22:53 |
| M.F. |
| Re: Hajj Tips |
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| SisNur |
| 01/28/03 at 12:30:32 |
| [slm] just to add on ... [quote]For women, walk directly in front of your mahram and have him clear the way for you with his arms. Keep your head down at all times. Don't push, a way always clears. Pretty soon you'll be right at the rim of the bowl (we did the ramy at the lower level because you can go out to the side afterwards. Upstairs you can't go against the flow, there's only one direction to go in). DON'T DROP YOUR PEBBLES!! This happened to me on the very last one on the last day and I had to go in again.[/quote] [i]Our mutawwif actually recommended us to bring extra pebbles. Just in case it drops ;D so that you do not actually have to go in again.[/i] [quote]Try to go to Madina AFTER you've completed Hajj (this depends on the agency of course) because Madina is very restful, and you'll need the rest afterwards. Going there before sort of unfocuses you from the whole purpose of being there, wallahu a'lam.[/quote] - this is so true! I just love Madina. - Do go out early from your hotel* to ensure good place for prayers. With the number of pilgrims there at that time, you will have difficulty getting place if you're late. (*even if the hotel is just a stone throw away from the Masjidil Haram) - we were late once and had to pray outside theMasjid :'( - If possible, do not carry big bags wif lot of things to the Masjid(especially for ladies), this could be a hindrance as your bags would be checked and you have to dig everthing out! that's all for now. Wassalam. SisNur :-) |
| Re: Hajj Tips |
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| BrKhalid |
| 01/29/03 at 05:56:21 |
| Asalaamu Alaikum ;-) [quote]And good walking shoes[/quote] Definately worth the investment!!! When spending the day in Mina on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah, people seem to get a bit bored because there are no special rites to perform on this day. My advice would be to relax and spend time in contemplation of the great day which is ahead tomorrow. Go over what duas you want to make and all those people who asked you to make dua for them. Once the Day of Arafat comes [and the days after] you'll be so busy doing various things that you wish you had a day like the 8th to rest!!! For those staying in the European Camp in Mina, you can walk to the slaughter houses nearby during the days in Mina. |
| Re: Hajj Tips |
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| wardah |
| 01/29/03 at 17:46:59 |
[slm] If your shoes come off while your walking, don't bend down to pick them up again, thats really dangerous in crowds. Be patient when someone behind you keeps poking you on the back! [wlm] |
| Re: Hajj Tips |
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| Muneerah134 |
| 01/30/03 at 15:48:11 |
| [slm] -Get a good pair of shoes. True. The best pair of shoes I had, I bought in Makkah in the mall. Many things I carried, I would buy there if I have the chance to go again, inshaAllah. -True, the gold bottles are not that useful. I just carried bottles of water and/or drank ZamZam water. -Spend all the time you can in the Haram and in the Prophet's mosque. Offer as many prayers as possible in both. This was the best piece of advice I was given before I came (that and don't bend down to pick up anything you've dropped or lost shoes! ;D) -If you are a "hot-house flower" like me, don't underestimate your need for water. I dehydrated my first day in Makkah and was a bit concerned when I realized I couldn't remember the Fatihah and felt very dizzy. :o ZamZam water straightened me out, but some people don't realize they are in trouble. Drink water, drink water, drink water. -Travel light. I didn't bring much and was a happier person for it! -Go to the roof of the Haram and stay after Fajr. The sunrise - I was and still am speechless. -Bin Dawood was the best. Any supplies we needed we bought and left as sadaqa, especially in Mina. -Walk around Mina. I did some exploring (with those good walking shoes) and truly enjoyed talking with Muslims from all over the world. I met folks from UK, China, Seattle, and many other places. Be careful though, it is so very easy to become very, very lost. Got lots of reading done in the tents. :-) Muneerah [] |
| Re: Hajj Tips |
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| M.F. |
| 01/31/03 at 05:08:53 |
| One other one: while walking in tawaf and sa'y, you'll be barefoot. Try to keep your eyes on the ground as much as possible. There's lots of pins and other dangerous things you could walk on. Try to pick them up if it's not too crowded and throw them in the trash. |
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