Umrah trip : First step is the hardest…!!

Sorry, this entry is a bit long…

I can still remember making jokes with friends a few years back (frankly.., not so long ago…), that if ever I go for Umrah or Hajj then, God will definitely (and immediately) strike me with lightnings when I get off the plane… Kejam kan…? Am talking about my sarcastic joke la, not God…!! Hehehe… so much/many sin(s), I have, I was sure that God will deny me entry to His house… well, at least my parents have brought me up the correct way and gave me enough education for me to know and decide what is wrong and what is right… and I know that I have done lots and lots of wrong/bad stuffs… alahai, kerja jurujual nih siksa… kengkadang bila menjual products & services, one accidentally sold oneself & soul to the devil…. That’s why 2 years ago, I looked forward to coming to Middle East to work, thinking that I might not have to sell myself to the devil too often while doing my work… :) (yeah, yeah, yeah… blame it on the work… after that the company… after that the boss… what else…? Hehehe…)

takuuuuuuttttt....!!! hehehe...

By the way, as I thought that I was not prepared to go and perform umrah/hajj, I never really gave it any priority… the fact is, “one will not go if one is not invited by God”… tu dia kau…!! Selama nih, kalau ada terdetik hati nak gi umrah pun, tapi tak dapat pergi, sebenarnya sebab tak dijemput pun… ala2 not welcome la like that… awai2 dah kena reject from the invitees’ list…

Well, I guess God has invited me now… (well… I really hope so, am not there yet…). I have made the first step for my umrah trip next weekend… paid for the trip, and bought my ihram cloth… esok kena beli sandal & tali pinggang haji (supaya tak lucut kain ihram tu kang…)…

The ticket (tak paham sepatang haram amende dia tulis) : bought the expensive one, one person per room, in a 5 star hotel. actually, you can get tickets at SAR100 per person (4 person per room in a budget hotel), SAR150, twin sharing room in a budget hotel, or SAR250 twin sharing room in a 5 star hotel, and the one that I took SAR320, one person in a room in a 5 star hotel… I will go all by myself and the idea of sharing room with someone that you don’t know doesn’t really thrill me that much… kang nak terkentut pun kena keluar bilik. And since I am alone, and no speaking Arabic, will need as much English translation help as I can, and no place it better than a 5 star hotel (well, I hope it’s the case…). Ticket includes the bus trip, the hotel (1 night) and breakfast.

Ticket : SAR320
Ihram cloth : SAR25
Sandal : SAR5 (normally…)
Belt : SAR10 (normally..)

kain ihram : made in UAE....

Itinerary :

• Wed 4pm : Riyadh to Madinah, arrival estimated at 4 or 5am. Go straight to Masjid Nabawi, (free and easy : subuh prayer, visit of Makam Rasulullah/Prophet’s mausoleum, visit of Masjid Nabawi). Target : Prayers at “Raudhah” and pay Rasulullah/Prophet Muhammad a visit (aiyaa…! visit His grave laaa….)
• Thu after subuh : Madinah to Mecca (6 hour trip). Immediately perform umrah. Target : perform umrah ritual min 7 times… (errr, can one huh…? Got enuf time or not… and why seven…? Because I like the number 7, boleh…? Hehehe…) then free and easy… may be if got enuf time, go visit2 around Mecca area…
• Fri : free and easy (perform more umrah rituals…?), Friday prayer at Masjid Haram, then 2pm bus trip back to Riyadh. Arrival in Riyadh estimated at midnite to 2am…

Laugh if you want, but I am still a bit risau… going all by myself, need to study umrah ritual by myself (huaaa… lessons learned when I was in Form 5 all forgotten alrdy, even though I was the top scorer in kelas “Pengajian Agama Islam” then)…, will need to ask around a lot for direction and also still… takut kena strike by lightning when I enter into Mecca/Tanah Haram… hehehe… that’s a joke… :D

Package from Mesia usually comes with some classes on umrah ritual instructed by an Ustaz/Ustazah, who often will also go with you as the guide (for the group ler)… and of course, added to the package, tours to the Islamic historical sites (which I will miss…)

Well, I hope that by Wed/Thu next week, I will still be in His invitees list…. Believe it or not, dlm “takut2” (takut buat salah masa perform umrah), dlm risau2, I actually look forward to it… the first step was the hardest, now it’s time to rock & roll…!!! (not literally laaa….)

This will be an adventure …