Return of the Mujahideen

On Satuday morning, 12 Jan 2008, the last batch of the Hajj Pilgrims from Singapore return home. Two Saudia Airlines flights landed at noon carrying approximately 600 pilgrims.

Amongst the pilgrims were my friends who travelled via Qodariya Travel & Tours and my 7 cousins who went via Travelways Travel & Tours. You may be wondering why seven. It was not because of lucky number or what. They were my 3 cousins and their wives and one of their sister.

One of my cousins, Jalil, recap that they had to wait in the bus for 15 hours for a trip that normally took only half an hour. It was due to the jam from Arafah to Mina. He admired one of Qodariya staff who went extra miles to help ease their 15 hour journey, by asking permissions from the other drivers to let them swerved into the right lanes. These drivers only speak Arabic. They don't understand English. If you are lucky you may get an Indonesian drivers who speak Malay.

There are 9 major roads from Arafah to Mina. If you take the wrong road, then you will end up at the wrong side of the place of accomodations, which were numbered according to countries.

They had no oppurtunity to stop at Mudzalifah for a night stay, because the bus had to keep on moving to catch up with the snailing bus queue to Mina. If they stop, then they would be further delayed.

What ever the difficulties were, Jalil said that it was a miraculous pilgrimage, because despite the 3 million crowd, they managed to complete their Hajj rites on time. Food and drinks were surplus. Toilets and other personal hygiene needs were also provided.

"Of course, with such a mammoth crowd you cannot expect perfection", Jalil said.

Now the return of the Mujahideen cause some inconveniences at the Terminal One Airport. The families of the pilgrims flocked the arrival hall. There were too many of them. So too many that the crowd, spilled off to the taxi stand, causing inconveniences to other passengers and taxi drivers. It was also a scene of dangerous hazard to road safety.

Why do I called them Mujahideen? It is because, Prophet Muhammad said that Hajj is Jihad, especially for women.

Thus, I wish to emphasise that Jihad is not necessairily Holy War --- NO. Jihad means a struggle to endure difficulties to attain success, especially in practising religious way of life.

It is difficult to practise religious way of life in today's world which is full of fun, games, sports, jokes and entertainments. So difficult that it is a jihad to be religious these days. Those who endure the difficulties in religious life are called Mujahideen, which means those who perform jihad.