Hajj: A first timer blazes through the rigours of rites

My journey to the holy land for the 2016 Hajj was in many ways a very special one; it was my first trip out of the country, and more importantly it offered me the opportunity to fulfil the fifth pillar of my religion, Islam. The news of my impending hajj was relayed to me very late, just hours before the inaugural flight of the intending pilgrims. The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), sponsor of the media team, was at the peak of preparations for the flight.

Twice our departure was postponed, to clear some logistics issues. When for the second time, my scheduled flight was cancelled, I began to lose hope. We were scheduled to depart on 29th August, but it was two days later that another flight was fixed and we finally took off.

We arrived at Jeddah international airport around 2.00am Saudi Arabian time and everywhere was all lit up. I remember telling a friend how with the way everywhere was so bright one could actually easily find a lost needle.

We waited at the Jeddah Airport for about four hours to be transported to Madinah. A vehicle arrived and after paying the fare, about 100 Saudi Riyal, we took off and had our taste of the rice and chicken plate, popularly called “Shinkafa-Kaza”.

The journey of about six hours to Madinah was a smooth one on a road without a single pothole. The Saudi in migration officials were very efficient.

We got to Madinah. I was really awestruck by its beauty. Beautiful tall buildings surrounded the Prophet’s Mosque with very neat streets, which I later learnt were washed at night.

We were taken to our hotel close to the Haram, which we later learnt was one of NAHCON’s achievements this year - securing accommodation for pilgrims in Markaziyya, which is very close to the Prophet’s Mosque. It is also considered one of the most expensive places in Madinah.

The Commissioner of Policy, Personnel, Management and Finance of NAHCON, Alhaji Yusuf Ibrahim Adebayo, said “the essence of Markaziyya is to bring the pilgrims closer to their place of worship. “Bearing in mind the weather in Saudi Arabia, why do you need to walk one kilometre before you get to your place of worship? he said. Assuming you take houses outside Markaziyya, you need to walk one kilometre to the Haram, one back, that’s two. Two times five, that’s 10kilometres in a day. A lot of people do not walk like that in their respective states.”

However, in Makkah only officials were lodged about 5 minutes’ drive from the Holy Mosque. To most pilgrims, the commission hosted them well. One of the pilgrims from the FCT told me, “We are very lucky to be so close. You see the chances for us to be able to pray inside are high, but for those of you that came from far, if you don’t come early, you may miss praying in the mosque.”

In Madinah, we visited some historical places like the Masjidil Quba and Masjidil Qiblatain. The acting dean of Faculty of Law Nasarawa State University, Dr Abdulkarim Kana, who was our guide told us that at the Masjidil Qiblatain, Allah directed Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was in the middle of a salat along with the sahaba, to turn his face from Islam’s first qibla (Baitul-Muqqadis) to the direction of the Ka’abah. He explained also that the Masjidil Quba was the first mosque in the history of Islam whose foundation stone was laid by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on his migration to Madinah.

We also visited Mount Uhud where the famous battle of Uhud was fought and other inspiring historical sites.

Seeing the Ka’aba for the first time for me was awe-inspiring. With each passing day the crowd circumambulating the Ka’aba grew bigger. The first time I saw the people lined up for prayer I got emotional. I had never seen such a big crowd. People were standing shoulder to shoulder praying to Allah (SWT).

My mum had given me guidance on what to pray for (marriage being first on her list) as I made my first hajj, good health and wellbeing. Along with mum’s list, I prayed for Nigeria; for the Chibok girls, and the victims of insurgency and other acts of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man and country. I also prayed for a dear friend I lost, another looking to conceive and for those who have asked that I prayed for them.

The journey to Muzdalifa and the Jamrat were also done in batches as every continent was given time for orderly movement. Security officials were seen trying to limit the crowd that was going to the Jamrat at any given time. A one-way pedestrian path was provided for pilgrims to and from their tents in Mina to the Jamrat.

I noticed only Lagos State had directions flash in English to guide the pilgrims back to their tent.

Back in Makkah, one evening after Isha’i prayer, I was chatting with an elderly pilgrim who had lost her way. She said she could not find her group if I would accompany her. I obliged and as we went I realized I would miss the bus that usually came to pick us an hour after Isha’i prayer. Luckily, we found a pilgrim from her state and I handed her over to him.

I then I found a cab to take me back and that was when my own trouble started. First, there was language barrier and after driving for over 35 minutes my destination was still nowhere in sight. It was almost 1.00am and I was almost on the verge of tears when the driver, a Pakistani, decided to park the car and asked me to pay him for his service and drop. Luckily, a good Samaritan saw us arguing and came to find out what the issue was. I narrated to him and he happened to know where the house was, so he got into the cab and directed the driver there. He also paid the fare.

It happened again a second time and I resolved never to go anywhere alone again. So we now arranged when to go out in group. I never went alone. When the hunter becomes the hunted Every year you read about the Takaris in the Holy Land and the stories are almost always negative.

“Takari” is the name given to nonindigenes living and working in Makkah, especially those from African countries, including Nigeria.

When I got to the Holy Land, I met a young Takari selling tuwo, close to my hotel room. Hajara Usman was the opposite of everything I had read or imagined about Nigerian Takaris in Saudi Arabia. She sold tuwo and dried okra soup, and the local northern Nigerian delicacy called “kuka” with fried chicken, a block away from my hotel room.

Hajara told me she had never been to Nigeria but her parents took turns to visit their homeland as frequently as possible.

I asked her for an interview and she declined, saying that they (Takaris) have resolved not to grant interviews to reporters because of the negative image that is being portrayed about them back home.

Hajara also told me her parents sent money home every six months to help support extended family members back home, and that they have built two houses. One of which is given out for rent in Kebbi State.

“We are not all bad. I agree there are bad eggs amongst us, but wallahi (to God) the stories they write about us don’t do us justice”, the 22-year-old lady said.

“I work as a maid in a house where my mum works and during hajj I take my leave to sell local food to our fellow Nigerians because it is in high demand, and I make profit from it also. In one night I make as much as 200 Saudi Riyal (N20,000),” she added.

She succeeded in changing my view about them until I got to Makkah and almost ended in a fight with a number of Takaris.

I was sight-seeing with some colleagues when I came across a number of them selling veils, chewing sticks, prayer beads and some other items and felt the need to take some photos for a report I planned to write on how they help contribute to Saudi’s economy.

Just as I was about taking the photo, one of them saw me and quickly covered her face with her veil. She alerted the others and before we knew it they pounced on us yelling and calling us unprintable names.

A young lady among them, however began to plead with us to leave the scene before it escalated, but as we made to leave, they began following us. She said, you cannot blame us from wanting to protect ourselves. We keep getting negative reports and false stories about our lives here. We are here for greener pastures.

“Some say we are here faking disability to beg for alms from pilgrims, prostituting or killing our children and then pinning the crime on others to demand for diyya (compensation). Who does that? she said.

“I don’t dispute that there are those who are (compensation) guilty of these allegations, we are just saying you journalists should stop generalizing,” she concluded.

At last, we sighted a police officer and while we were walking towards him, the women packed their things and began running away. Keepsakes and souvenirs Everywhere I went I found pilgrims mostly Africans shopping. I met a Sokoto State pilgrim, Uwani who asked me to translate to her what the Gold seller was saying and I noticed she was buying a set of gold earrings with necklace bangles and a ring worth about N1.5million. She said she was preparing for her daughter’s wedding and needed something unique and not the common ones sold in Nigeria.