Wednesday, May 22, 2013


Day 12, 13, 14 - Days of Tashreeq (11th, 12th, 13th of Dhul Hijjah)

It's the days of tashreeq and the only real item on the agenda is jamarat after dhuhr each day. So it leaves ample time for people to perform extra ibadah. It also leaves time for people to release their frustrations and exhaustion.

So unfortunately, people do complain. Perhaps they are tired or sick. Maybe they are older or in pain. All you can do is gently remind them that it is all about perspective.

The perspective that it's uncomfortable sleeping on floor cushions...until you see the people sleeping under the buses with their infant children amongst the building piles of garbage.

The perspective that it's inconvenient sharing a washroom with 7 other women...until you are sharing 10 washroom stalls with approximately 200 other women.

The perspective that it's boring when the menu has very little veggies...until the street children run up to you for 1 chicken nugget from your box of AlBaik.

The perspective that it's hot at night when the AC doesn't seem to be enough...until you see the cute, little Indonesian female workers sleeping on the footsteps of the washroom floors.

The perspective that it's annoying to see cleaners just standing around waiting for tips/sadaqa...until you see one of them finish the leftover drink that was meant for the garbage.

The perspective that it's exhausting to wait for a train for 1 hour...until you see the people walking from Mina to Arafah with barely a semblance of a pair of sandals on their feet.

The perspective that it's infuriating when people are constantly pushing you during tawaf just to stay with their group...until you realize they probably can't read/understand Arabic and will be completely lost and on their own if they are separated.

A sign that your hajj is accepted is that you refrain from complaining. When you step outside the protected gates of our Mina tents, everything else seems insignificant. And you remember that perspective is everything.

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