While walking towards the Masjidil Haram, I told Nabila that we would pray at the ground floor. We will find a spot that we could see Kaabah. We arrived an hour earlier before the Fajar prayer but the place was already crowded with people. As the women’s prayer area were quite limited at the ground floor, it was quite difficult to find the spot that we wanted. We walked from one area to another until we found one.
It was not the spot as we wished but Alhamdullilah at least we got a space to pray. While sitting down reading Quran waiting for the prayer to start, Nabila was being asked by a lady to get up from her spot. Nabila’s face immediately turned red almost crying looking at me. I told her to stay put and not to move at all. We couldn’t understand what the lady was talking but she was standing near us busying shooing Nabila with her hands. I told her NO and please go and find another spot. Luckily the lady in front of us too told the lady to go away and she finally went away.
After awhile I noticed that Nabila was very quiet. She just kept her head down holding her tears. I asked her why and she said she didn’t want to pray here and wanted to find another spot. I told her that it was about the prayer time and if we were to get up we could never have enough time finding another spot.
She started crying and insisted me to find another spot. I started getting angry with her that I just had to raise my voice to make her calm down. Oh dear.. this whole scenario was not a pleasant moments at all at this particular time but I just have no choice and of course I felt guilty doing it.
During the Dzohor prayer, I brought Nabila to pray on the first floor. The area was less crowded. It is an open space and we got more air and less stuffy and of course Nabila loved this first floor area.
She said sorry to me for the situation that happened in the
morning. She told me that the people at the ground floor were unkind compare to
the first floor. She couldn’t understand why the people have to step on the
prayer mat and sometimes just walked over people who were praying. People
sometimes shove her head or walk over others or Quran which actually they know
all of that were wrong.
Besides all of that, Nabila was also curious about the way
some people praying.
Nabila told me “This is not the way how I learn Mommy.. “
I hugged her and said “You know.. in this world.. there are
many kind of people and Muslims from different kinds of places. Their ways of
life, cultures, acts or habits might not be the same as us. I agreed with you
like pushing or hurting people are the wrong doing thing, which I also couldn’t
explain why they were acting like that. As for the way of their praying, it is
not we to judge whether it is wrong or right. You do and practice what you have
learned. Despite all of this what I want you to know and learn that all of us
here are Muslims and all of us here believe in the same God who is Allah and
Muhammad Rasullulah is the messenger of Allah. Always believe in that.”
This peaceful and kind area of first floor as Nabila always
called has been her favourite spot. She even managed to finish her Muqadam and
started reading Quran. Nabila and Hakeem also love to drink zam zam water. They
said that the water was the most tasteful water that they had ever drink.
Alhamdullilah and I thank Allah so much for letting my
children to experience this blissful journey. It open up their eyes and heart
and what most important is this spiritual journey of Umrah is not going to be
the last for them. As excited as I am.. they too are looking forward to come
back again to Mecca and Madinah. Insyaalah..
Mecca: 6-10June 2013
Madinah: 10-13June 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment