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Practical Tips For Hajj & Umrah
Post Last Edit by Sabrina at 11-11-2009 17:03
I. Packing Tips:
A) BUY A DIGITAL LUGGAGE SCALE
This device really comes in handy when traveling. No more worrying about overweight luggage. Also, during hajj you might end up buying a lot of items and are not sure how that will affect your luggage weight; this will surely help.
The one in the picture sells on Amazon.com for $17.
B) PACK MULTIPLE IHRAM CLOTHES
Bring at least two extra ihram clothes. You will probably want to change your clothes as they get dirty, sweaty, etc. -- and laundromats are not easy to find while you're there. Also, on the cold nights you can bundle up with layers to keep yourself warm.
C) MISC. THINGS TO BRING
* Power Bars -- So you don't have to worry about food.
* Cantine -- So you don't have to leave your spot to get water (or make wudu).
* Electrical Adapter -- from 110 to 220.
D) HOW TO PACK YOUR ZAMZAM
People steal your zamzam if they see it on the luggage conveyor belt (this happened to me several times). Even once I told the guy next to me "I think someone stole my zamzam", to which he replied: "Oh, just take someone else's, that's what I do."
So put your zamzam in a bookbag or duffel bag, something inconspicuous. Just make sure it does not look like a container of zamzam.
II. Safety Advise:
A) BRING AN UNLOCKED GSM PHONE WITH YOU
You can buy a phone line in Mecca or Medina for about 100 riyals and use it on your cell phone. This will come very handy in case of emergencies, or if family back home wants to contact you. Outgoing calls to America are four riyals per minute, and Incoming calls are free (so if you're family wants to call you anytime they can).
B) MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL YOUR PRESCRIPTION MEDS.
You can easily find pharmacies throughout Mecca & Medina, but sometimes it's a hassle to get the exact kind you want and not a generic.
C) MAKE YOUR OWN I.D., AND KEEP IT ON YOU AT ALL TIMES
Remember, your group guide has your passport with him. So you need some sort of identification on you in case:
a. You pass out or fall unconscious (I've seen this happen)
b. You get lost and cannot find your hotel (I've seen and heard of this happening too).
Commonly, why people get lost is that after getting off the bus in Mecca, you go to the haram right away and make umrah. When you finish, you forget where your hotel was, or you get confused because some hotels have the same name, so you get lost. How to prevent this from happening:
a. As soon as you get to the hotel, take their business card.
b. Take an index card and write your name, passport number, contact info in Mecca, Medina, and US, and your group leader's contact info. Keep this on you at all times, whether around your neck or somewhere is it can't fall off.
D) WATCH OUT FOR PICK-POCKETERS
You will find a lot of pickpockets in Mecca, especially in the tawaf area. Make sure your money is somwhere they cannot get to.
E) TAWAF ON THE 2ND FLOOR IS SAFER
Although it will take you longer to make tawaf on the 2nd floor, if you fear for your safety or for your family member this is the better alternative as it is less crowded. The 2nd floor tawaf is also wheelchair accessible.
E) IF YOU'RE OVERHEATING, HEAD FOR THE KING FAHD GATE.
The entire King Fahd gate area is air conditioned while other areas just have fans. I would recommend this are for Jumu'a especially, as it is in the middle of the day when the sun is burning hot.
III. Stress Management
A) CHANGING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
The two biggest complaints everyone has is:
1) How crowded it is.
A simple change of thought helped me to to turn the crowds into pleasure. How?
Instead of saying : "Oh my gosh, it's so crowded, I can barely breath, these people are coughing in my face and stepping on my feet, etc".
Say: "Alhamdullilah, all of these people came to this place just to worship Allah. You know what, it should be more crowded, and there should be more people. This coughing and spitting on my face is the cough of my brother, the stepping on my feet is the stepping of my brother, Almahdulliah."
2) How disorganized, uncomfortable, and tough it is (ie. being whiny).
Hajj is not a vacation, but it is and should be a way of you seeing what is going on in the world. Growing up in the west has left a lot of people spoiled, if you don't mind me being blunt. I would recommend when you see your own minor hardships, just look at the millions of other people outside of your bubble who walked to Hajj or came by bus, who live in their own cloth tents instead of the big hotels we are in, who are dirt poor and trying to eat some scraps while we are complaining the biryani is not spicy enough.
IV Time Management
A) LEAVE YOUR WATCH AT HOME
Time is irrelevant during hajj; what would normally take minutes takes hours, what normally takes hours takes days. Staying 36 hours and sleeping at the airport to get home is common (happened to me). Waiting on a bus or walking for hours on end is normal too. Just throw away the watch, it will only frustrate you.
B) LEAVE YOU LAPTOP, iPHONE, ETC AT HOME
On the first day at Mina, I saw a pickup truck pulling up and four guys hauling in a 52" big-screen tv into someone's tent.
I see so many people so unable to disattach themselves from the world, and they will come back without any spiritual or mental relief. Take a mental & spiritual vacation and relax; you can check your email when you get back.
http://muslimmatters.org/2009/11 ... ips-for-hajj-umrah/ |
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