HAJJ JOURNEY 2017 : MEKAH > TAWAF & SAIE & ABRAJ AL JANADRIYYAH

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

6 APril 2024

From King Abdulaziz International Airport, we from Maktab 87 were taken to our hotel, Abraj Al Janadiriyyah, which is located about 700 meters from Masjidilharam in Mecca. We are lucky because this hotel is also the headquarters of Tabung Haji in Mecca.

The sites alloted for Malaysian pilgrims are divided into three zones namely Zone A, B and C.

Zone A : Abraj Al Janadriyyah, Qasr Al Janadriyyah and Masaat Al Badae

Zone B : Rehab Janadriyyah and Al Bisyarah Mawaddah

Zone C : Land Premium, Al Wafideen, Manar Al Shorouq and Roudhat Al Shorouq

TABUNG HAJI

During the 2017 Hajj season, Tabung Haji provided various services for the convenience of pilgrims during their stay in the Holy Land.

Hajj management in the Holy Land involves a lot of services provided by third parties appointed by the Ministry of Hajj of Saudi Arabia, such as Muassasah Adilla' in Madinah, Muassasah Tawwafah Southeast Asia in Mecca, Nagabah Bus Consortium Company, and others.

Every day, pilgrims were served lunch and dinner twice while in Mecca and Medina. The food was provided by TH Global Services Sdn. Bhd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Tabung Haji. The kitchens used in the Holy Land are supervised by chefs from the homeland, and the food is prepared with Malaysian flavors.

The high discipline among Malaysian pilgrims and the efficiency of Pilgrims Fund Board (Tabung Haji) in managing the Hajj operations, continue to impress the Southeast Asia Muassasah Tewafah Chief, Sheikh Muhammed Amin Hassan at a press conference held with Malaysian Hajj delegations Datuk Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman at the agency's office on August 19, 2017.

The Malaysian pilgrims were known for their high discipline, he said, adding that it should be emulated by pilgrims from other countries.

"We had discussions with (Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah) minister and he said all pilgrims emulate the haj pilgrims from Malaysia. " he told a press conference.

Among other things, he said:

"Alhamdulillah, Malaysian pilgrims, we learn from them. At meetings with ministers and deputy ministers, we are always told that it would be good if all pilgrims were like Malaysian pilgrims.

"We feel very proud to work with Lembaga Tabung Haji (Tabung Haji) because they have a lot of experience in managing pilgrims.

"Every year, we have seen improvements and progress in the management of the Malaysian pilgrims, as well as the good pilgrims. When you just mention the Malaysian pilgrims, everyone already knows about its goodness," he told Malaysian reporters at the Southeast Asia Muassasah office here today.

(Head of the Southeast Asian Tawafah Muassasah, Sheikh Muhammed Amin Hassan Andarqiri)

PERFORMING UMRAH - HAJJ AL-TAMATTUK

Since my wife and I have chosen to perform the Hajj Al-Tamattuk, first thing upon arrival Mecca, we have to perform the Umrah and then Hajj with one Ihram for each, before the Wukuf Day on the 9th of Zulhijjah (31 August 2017).

After checking into the hotel in Mecca, we went to the Masjidilharam to perform Umrah. However, due to the large number of people, we were unable to enter the Masjidilharam as the entrance was closed.

We can only enter Masjidil Haram after Isyak prayer. My wife and I continued to perform Tawaf al-Umrah and Saie and then Halq or Taqsir where Men are recommended to have their hair trimmed rather than shaved as they will have their heads shaved at a later stage during Hajj. Women must have their trimmed. 

After shaving or hair trimmed, umrah is completed and the restriction of Ihram have now been lifted. I can now shower and wear my everyday clothes. Now, I have to wait for the 8th Dzulhijjah to start the rites of Hajj. 

Tawaf is a fundamental and integral ritual performing Umrah or Haj, which involves circling the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction seven times. It is a symbolic act of worhship that signify the unity of the Muslim community and the submission to the will of Allah.

Sa'ie is one of the integral rites of Hajj and Umrah and refers to the ritual of walking back and forth seven times between the two small hills of Safa and Marwah, located adjacent to the Kaaba in Masjid al-Haram. Its commemorate the actions of Hajar, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim a.s who walked between Safa and Marwah seven times in search of water for her son Ismail a.s. 

Halq and Taqsir > Halq refers to the act of shaving the entire head and Taqsir involves trimmign the hair on the head by at least an inch. Performing Halq or Taqsir is the wajib (obligatory) act that must be performed in order to leave the state of Ihram. 

Resting and praying

Now that you’ve performed your Umrah, for the rest of this blessed month, you’ll stay in Makkah to complete your spiritual journey of Hajj, surrounded by your fellow Muslim sisters and brothers, SubhanAllah! Make sure to get plenty of rest and make the best use of your time by performing sincere acts of worship. Your Hajj will begin on the 8th Dhul Hijjah.

ABRAJ AL JANADRIYYAH

Al Janadriyyah Tower Hotel is located near Al Khindama, As Sulaymaniyyah, Mecca. Saudi Arabia. 

I was placed in room 1465 with five others while my wife and the wives of my roommates were in room 1466, which is located on the 14th floor.

MY ROOMMATES

Dato Hj Roslan & Datin Hjh Normadiah

Hj Mohd Hafizar and Hjh Zeti Akhtar

Hj Jamal Parman & Hjh Azlina Baharom

Hj Mohamad and Hjh Wan Royaha

Hj Rosli & Hjh Hasnah

The view of the city of Mecca and the Masjidilharamcan be seen clearly from the roof of our hotel. On this roof is also where we hang the clothes that have been washed to dry.

The Albraj Al Bait clock tower is visible from the roof of our hotel. It is a government owned complex of seven skyscrapper hotels in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. 

As Malaysians, we should be proud that one of our fellow Malaysians is involved in this clock tower project.

Wan Nazri Wan Aria, 31, an engineer with German firm SL Rasch, did Malaysian proud in giving a 'Malaysian" touch to the design of the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower (Abraj Al Bait), which faces the Masjidilharam. 

Datuk Ir.TS Hj Wan Nazri Hj Wan Aria

Many do not know that this project of Clock Tower was supported by the services and expertise of 14 Malaysian Youth (Malaysian Spiderman) who are professional worker of the Premier Composite Technolgies (PCT), Dubai. 

The works of PCT Engineer and project Site Manager, Hairul Nizam Baharudin together with 13 other young Malaysian men is in fact something that Malaysia is proud of as he is the main person driving the three projects in Masjidil Haram which are the Abraj Al Bait Giant Clock Tower, temporary ‘mataf’ and Shami Extensions, assisted by other compatriots. 

Hairul Nizam Baharudin

Resource:

Selangor Journal - 14 Malaysian Spidermen's expertise sought by world

Some of the photos I took from the roof of Abraj Al Janadriyyah.

JANNAT AL-MU'ALLA

From the roof of our hotel, you will also see the Ma'la or Al-Ma'lah Cemetery, which is a large burial area of the Bani Hasyim family, the family of the Prophet s.a.w., located 1 km north of Masjidil Haram. This cemetery is also known as Jannatul Ma'la, which means Heaven Al'Ma'la.

Here is the tomb of the first Ummul Mu'minin, Saidatina Khadijah binti Khuwailid r.a. Saidatina Khadijah's funeral used to be built in a large dome, but it was demolished and flattened. Until now, no one knows where the tomb of Ummul Mu'minin is located.

The first person to be buried in the Ma'la Cemetery was Qushaybin Kilab, who was the ancestor of the Prophet s.a.w. After him, the grandfathers of the other Prophets were buried there, including Abdul Manaf bin Qushay, Hasyim bin Abdu Manaf, and Abdul Muthalib bin Hasyim. Along with the Prophet's family, there are also graves of Abu Talib (the Prophet's uncle), al-Walid ibn Al-Mughirah, Al-Qasim, and At-Thayib (the Prophet's sons), Sumayyah bint al-Khabbath (the first woman to die as a martyr), Abdullah bin Yasir (brother of 'Ammar bin Yasir), Asma' bint Abubakkar Siddiq ra, Abdurahman bin Abubakar Siddiq, Abdullah bin Umar bin Khattab, Abdullah bin Zubair, and many other companions of the Prophet peace be upon him who were buried in Ma'la. It is impossible to mention all of them individually.

The Ma'la Cemetery is a special burial complex that has existed since the Jahilliyah Era. The specialty of this cemetery has been mentioned in a hadith from Abdullah bin Mas'ud r.a. that the Prophet s.a.w. said:

"Allah raised from this place (Ma'la Cemetery) and from all over the Haram land 70,000 people who entered heaven without account or without reckoning of sins. Each one of them could bring 70,000 people. Their faces were bright and shining like the full moon."

(Al-Jundi Fi Fadhaillil Makkah).

DAILY ACTIVITIES AT ABRAJ AL JANADRIYYAH

While waiting for the Wukuf at Arafah on August 31, 2017, our daily activities at Abraj Al Janadriyyah include congregational prayers, hajj briefings, and so on.

The 14th floor of Abraj Al-Janadiriyah is where we gather for congregational prayer when we are unable to pray in Masjidilharam due to adverse weather conditions such as heavy rain, sandstorms, or extreme heat.

The bustling and vibrant atmosphere in front of Abraj Al Janadiriyyah after the morning prayer turned out to be quite busy with street vendors who started to fill the streets in front of the hotel. The situation was also quite lively.

Tabung Haji headquarters in this building

There are many traders from Indonesia and southern Thailand (Pattani) who do business outside this hotel. Some sell telekong, clothes, and some even sell nasi lemak, mee goreng, meehoon goreng, and so on. For those who miss Malaysian cuisine, you can buy it here, but it doesn't taste the same as nasi lemak in Malaysia because the people who make it are not Malaysians... but at least the longing for nasi lemak and fried noodles is gone... even roti Canai is also sold here.

The restaurant is located opposite the hotel where my wife and I often have breakfast.

For Hajj pilgrims with the muassassah package, breakfast is not provided, so my wife and I often have breakfast either at the cafeteria in the hotel or at the food stalls outside the hotel. The interesting thing about Mecca is that their restaurants do not have tables and chairs, so we have breakfast wherever we can, whether it's on the stairs, on the veranda, or elsewhere.

Dinner time companion.

There is also roti canai here. It cures the feeling of longing for roti canai. If Malaysians don't miss roti canai, they are not Malaysians... haha.

FACILITIES IN ABRAJ AL JANADIRIYYAH

There are many facilities available at Al Janadiriyyah Hotel. Among the facilities are:

Al Basitiyah Cafeteria is located on the ground floor of Abraj Al Janadriyah and is operated by TH Global Services Sdn Bhd. They provides a variety of menus for dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This cafeteria operates 24 hours, so if you feel hungry in the morning, there is no problem.

Here they also sell roti canai, Nasi Lemak, mee hoon, and various other Malaysian-style dishes to satisfy the longing for Malaysian cuisine.

The most popular here is Indo Mee Cup because it is the fastest and easiest food, no need to wait long.

Photo taken at Mina, Mecca

The Maktab Clinic located on the 3rd and 8th Floors of Abraj Al Janadriyyah has 34 beds

This pharmacy is located on the ground floor of Abraj Al Janadiriyyah. For pilgrims who are unwell, the TH clinic is on Floor 3 and Floor 8. After receiving treatment, pilgrims will go to the ground floor to collect medicine supplies.

Tabung Haji provides the best medical treatment including specialist doctors at any time required to enable Malaysian Pilgrims to perform their hajj in the Holy Land without a hitch. 

TH 1438 Hijrah Haj delegation (Medical) Deputy Chief, Dr. Mohammad Faid Abd Rashid said the medical team comprised 18 Specialist Doctors, 40 medical officers and 217 medical support personnel to provide services to 30,200 Malaysian pilgrims in 2017. The number also included 63 assistant medical officers and 66 nurses, besides dentists, pharmacists, x-ray technicians, dietitians, laboratory officers and physiotherapists. 

In Makkah, there are TH Syisyah Treatment Centre with a 197-bed capacity and an isolation room for contagious cases. 

Additionally, there is a clinic in every Maktab in Mecca, and in Medina, a clinic is provided in the accommodation building zone. 

Syisyah Treatment Center is the main treatment center in Makkah, which has 197 beds and an isolation room for infectious diseases. It is located approximately 5.1 km from our accommodation hotel in Abraj Al Janadriyah. 

I once sent my wife to the Syisyah Treatment Center on 17 September 2017 because she had chest pain and difficulty breathing... Thank God, after receiving treatment, my wife recovered as usual... thanks to the TH medical staff.

An ambulance sponsored by Bank Rakyat is also provided to transport Hajj pilgrims who need to be referred to the hospital in Mecca.

Another facility for Hajj pilgrims in Mecca is the financial counter, which enables Hajj pilgrims to withdraw money for expenses in Mecca. Here, Hajj pilgrims only need to hand over their name card to withdraw money, and there is no need to hand over the Tabung Haji account book. It is quite easy and pleasant for us Hajj pilgrims. Thank you, TH.

I made the Haji Tamattuk Damm payment for myself and my wife at this counter. For one person, I have to pay 440.00 Saudi Riyal. So for two persons, it is 880.00 Saudi Riyal.

Dam is the sacrificial animal from the category of an'am (quadrupedal animals) that is slaughtered or which equivalent is paid in terms of food or fasting for certain reasons by those performing hajj and umrah. Hajj pilgrims who perform hajj through the methods of Tamattu' or Qiran are required to pay Dam Tertib and Taqdir.

The Qurban ritual refers to the act of sacrificing al-An’am animals to seek closeness to Allah S.W.T. This is carried out during the celebration of Eid al-Adha on the 10th of Zulhijjah and the days of Tasyrik on the 11th, 12th, and 13th of Zulhijjah.

The Pos Laju counter is also located on the ground floor of the hotel to make it easier for Malaysian Hajj pilgrims to send goods to Malaysia. So the Hajj pilgrims do not need to bring back the items bought in Mecca with their luggage, they only need to post and the items will be sent directly to their house... my wife and I also took the opportunity to send all the souvenirs bought in Mecca including dates, chocolates, and others through the Pos Laju TH service so that our bags will not be packed with those items later. During my stay in Makkah, I made 2 deliveries via express post.

Tabung Haji Customer Service Counter located on the ground floor Abraj Al-Janadriyyah, was the first point to contact for any queries from Malaysian Haj Pilgrims. It is open 24 hours and have staff duty working on shifts.

Apart from the services mentioned above, there are also other facilities available. One of them is a TM Net counter, which makes it easier for pilgrims to make calls to Malaysia. This counter provides a I-talk service and offers a SIM Card that can be used to surf the internet in Mecca. Therefore, pilgrims do not have to worry about losing contact with their relatives in Malaysia because TM Net is always here to help. Additionally, there is a Customer Service and Counseling Center on the Ground Floor of the Hotel, as well as laundry service and souvenir stalls.

To make calls from Mecca or top up with iTalk

A telecommunications company providing services using the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) business model in the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland and Australia. Lebara provide pay-as-you-go and contract based mobile SIM cards in these countries, and its brand is also used under license in four other countries.

In 2017, Tabung Haji established the Makkah Patrol Team, also known as the "Lipan Bara" team, to address the issue of Malaysian Hajj pilgrims getting lost while worshiping at the Grand Mosque. The Head of the Patrol Unit, Mohammad Amer Jawahil, stated that a total of 17 patrol members were stationed at 7 posts, including the Main Gate of the Grand Mosque, such as Marwah, Babus Salam, and King Fadh. The members of the Unit work 24 hours a day, with 17 members rotating shifts from 7 am to 2 pm, 2 pm to 10 pm, and 10 pm to 7 am. They wear a red hat with the words "Tabung Haji" written on it.

Mohammad Amer said the team consisted of 12 members of the TH Auxiliary Police, two members from the Religious Corps of the Armed Forces, and three from the Royal Malaysian Police.

Sahabat Maktab, introduced in 2006, continues to see encouraging response from Malaysian Haj pilgrims who volunteer to help manage the welfare of their fellow pilgrims. 

The 320 men and women who make up this year's Sahabat Maktab Squad volunteered their services with no expectation of payment or reward, other than Allah's blessings, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister Department (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said here. 

The Hajj Season 1438 H (2017) The Tabung Haji (TH) has appointed a total of 370 Sahabat Maktab to assist the Pilgrims especially during the Masyair operation (Arafah, Muzdalifah, and Mina) from 30 August to 4 September 2017.

A laundry service is also available on the ground floor of Abraj Al Janadriyyah for pilgrims to send their clothes to be washed.

Pilgrimage services to the city of Mecca are also available for Hajj pilgrims. Pilgrims who want to visit historic places in Mecca can register at the hotel lobby on the ground floor and be charged a certain fee. Since I had already visited all those places when performing Umrah in 2015, I did not intend to follow the tour.

Mats donated by the Selangor Zakat Board to facilitate pilgrims during the Hajj in Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina

At mealtime (lunch and dinner), the pilgrims will dine with their wives in the passage in front of the hotel room or at the foyer on the 14th floor. This is the sweetest moment because we rarely get the opportunity to be with our wives on this occasion.

Tabung Haji subsidiary TH Global Services Sdn Bhd, which responsible for catering meals for the 42,200 Malaysian pilgrims performing the haj in 2017. 

12 kitchens have been selected to produce meals for Malaysian pilgrims, eight in Mecca and four in Madinah. "

All caterers undergo regular checks by the TH medical and internal audit teams to ensure the level of cleanliness and food quality is very high", said Adly Mohamed, TH Catering Operations Director. 

MUASASSAH & MAKTAB

For Hajj, all countries sending pilgrims to Mecca and Medina will liaise with their respective Muassasah, organisations set up in 1984 to improve Hajj Operations in Saudi Arabia. For Malaysian pilgrims, Tabung Haji counterpart are Muassasah Adillah in Medina and Southeast Asia Muassasah in Mecca. 

The Muassasah has organised pilgrims into numbered Maktab , with each Maktab having  about 2,700 pilgrims. 

For the year 2017 Hajj Season, Malaysian pilgrims are grouped into 13 Maktabs - numbered 74 to 82, and 84 to 87 (My wife and I are under Maktab 87). This year Malaysian pilgrims from each maktab are given lanyards of a certain colour — green (maktab 74), yellow (75), maroon (76), blue (77), white (78), purple (79), dark green (80), light blue (81), pink (82), brown (84), grey (85), orange (86) and dark blue (87).

The Maktab Operations Director for 2017, Mohd Nasir Mohd Yusoff, stated that during this year's Hajj season (2017/1438H), 13 Maktab accommodations for Hajj pilgrims were provided, involving 24 hotel buildings... thank you, Tabung Haji...

What's interesting is that my wife met her mother's next-door neighbor at Jalan Kelang Lama in Abraj Al Janadriyyah. She was one of the pilgrims who left earlier than us. When this picture was taken, she was preparing to return to Malaysia.

Next:

HAJJ JOURNEY 2017 - MEKKAH AL MUKARRAMAH

Haji Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, KL

8 April 2024 > 28 Ramadan 1445H: 12.37 a.m