ALLAH'S RETRIBUTION ALMOST INSTANTLY

ALLAH'S RETRIBUTION ALMOST INSTANTLY

I stood by the stairs. I was sure that I had left my sandals here before I did 'Isya prayer. I still remember that I had covered the sandals and put them in between the stairs of the Al-Masjid Al-Haram. Next to my sandals were other sandals worn by the other pilgrims.

     I searched around me, at the pillars and the stairs. I was convinced that this was where I had placed my sandals. But why weren't they here now?

     Oh no! If that's the case, then I'd have to walk barefoot back to the hotel, which is located approximately 100 metres from the mosque. It's going to be quite painful to walk without any foot covers. My feet will get dirty. I sighed quietly. Maybe somebody has stolen my sandals. I guessed that was only because my sandals were more expensive compared to the other slippers.

     Or, had I put them in another place? So now I have to look elsewhere? No, it can be. I'm so sure they were here.

     To make me feel better, I turned to look at the other places. I was forced to search for them even though my legs were tired from all the searching. But, no luck.

     I look at all the other slippers. If I took one of the slippers and use it to walk back to the hotel with, then I would be committing the sin of stealing. No. I won't do it. Let me just walked back barefoot rather than take something that belongs to someone else.

     Finally, after more than seven times going around and round looking for the sandals, and my legs felt so tired even though it was only 11.00 pm, I decided to return to the hotel.

     I woke up at 3.00 am the next morning, slipped on a pair of slippers to go to the mosque and perform Fajr prayer. I brought an extra pair of slippers along from Malaysia after hearing stories that pilgrims' slippers disappeared from the mosque. Most of the time they were misplaced, or other pilgrims accidentally took them. I had left the extra slippers at the hotel. It was rather fortunate that I had them, otherwise I would have to buy some new ones.

     "Ya Allah, your servant has lost his slippers. With your greatness and the blessings of this Sacred Land, please let me find my slippers, Ya Allah," I prayed to Allah as I was walking down. I prayed in earnest as I really loved those sandals. I had been using them for a long time because they were so comfortable. When they disappeared, I felt like I had lost something very dear to me.

     I continued to head for the mosque, while reciting my du'a. As soon as I got there, I headed to the place where I had put the sandals yesterday. Imagine my surprise when I saw a pair of sandals there. They were not on top of each other but placed side by side.

     My heart was beating so hard because they looked exactly like the sandals which I lost last night. Immediately I reached for them and started examining them from back to front. My hands were shaking. My heart was beating rapidly. Is it really true that these were my sandals?

     Having examined them thoroughly, I was finally convinced they were indeed my. At that very moment, I felt the utmost gratitude for Allah for fulfilling my earlier du'a. I could truly feel His Greatness.

     To others, this may seem like a small matter. It was just a pair of slippers, not a wallet full with thousand of dollars. But, it was not for me. Instead, I saw the incident as an illustration of Allah's might. His power is so great that He can grant the prayers of His servant in distress just like that.

     It was also at that moment that I recalled the du'a  that I had made prior to coming here to do my Umra. Is this because of that du'a? I immediately pondered over it. I became more convinced of it when several days later, another incident took place.

     On the second night in Mecca, just after 'Isya prayer, the other pilgrims and I gathered to perform our tawaf. It was led by our Umra agent there and carried out together. After the tawaf, we proceeded to Prophet's Ibrahim mausoleum for our salat sunat tawaf. But when we got there, we discovered that someone was missing from the congregation.

     The missing person was a pensioner, male, in his early 70s. Almost instantly. I got a headache as this was my first time bringing an Umra group. If anything were to happen to this pilgrim, what was I to do? This man was already old, and should he be lost, what am I to do?

     I looked frantically around and saw nothing but thousands of unrecognisable faces of countless pilgrims jostling against each other. There was no sign of the missing pilgrim. I really felt terrified at the time, as too did the tour agent and the other pilgrims.

     I asked other pilgrims to gather to perform salat sunat tawaf and pray to Allah so that we may find the missing pilgrim. Then, we waited at Prophet Ibrahim's mausoleum. Ten minutes went by, yet there was no sight of him. I was getting anxious.

     I asked the group to remain where they were with the tour agent, while I searched for the old man. I knew it was going to be tough to locate him on a night like this but I had no choice. I did the tawaf again, hoping to catch up with the old man.

     "At this Holy Land, in front of the holy Kaaba, I have lost a pilgrim. Please let me find that pilgrim, O Allah," throughout the ritual, I prayed. I was so scared that I was literally whimpered in desperation. I continued to walk and perform tawaf following thousands of other pilgrims, and praying.

     "O Allah, with Your Greatness, show me," I begged to Allah. Suddenly, I saw a familiar face and he was standing by the Tawaf lane and... YES, he IS the missing pilgrim!

     Without wasting any time, I headed towards the old man. I asked him where he had gone. The man replied that he had been left behind as he walked slowly. His body was not as strong as before. By the time he realised it, we were no longer in front of him. As he was unsure where to go, he decided to remain by the side of the Tawaf lane after completing his rituals. Then, when he got bored of waiting, he went to have a drink of Zamzam water.

     Alhamdulillah, I was so relieved. It was also then, I saw Allah's greatness. Who could have guessed that as soon as I had uttered: "Show me with Your Greatness..." that my eyes would immediately take me to the man's whereabouts. At the same time, the old man was also looking in my direction.

     After the two incidents, I became even more convinced that my the du'a I had made before I left for the Holy Land was granted by Allah. Frankly, I heard some unusual happenings in the Holy Land prior to my first trip bringing the pilgrims last April. Most of these stories I'd read in Mastika.

     I read about an alcoholic who vomited every time he drank Zamzam water. I also read about the man who was weak and feeble in Malaysia, but became well again in Mecca because of his sincere heart and past good deeds. Stories of people meeting 'someone' such as angels, who then disappeared in the blink of an eye, or not seeing the Kaaba because they had been unfilial to their parents, were some of the stories recounted to me.

     There were also people, who were afraid of such stories. They said that stories like these add unnecessary fear if they ever wanted to go to the Holy Land. But for me, it was different. Because I left for Mecca, I prayed to Allah to show me His Greatness.

     I want to witness and feel the power of Allah. I didn't even mind to obstacle which Allah sent to me. I just wanted to see them.

     Because of this, ever since I stepped foot on the Holy Land, it was a request that was frequently in my du'a. Now, Alhamdulillah, I am finally convinced that Allah has granted me for my du'a. He has illustrated His might and it all happened in the blink of an eye.

     The incident also reminded me of a similar event that happen to Isman, a member of the nasyid group, Hijjaz. Just like me, Isman was on the board of directors of Hijjazlegend Travel and Tours Sdn. Bhd.

     Early 2009, he brought a group of pilgrims of Umra. Isman told me that he and another pilgrim, Cik Noi, went to perform Zuhr prayers at the Al-Masjid Al-Haram on their second day in Mecca. After their prayers, they immediately carried out other rituals there while waiting for Asr to come.

      When the call for prayers was heard, Isman amd Cik Noi immediately looked for the area further to the front and nearer to the Kaaba. Then, Isman did his salat sunat first.

     It was when he bowed for the first rakaat (cycle) that Isman suddenly realised that his pocket felt rather light. Something was missing. When it dawned on him that his mobile phone was no longer in the pocket of his baju melayu (Malay male traditional attire), he began to lose his concentration. That's where it was normally kept. He couldn't just stop his prayers. So, he continued until it was over even though he couldn't stop thinking about the mobile phone.

     Once he completed the second salam, Isman quickly put his hands in both his top and pants pockets. Nothing! Isman quickly rose and rushed over to where he had done his Zuhr prayer earlier. which was approximately 50 metres away. But to no avail.

     Isman told me that at that point, he really felt like crying as the phone was very important to him. There were hundreds of important numbers, including pictures as well as other information, related to his work and our business.

     Inside was also numbers belonging to the pilgrims, whom he had brought with him. Without those numbers, how was he going to manage the whole Umra? Especially if something bad were to happen to any of the pilgrims. How would he be able to contact their families, hospitals, embassy and HijjazLegend's office?

     The Asr prayer was going to start soon. The number of pilgrims rushing to the front row was increasing. It was going to be tough to locate the phone on the floor where he had placed it earlier. Pilgrims were already gathering around everywhere.

     Isman was running out of time. He wanted to continue looking for his phone but at the same time, he had to join the other pilgrims for the Asr prayer.

     He returned to the front row, although his heart was full of disappointment, sadness, fear and panic. He stopped briefly and stood facing the kiblat. With a heavy heart, Isman raised his hands in supplication, telling Allah about his lost phone. He prayed with all his heart, hoping that with all Allah's might and power, he would be able to get his phone back.

     "Akhiii! Akhiii! (Brother, brother)," he heard someone cried for him soon after he had completed his du'a. He turned towards the direction of the voice. An Arab man was calling him, and in his hand was a phone.

     "Akhii... anta... handphone?" asked the man.

     "Na'am... na'am! (Yes, yes)," he replied as soon as he saw a mobile phone in the man's hand. Through enough, it was Isman's phone. On the screen was his picture in-front of the Kaaba. Isman immediately thanked and hugged the Arab man.

     Isman told me that after the man left, he immediately prostrated and sobbed. He was so thankful that his handphone was found, but more than that, he was amazed at the way that Allah could grant His servant's plea in just the blink of an eye.

     He knew it it was a demonstration of Allah's greatness because thinking about it logically, it was literally impossible for his phone to be found. There were just so many pilgrims rushing towards the Kaaba at the time.

     What Isman truly regretted was his obsession with his loss. When he looked back at the incident, a mobile phone was such a small thing compared to Allah's other creations, which filled this borderless universe.

     But to a man, something small like a mobile phone is always too big, important and great. It would have been Allah's prerogative not to return the phone to Isman. But when He did, it amplified Isman's gratitude towards his maker.

     Whatever we prayed for in the Holy Land, Insya-Allah, it will be granted, on condition that our heart is true, clean and that we are patient and can exercise absolute acceptance. Because here in the Holy Land, everything Allah 'pay by cash'...

     "O ye who believe, seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for Allah is with those who patiently persevere." (Al-Baqarah, 2:153)

N / F : FROM "THE BEST COLLECTION OF STORIES FROM MECCA", BY MASTIKA.