Save Us, Please!

For years we've been bombarded with articles and documentaries about the depleting ozone layer and what damage pollution can do (and has done) to all living organisms from the planktons to humankind. For years we've been encouraged and enticed to do more for the environment, by NGOs and the government. And I do believe we all try to do our best, no matter how small the action is. For instance, I use old bath towels as mats for outside the bathroom, use less paper, turn on the air-con only if I'm almost drowning in sweat; and the like.

But today, on the way to work, I was absolutely appalled. Appalled by the amount of carbon-monoxide that was churned out by vehicles that got caught in the closure of roads due to some event that was tagged as something-or-other-to-do with Langkawi. We were informed of road closures. I left the house very early; any earlier and I would have had to spend the night at the office. However, I was caught, in several spurts of chock-a-block traffic from waaay back even before reaching the roads intended for closure.

I have no statistics about today's loss due to the traffic standstill, in terms of fuel, time, energy, wear and tear of the vehicles and the like. I also have no idea why we were kept off the sportsmen's routes up to at least an hour before they were due to pass. Couldn't side-roads have been open to let a trickle of motorists to pass, at least? There are surely gadgets such as the walkie-talkie or handphone that could have been used to communicate, say, 15 minutes before the competitors were to turn up? And only then close the roads to other traffic? Couldn't the event not be scheduled for a work day?

Sigh. I despair. And worse: my car managed to get past the toll gates near Eastin going to Section 17. After about 10 minutes of standstill, I wound down the windows, turned off the engine, got out my Newsweek I bought yesterday, and read away. Now, there were some motorists who managed to turn their cars in the opposite direction and tried to coax other drivers going in the right direction to give way to them!

Save us, please from people who plan things without consideration about others. Save us from ugly (behaviour of) Malaysians.

For That Haji Mabrur

I hope to have obtained Haji Mabrur. It is the main supplication for any well-wisher for pilgrims to obtain Haji Mabrur. And the pilgrims' daily prayers as well. Even now, I still get wishes from friends that I got Haji Mabrur. Ameen.

Mabrur, when I asked different quarters, has slightly different meanings. Some say that it is a Haj that is accepted (by Allah, surely). "Haji yang sempurna" was what others said. Ultimately, they lead to the same, if we analyse what goes into it. It has to be a 'complete' Haj: all checked. Our hearts, our actions, our intentions; all play a part into achieving Mabrur. It is not just about completing the the stoning of the jamarat, for instance, but in choosing the stones (I saw some fellow-pilgrims washing them, even), the time we go there (after fajr), the way we go (calmly and humbly), the way we throw the stones (again, calmly, patiently). It is doing one's utmost best. That's what I believe it to be. The rest should be left to Allah.

The word 'mabrur' itself is derived from 'bir', meaning 'good' in Arabic. This is according to the mutawwif (guide) we met in Makkah. Therefore, again, everything we do must be done as best we can.

In all the Haj rituals, both parts of our relationships must be looked into: our relationship with fellow humans, as well as that with Allah (habluminAllah and habluminannas). That is why pilgrims are asked to seek for forgiveness from friends and relatives and co-workers before embarking on the journey. Thus, the preparation for a Haji Mabrur starts way before the flight to Saudi. Oh, AHS and I had our share of 'tests' way before the actual journey started. I just hope we have become better persons, after all that.