Hajj for Ameena

“Her eyes are full of sadness; I am on a pilgrimage since millennia.” ― Tripurari

A sigh of despair flew out of Ameena when she watched the news proclaim that the Centre had cancelled the Hajj subsidy to empower minorities without appeasement. A pilgrimage to Mecca meant a lot to Ameena. The family had shelved all the money they had, to book Ameena’s tickets for Hajj when the government of Saudi Arabia modified a law for women to travel in groups of four or more without an escort. When Ameena came to know that Sara, Banu and Barkhat planned to go to Mecca, she quickly volunteered to join them as it meant that she could save the money on an escort.

Ameena was brought up in the city of Malegaon, in Maharashtra. Though the city is the second largest in Nashik District these days, it was a mere junction on the way to Agra in the past. It was known as Maliwadi which meant a ‘Hamlet of Gardens’. It proved to be a refuge for the Muslims during the 1857 mutiny owing to the growing presence and security of the community. Ameena had never lived a life of abundance, but she was blessed with a spiritual profusion owing to the large clan in Maliwadi.  She was married off to Amjad in her early twenties. Amjad belonged to the weaver’s tribe but wasn’t enterprising. He could do the routine kind of job rather than create material of interest according to the changing times. Ameena was a source of inspiration for Amjad; she would guide Amjad in her own ways and never stopped believing in God’s ways. They moved to the City of Dreams, Mumbai with a desire to grow prosperous. Amjad joined a trader at Crawford market to learn the secrets of the trade. He learnt a few tricks, but he could never grow wealthy. With time they settled down in the nearby housing society.

Ameena’s friends Sara, Banu and Barkhat were her neighbours in the housing society. They had passed through similar challenges in life and were blessed with children and grandchildren. They never realised when life had crossed the thresholds of youth, middle age and led them to old age, but their desire to fulfil the fifth pillar of Islam before their death was rampant. They never felt deeply sad that they were poor despite their years of hard work because they were astonished at the poverty of love and consideration in people. They stood strong as a pillar of strength when Ameena lost her dear husband and her elder son in the bomb blast. Ameena had grown double bent with time and had partially lost her hearing ability, but never stopped declaring her oneness in Allah through her prayers, Shahada.  The poverty of cash and kind makes one compliant with everything in life, Ameena moved back to life with Sajjid the younger son taking the reins of the house. Sajjid’ was blessed with three children. The eldest son, Shabbat was preparing for his twelfth standard boards. Sajjid had saved some money for Shabbat’s future and a little for Ameena to travel to Mecca. Hajj or the religious pilgrimage was meant only for those who could afford the cost called ‘Istita’ah’, but Hajj was a dream for Ameena to fulfil the five pillars of Islam. From her childhood, she had religiously fulfilled the four pillars.It included reading Namaaz, the verses, phrases and prayers called Salat, giving alms as obligatory alms or Zakat, and fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan called Sawm along with Shahadah. Hajj was a spiritual journey for Ameena and she had always dreamt of circumnutating the Kabba, running between the hills of Safa and Marwah, and drinking water from the Zamzam well. She dreamt of spending the night at Muzdalifa and performing the symbolic stoning of the devil. She had kept the special seamless clothes to attain the spiritual state of Ihram.  She wanted a Hajj in the last month of the Islamic calendar, and not a journey anytime in the year called Umrah. She knew that Allah would fulfil her desire.  The discounted airfares on the aircrafts owned by the Indian government and a subsidized accommodation meant a lot to them. It helped people to fulfil the trip without going bankrupt.  Sajjid felt that he could shoulder these responsibilities easily.

That evening when Sara, Banu and Barkhat met Ameena, she told them that she would not be able to afford Hajj that year owing to the ban on the subsidy. The ladies planned the trip via sea which could be affordable, but Ameena felt she would never reach Hajj after the long travel by sea. She wanted to change the fate of her family with a good education for Shabbat. She felt guilty for having dreamt a dream beyond their abilities. The ladies listened to Ameena empathetically and were rational towards the cause. Shabbat heard every word loud and clear for the house was a small one. He remembered his teacher speaking about service to mankind as the greatest service. He walked into the room and sat near Ameena. He took her frail hand in his, patted it gently and told Ameena, ‘subsidy or no subsidy you will definitely go to Mecca as planned and not as Umrah’. Ameena felt choked as tears spilt out of her eyes, she could understand Shabbat’s words and gestures. Ameena kept moving her head vehemently in protest, but Sara supported Shabbat and said. 'The government will take care of Shabbat’s education as the subsidy has been diverted towards the education of the minority'. Time will substantiate how true the statement was, but for now, it was Hajj for Ameena.