Syed Faisal Ali | Arab News  

Sunday,9 Dhul Hijja, 1429 - December 7, 2008

MINA:

Haj is obligatory for able-bodied Muslims but hundreds of pilgrims are in the holy places performing the pilgrimage on wheelchairs. Their loved ones push them through the streets. Both the wheelchair-bound pilgrims and their loved ones have many convincing reasons for what they are doing.

One such pilgrim told Arab News that it has been her long-cherished dream to perform Haj, but due to economic and domestic constraints, it was not possible for her to do so until her son got a job in Jeddah last year.

“For me, it was a dream come true when my son informed me that he had made arrangements for me to come here,” said Danish Shambrela from Algeria.

Shambrela, 65, is suffering from various ailments, including acute arthritis. Her son, Danish Isshac, is taking care of her not only as a son but also as a doctor.

“My mother is on medication due to her illness. And frankly speaking I was little uneasy about bringing her for Haj. But her wish is my command and as a son, it is obligatory for me to fulfill her wishes. I’m sure Allah will accept her Haj and also reward her,” a visibly contented and happy Isshac said.

As a disabled person, Shambrela wanted very much to undertake the pilgrimage and visit the house of Allah. She is happy to have undertaken the journey and wishes that others with similar problems could also perform Haj.

“I would like to share some of my experiences in the hope that this will help people with disabilities who are planning to perform Haj. No matter what your special needs, with a firm belief in Allah and a little bit of patience and planning, Insha’Allah you will be able to do just fine,” Shambrela said.

Mariyam Amo, another wheelchair-bound pilgrim, is pushed through the streets by her husband, Ahmad Ishkadev; they are also from Algeria.

“Mariyam took care of me for my whole life and we are blessed with three children. They wanted to accompany her on Haj but she wanted only me as if she wanted to tell me it was my turn to take care of her. I agreed and we are here,” Ishkadev said. “After deciding to perform Haj, the first thing we did was to pick a good Haj package that guaranteed accommodation close to the Jamrat. That is crucial,” he said.

Instead of picking a low-cost extended-stay package it is better to go for a high-end short package, Ishkadev felt.

“We chose an express package and it has worked out just fine as it has allowed us up to now to perform the rituals properly without getting too tired. Dedicated transportation to and from Makkah to Mina to Arafat, Muzdalifa and the Holy Haram is assured in the package. We carried the wheelchair with us from our country so as not to have to spend the money for one here,” Ishkadev said.

“However, in case of an emergency, the people with special needs are the ones left behind and who become vulnerable. With a little bit of planning on their part, life could be so much better for people with special needs during Haj. What I’m trying to say is that you have to be proactive and be your own advocate. Just talk to the company to find out where you will be staying. It will keep you out of unnecessary hardships and loss of quality prayer time,” Ishkadev said.

A young man from Libya was pushing the wheelchair of a senior and infirm pilgrim, Ahmad Abdul Salam. Interestingly, the young man was not related to the old pilgrim. Then why was he doing this?

And here is the reply — “For Allah’s mercy, to atone for my sins,” said the young man, Wahaj Abdullah, from Tripoli.

“I met Abdul Salam in the group we are both a part of. Though he is old, he was all right when we started our journey. It was only in Madinah that he fell sick. And it was my duty to take care of him, despite the fact that we are not related,” Abdullah said.

He said Allah would accept the Haj of both of them and reward them with His bounties.

Another point to be made concerning pilgrims with special needs is that there are people who, for a price, will take care of them.

“I have engaged a young man from Makkah to push my mother’s wheelchair. Certainly I will pay him but will not say the amount,” said Bashir Muallad, a Jordanian pilgrim.

Bashir said he hired the young man for the whole season for a premium price. “In fact, I wanted to be able to take care of my mother by myself but unfortunately due to my own illness, I can’t and so we have taken the services of Sultan Al-Harbi.”

All pilgrims who are sick and infirm have strong arguments to support their coming to perform Haj. For some it is a dream come true. Some saved small amounts of money for many years so that they could make the journey. “In matters where sentiment is dominant, other issues become smaller,” said Ishkadev, justifying his mother’s pilgrimage. “After all, this is our chance to please Allah, by patiently enduring the hardships of Haj. It is said that there is a reward for every hardship,” he said.