Sunday, November 13, 2011

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A HAJJAH AND A HAJI

PM Najib Tun Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor, both have performed the Haj a number of times, and by ‘convention’ they should be addressed as Haji Najib Tun Razak and Hajjah Rosmah Mansor. But for some reason, I have not heard anyone honouring them as such.

Back at my kampong, a Hajjah and a Haji is usually accorded with respect and dignity, and for someone that had just returned from performing the Haj, he or she usually gets a rousing welcome by the kampong folks and including the recitation of a doa to grace his or her return. They claim that to receive someone that had just returned from Mecca is to seek their blessing, and usually one is offered some dried fruits and a taste of ‘air zam zam’.

I remembered the day my father left on a pilgrimage for Mecca, and that was back in the early 50’s. We had to send him to the KL railway station for his trip to Penang; thence to board a ship specially chartered for pilgrims to the holy land. At the railway station, and just about the train was to depart, someone would recite the Azan. As a child, I do not know the significance of reciting the Azan for those performing the pilgrimage, for I only know that the Azan is a call to prayers. I remembered shedding tears upon seeing my father bidding farewell to me and my other siblings. What saddens me upon returning home was that I would no longer have my father to accompany me to sleep at night for the next few months.

It was several months later that my father returned home upon completing the Haj, and I remembered his friends would all gather at our house to welcome him and for the customary ‘doa selamat’. That was the first time I heard someone addressed my father as Tuan Haji Raji, and I could hardly understand the reason for this. Sometimes, I would meet my father’s friends at the market place and they would usually ask, “awak ni anak Tuan Haji Raji ke?”. Certainly, I sensed the respect and dignity accorded to my father who is already a Haji, and I being referred to as ‘anak Tuan Haji Raji’.

Now, both Rosmah and Najib have just returned from performing the Haj, but why wouldn’t they be addressed as Puan Hajjah Rosmah and Tuan Haji Najib? What’s stopping people and including the media from addressing them as such? Will they be seen to be less honourable and dignified by addressing them as such? Or are their honorific titles of Dato Seri and Datin Seri takes precedence over any other titles? I would certainly like to address them with their new found ‘titles’. Besides addressing them as such, I would also love to see Puan Hajjah Rosmah adorn the ‘mini telekong’ to cover her exposed hair like most Hajjah do, and Tuan Haji Najib to wear the ‘kopiah putih’. This would certainly change their image; one of a good and obedient Muslim leader; something that the highly priced APCO and the British Public Relations company weren’t able to do. And above all things, the Malay kampong folks would be pleased to see Tuan Haji Najib and Puan Hajjah Rosmah present themselves with this new image.

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

10 comments:

bruno said...

Dato,it is every Muslim's dream of performing the Haj,at least once in a person's lifetime.It is an individuals belief in one's religion and also to ask for forgiveness for a person's past mistakes.Pilgrims who have performed the Haj with good intentions are addressed as Haji and Hajjah.

But when a Muslim who has been doing evil deeds regularly,year in and year out,being tainted,and forever sinned can performed the Haj every year and still be a sinner and not be addressed as Haji or Hajah..It is like Khoo Kay Peng who attend the rich people's church and donate large amounts of money.By doing so he thinks that he is forgiven for all his sins commited year in and year out.

Just look at our pariah AG.He is the most corrupted AG Malaysia ever had.And everybody who read the news know that he performed the Haj with 'haram duit' paid for by his corrupted friends.No wonder nobody calls him Haji.It is an insult to oneself to called these crooks as Haji.

bruno said...

Dato,it is every Muslim's dream of performing the Haj,at least once in a person's lifetime.It is a Muslim's religious belief and also to ask for forgiveness for one's past mistakes.Pilgrims who performed the Haj with good intentions are addressed as Haji or Hajjah.

A Muslim who has done evil deeds and sinned regularly year in and year out,can performed the Haj every year and still be branded a sinner.It is like Khoo Kay Peng who attended the rich people's church,and donated large amounts of money.So in his head he thinks that God has forgiven him for all his sins commited year in and year out, like as often as he jumps into bed with his wife.

Just look at our pariah corrupted AG.He performed the Haj with 'duit haram' paid for by his crooked parters in crime.Anybody who read the news know this.That is why nobody call him as Haji.To addressed him,a well known crook as Haji is an insult to one's intelligience.

Anonymous said...

I was just discussing with my son yesterday about addressing a Muslim man who has been on his pilgrimage as "Tuan Haji".

Your posting brings to mind what happened to a top man in a listed company. He was an unreasonable slave driver who had met with a rather bad accident while on holiday with his family overseas. On returning after some weeks in hospital, he told his staff about the life changing lesson he had learnt - that there was more to life than money and business goals. But sad to say, that supposedly eye-opening lesson did not last; he was back to his slave-driving ways in a matter of some months. Which only resulted in a very cynical and bitter staff.

Far be it for me to pre-judge Najib and Rosmah. Much as it would seem to be unlikely, I would say that they should at least be given the chance to show that their haj may have transformed them.

The true proof of the transformation will be in their actions in the months to come. Let us see.

monty said...

Dato,
Performing the Haj is commendable and the right thing to do for a Muslim in his life-time and if affordable. But many crooks ans rascals also goes to show people that they are pious and righteous and God-fearing.But it is the other way round and makes a mockery of this holy pilgrimage. They can fool man but not God. Yet they got the audacity to perform the Haj every year with corrupt money or paid by some underworld 'tai kor' without any guilt or shame. Worst still, stealing the poor rakyats money to go with family and friends(all paid-for). Where are their consciences? That is if they have any.Yet no shame to be address as Tuan Haji.

Naksam said...

Interesting perception!

exrmafazhar said...

Dato, whether Haji Najib and Hajah Rosmah attained that 'haji mabrur' only God knows. I sincerely hope they achieved that.(pardoned me for i could not exactly explain what mabrur means especially for our non muslim friends,,,it is some sort of an enlightenment and cleansing i think... anybody can help?)

Anyway you will be judged by your acts towards Allah and towards your fellow human beings, no matter what tile you carry. This applies to all.

ps: If i am not mistaken Rosmah prefers that signature 'FLOM' than any title bestowed towards her, right?

mycuntree said...

Dato, I think it is really hilarious for them to be addressed as Haji and Hajjah. As other comments have indicated, it does no good for the faith to do so.It would have tainted every Haji and Hajjah who truely practise what the faith teaches.

Justin Choo said...

Dato,

While I was growing up in Penang some 50 years ago, I used to witness the "carnival-like" crowd come Haj season. As you know in those days Haj journey was a very tedious adventure in itself. Don't ever dream of taking the plane to Mecca. It was as you know, by sea. I don't know the condition of the ship and the comfort/discomfort having to spend weeks on the ocean. Perhaps Dato can shed some light into the days-gone-by hardship to go on a Haj pilgrimage.

As the ship was berthed at the Penang port, all had to take preparations around the areas. I would witness whole communties coverging in the area around the Kapitan Keling Mosque in Pitt Street, and another nearby mosque in Lebuh Acheh. There were big luggages everywhere, and if I am not mistaken even wooden crates. Going for the Haj was a very serious spiritual mission. All the relatives from far away kampungs will be there to wish thei relatives a safe journey and to return a spiritually refreshed person.

We were taught by our parents that when pilgrims returned from the Haj, the pakchic would be addressed as Haji, and he would be wearing a white skull cab.

Just from what I witnessed as a young innocent/ignorant boy, I could feel the Haj pilgrimage was a very special spiritual journey. Those were the days.

(Nowadays people are very sensitive to matters relating to religion. I always refrain from commenting on religious matters. This one is just a personal experience I like to share with you Dato and the readers. If I made any inadvertent oversight, I apologise in advance.)

Frankie said...

Dato,

Such people no longer look upon the Haj with any significance except to "show" to the Malaysian muslim masses that they are holier than thou. I mean how many Haj pilgrimage should one perform in his or her lifetime to prove to others that he or she is a good muslim. I've lost count the number of times such UMNO people had performed the Haj. Perhaps such people believe they should perform the Haj as often as possible (of course paid by the Malaysian tax payers) to cleanse themselves of their evil sins so that they can start their evil shenigans all over again like a clean sheet of paper. Or perhaps the more Haj they perform, they think they will earn extra credits for their next life in heaven.

Which leads to why they prefer not to be addressed by "Tuan Haji" or "Puan Hajjah" since both these "titles" have become meaningless after performing countless Haj pilgrimages. There are many less fortunate muslims who are unable to perform their one in a lifetime haj due to financial difficulties. Wouldn't it be better for such UMNO people to offer to pay the pilgrimage for the less fortunate muslims from their own pockets instead of they theselves embarking on another meaningless haj pilgrimage?

alee khanna said...

Dato'

Adalah menjadi budaya Melayu menggunakan Haji atau Hajah sepertimana di negara2 rantau ini. Ia tidak menjadi satu kemestian utk menggunakan title tersebut. Nabi Muhammad SAW pun tak guna title tersebut kan...Jadi tak perlu pertikaikan dia nak pakai ke tidak?

Setahu saya Dato pun dah ke Mekkah kan?

Cuma yg dipertikaikan kenapa kerajaan tidak pernah menghantar org Asli (Islam) pergi menunaikan fardu haji melalui tabung khas (JAKIM dan seumpamanya).

JAKIM sepatutnya melihat perkara ini dan tidak hanya Menteri yg bertanggungjawab je pergi? Tahun lepas dia dah pergi (tenguk kemah kena ribut?), tahun ni pergi lagi?

Sebab tulah saban tahun JAKIM sibuk buat kenduri kendara saja kat org Asli ni sebab kononya masih perlu bimbingan.

Pemikiran JAKIM dan Menteri bertanggungjawab tak pernah berubah dan hanya pentingkan diri sendiri.

Kalau perkara ini dah dibuat setiap tahun, tak mustahil ramai org Asli yg boleh jadi imam.