[From nobody Thu Feb 26 19:14:19 2004
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 08:50:36 +0800
From: Azamin <azamin7@streamyx.com>
Subject: ikut orang sangat...
To: syedputra-com@yahoogroups.com, smtsp8589@yahoogroups.com,
	Noorul Izanita <nizanita@hotmail.com>
Reply-to: azamin7@pd.jaring.my
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I got this from Raja Petra...

People are peculiar. They like to follow rituals and trends without
understanding the concept behind them. Take the pilgrimage or Hajj
to Mekkah as an example. How many of those who perform the Hajj (‘Haji’
in Bahasa Malaysia) actually understands what he or she
is doing? Malaysians are fortunate though. They are forced to sit
through a ‘kursus haji’ (Hajj course) before they embark on the
pilgrimage. In that sense, Malaysian Muslims are more learned than their
brethren from some of the other countries. But then,
Malaysians are also forced to enrol in a driving school and submit to a
driving test before they are let loose on the roads. But do
Malaysians really know how to drive? Malaysians are probably amongst the
worst drivers in the world.

Anyway, back to the Hajj. Let me relate a kisah benar (true incidence)
that occurred way back in 1982 when I performed my first
Hajj. There was this group of Indonesians who were performing their
Hajj. The Sheikh (sort of tour leader), a Malaysian from
Kemaman, Terengganu, who had made Mekkah his home (complete with second
family and all), asked the Indonesian group how
much they knew about the Hajj ritual. To his dismay, and this is not an
isolated case mind you, none of them knew a thing.

Never mind, he said, just follow exactly what he does. He led the group
through the main door leading to the Kabbah, the Babus
Salam. He then read out the doa (prayer) and asked them to raise their
palms and just recite “amin” (amen). They did just that. He
then waved at the Kabbah and they aped him. He then led the group down
the steps to the main courtyard of the Kabbah. The group
followed close behind.

As the Sheikh walked down the steps he slipped on some water that had
overflowed from the Zam Zam containers lining the
mosque. He was thrown backwards and almost hit the floor but, in a
reflex action, he grabbed the railing and saved himself from
smashing his skull on the mosque steps. The entire group of Indonesians,
seeing this magnificent display of acrobatics by their
Sheikh, all slid down the steps and grabbed the railing in a sort of
break dance fashion.

This scene would probably have been ideal on the streets of New York
accompanied by some background rap music. It was,
however, certainly not one of the obligated rituals of the Hajj. But the
Sheikh had done this and the group of Indonesians did exactly
as instructed; follow everything and anything their Sheikh does,
including any accidental moves the Sheikh makes.

This is the danger when people try to perform certain rituals or acts
without understanding the concept behind it. And this goes for
the concept of perjuangan (struggle) as well.

]