They Work With Haj

executive summary by darmansjah

Bus group of pilgrims in transit in the Batha area of ​​the Quraysh, Mecca al-Mukarromah, yet also dispatched to Arafat.

Suddenly a group of young, male and female, rushed up and immediately occupied the empty chairs at the back.

For a moment there was boisterous conversation in a dialect-speaking Indonesia: Banjar Malay, Sundanese and Javanese. Radiated joy on the faces of the young who seem bright. Arafat, Musdalifah, and Mina so once a dream goal of Muslims in general, not least the young kids.

Musdalifah

"Finally, so also perform hajj this year," said Ahmad Lufti (27), one among the group of young, said in cheerful tones. "If I, is the second time," said his colleague, Ahmad Rizal (26).

 mina

Ahmad Rizal and Ahmad Lufti are not a member of the official entourage of pilgrims pilgrimage organizers bureau Masy'aril Grand Tour & Travel, where they joined the pilgrimage to participate in the establishment. Since the last 1-2 years they lived in Saudi Arabia, worked, until finally the opportunity to perform hajj.

Only during the Arafat and Mina (8-12 Dhul-Hijjah 1431 H), Lufti and his partner-Rizal-also carry two tasks at once. On the one hand carry five pillars of Islam (read: pilgrimage), on the other hand they must also prepare and serve the needs of the group ate a congregation that they "follow".

As an officer of the cook who works at a service bureau catering ‘our-kitchen’, over at Arafat and Mina, also in Mecca and Medina, Lufti and Rizal will inevitably have to perform the pilgrimage with the extra power. At the assembly on a generally solemn remembrance or resting in special tents and air-conditioned, Lufti and Rizal, together with a number of other labor-sweat sweat preparing meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for members of the pilgrims special (read: ONH plus ) a binding contract with the Our-Kitchen .

"If the hot water to make coffee here out, take it straight to the kitchen in the corner there, sir. Available for 24 hours, "said Rizal told when the group was still in Arafat. "At Mina will be provided satay, two times," said Lufti gave a kind of leaks diet.

two benefits

For Lufti and Rizal, the pilgrimage season this time also gives two benefits at once. In addition to pilgrimage on the sidelines of the work, their earnings were pretty increases.

At least that's what Lufti disclosed. If outside the pilgrimage season he was paid 1800 riyals (1 riyal about IDR 2,500), during the pilgrimage season with slightly longer working hours and busier these he could receive 3200 riyals.

During in Arafat and Mina, Lufti and Rizal, also his fellow worker of more than 10 people were forced to sleep after a late night. By the time most of the congregation was asleep on a bed of small carpeted, they are still busy in the kitchen. The next morning, the same people get up for morning prayers, they must hurry back to the kitchen.

"It is more tired, but it could Haj," said Lufti, bachelor of Kalimantan, which had two years working in Saudi Arabia.

That is the price they must pay. If regular pilgrimage, as mukimin (people who have settled in Saudi Arabia), as the experience of Wijaya in the pilgrimage season last year, they must pay the travel agency services 1000-1500 riyals.
"Although out of money quite large for the size of workers like me, worship is more secure comfort. Because, during the Arafat and Mina to sleep in tents, "said the bachelor origin Sukajadi Village, Pagar Alam, South Sumatra, who worked as a cashier at Carrefour shopping center, Medina.

Pilgrimage can also be fully independent. You do this by taking public transportation up to Arafat and Mina, then slept in the open or in the overhang of buildings and under bridges. "Most run out 500-600 riyals for transportation costs and meals," he said.

Not all Indonesian workers in Saudi Arabia fared well, can pilgrimage to fare relatively cheap.

 
Those not lucky enough. One Parman (21), workers from Praya, Central Lombok. Already spent IDR15 million to be dispatched to Saudi Arabia, Parman now can only bite the finger. Disbursed worked as cleaners at the Nabawi’s  Mosque, Medina, Parman admitted only paying 529 riyals per month.

 
"Until it's 2-year contract runs out the cost of capital set out here will not be back. Because the cost of daily living is also quite high, "said Parman when found were on duty in the courtyard of Nabawi’s Mosque.

For some Indonesian workers in Saudi Arabia, the pilgrimage season this time to bring blessings. Their dreams were realized. Working while going for hajj.

In Musdalifah them along with millions of pilgrims from all over the world converge in the search for identity. Looking for gravel in the middle of the night, to be thrown in the ritual of throwing Jumrah in jamarat.

in jamarat.

 

However, look for a moment like Parman workers, who can only watch from a place very near the "excitement" of thousands of his fellow pilgrims.

 Nabawi’s Mosque,

And they, the workers, can only watch it in silence. Of alleys and courtyard Nabawi’s Mosque, hundreds of thousands of employees working there are the people of Indonesia paid a few hundred thousand above the provincial minimum wage in the country ....