One Riyal Please…………….

It was funny while I have been going to Makha for performing Umrah. Prophet Mohammed (SA) said, Umrah in Ramadan (9th month of Hijri) equalent for Hajj (5th Pilgrim of Islam).

I have started my journey from 2:30pm on 18/08/2010 Wednesday, Earlier years there was no instruction or rule from Ministry of Transportation (MOT) that all buses should pass to SAPTCO bus station and report to them. That period Umrah conducting team was given the reporting time as 4:30pm. All the pilgrim people will lose their valuable two hours because of new regulation from MOT.

Both Arab driver and his colleague was so smart to the passengers even they are angry with them since the bad performance of air condition. It was distressing to travel including kids at 430C with out AC.

All the travelers are very patient and cooperative to the staff while the tire blast after 350km from Riyadh. I was thinking what happen to these peoples? all are calm. Either they may have been following the words of Prophet (SA) (pilgrims should have patience for all matters) or they know they don’t have any option unless tire has to change.

We continued our journey after find out work shop for changing tire. The smart Egyptian driver approached to passengers and said; “ana mafi kasara (I don’t have any loss) but my colleague is poor, he was working ‘hard’ to change the tire, please give him something”. Me also contributed one riyal as every body is giving even I don’t know what is the purpose to pay and all we have up and down bus ticket. As to response, little bit loudly I said “thanks to god, only tire has blast, can you image what will be the contribution if engine breakdown”. In fact my co-passengers laugh was a retort to the ‘smart’ driver.