MAKKAH, “Feeling unwell, tired, needing rest’, “I seek forgiveness for past sins, may my haj rituals be accepted”. These are some of the feelings expressed by haj pilgrims written on a tree called ‘Ranting Hati’ situated at a corner of the Abraj Janadriyah Hotel here.
This tree, an initiative of the Counselling Unit of Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), is a mechanism introduced as a therapeutic method for haj pilgrims to express their feelings during their pilgrimage to the holy land of Makkah.
Counsellor Mohd Najib Harun said that since its introduction a week ago to the pilgrims staying at the hotel, it has received an encouraging response because it not only serves as a place to express feelings but also to share words of encouragement with other pilgrims.
“Sometimes, some pilgrims don’t want us to talk to them for a long time. They just need a trigger to make them express their inner thoughts. That’s all.
“Theoretically, when pilgrims frequently express what is weighing on their minds, their mental clarity i
ncreases. When their mental clarity is high, it means their rational actions are good and they will function well as pilgrims and be able to focus on their haj rituals,” he told media personnel at the TH Headquarters here.
Mohd Najib said that, so far, the counselling team has been visiting pilgrims from room to room or in the cafeteria to introduce the ‘Ranting Hati’ initiative by bringing along leaves and papers for the pilgrims to write about their feelings before attaching them to the tree located at the hotel.
He said this initiative also impacts other pilgrims because when others read these expressions, they realise they are not alone and that others are facing similar issues, which indirectly helps to reduce their stress levels.
Some of the common heartfelt expressions written by the pilgrims, he said, revolved around gratitude, concerns about health and missing family members back home.
“Some write ‘Alhamdulillah’, ‘thank you Allah’, ‘thank you parents for your prayers’ — these are themes of grat
itude. There are also themes of strength like ‘Oh Allah, give me strength’, ‘Oh Allah, give me wisdom through this experience’, which shows that our pilgrims are positive and striving to remain positive,” he said.
He added that the ‘Ranting Hati’ initiative also serves as a medium to collect feedback on issues faced by the pilgrims, helping TH to assess and improve their services continuously.
Meanwhile, one of the pilgrims, Siti Ruhana Kadir, a retired teacher, believes that the initiative helps to alleviate the stress experienced by pilgrims during the haj.
“We should share our heartfelt emotions because performing the haj involves many challenges. To overcome them, we need to constantly share our thoughts and feelings and offer useful advice to one another,” said Siti Ruhana, who is from Kelantan.
Another pilgrim, Siti Bidah Said, in her 60s, also from Kelantan, said that methods like this are indeed beneficial for boosting the morale of pilgrims as they strive to perform their haj and maintain their h
ealth.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency
