• “If there is a will, there is a way.” This is what we learned from school. But the Haj experience showed us that there are several ways to serve Allah's guests if we have a will to earn reward from God, said Hurairah Chorghay, head boy of International Indian School-Jeddah. He was one among 250 IISJ student volunteers who served pilgrims in Mina and Arafat during the first two days of Haj. Chorghay said. “Our assigned job was to guide pilgrims from their tents in Mina and Arafat to the Mashair railway stations No. 1 and 2. While returning from the station, we saw on the route to the tents, many pilgrims, who were tired and thirsty due to extreme heat, seeking water. We helped them by getting a driver of a truck full of bottled water to use our assistance to distribute water among the pilgrims. We helped the driver distribute the bottles to all pilgrims. Nearly 100 student volunteers helped in the distribution. Each one of us distributed an average 10 cartons of water.” Chorghay, who hails from Mumbai, said this was a great practical experience to the effect that if we have a real will to do virtues, Allah will open in front of us various ways for this. The head boy said that the presence of IISJ Principal Syed Masood Ahmad, headmaster for boys' section P. Noufal and about 10 teachers helped us a lot in properly doing our service. “This great experience prompted me to go to Mina again to serve the pilgrims,” he said. Chorghay reached Mina on Wednesday and engaged in serving the pilgrims under the banner of India Fraternity Forum. Ahmad said it was a wonderful experience as our students get little exposure for voluntary service. “Highly charged with religious enthusiasm, our students did a marvelous job in serving the pilgrims,” he said. Ahmad, who was leading the IISJ volunteers for the second consecutive year, also shared a unique experience. “While engaged in service, we saw two elderly pilgrims, who were in an exhausted state and unable to walk any more. So, we took care of them, and our students went out in frantic search of a wheelchair that they managed to get from an Indian dispensary, half a kilometer away. They then pushed the pilgrims two kilometers to the railway station.” Jabir Haneef, another student leader, said: “We have the general feeling that we are now responsible grown up people entrusted to do a great job for Allah's guests. It was an amazing experience and many of us eagerly want to get such opportunities again and again.” “We also guided pilgrims to Jabal Rahma, and Namira Mosque. We were instrumental in quenching the thirst of many pilgrims,” he said. – Hassan Cheruppa
