Translating my thoughts and emotions into words for the Hajj Journal series is not easy. First, whenever I reflect on this Holy journey, the entire experience runs in my mind like a film. It’s only been seven months since that…
Category:Hajj & Umrah
“Get some rest. We’ll leave for Mina by 10am,” said our group leader as he instructed us where and when to meet later. We were back in our hotel in Makkah for the day and I couldn’t help but welcome…
He hurled the tiny pebble toward the wall with too much force and fury. It was as if an enemy stood in front of him, all tied up, and he has been given the chance to deliver the punishment. He took…
We were going to sleep on the roadside tonight, and I was pretty excited about it. After spending the entire day in Arafat, all the pilgrims were now heading towards Muzdalifah, an open level area located between Arafat and Mina….
“There is no day upon which Allah frees His servants from the Hellfire more than the day of Arafat. He draws near and then He praises them to the angels, saying: What do these people want?” Prophet Mohammed (peace…
About 8 kilometers east from the Holy city of Makkah, cradled in a low-lying valley, lies the incredible city of tents called Mina. What’s even more incredible is that this city only comes to life for 4-5 days during Hajj…
Umrah was being discussed over freshly-baked bread, chicken sausages, spicy omelets, and green tea. All the meals at Anjum Hotel were elaborate with good selections from various cuisines. Our group leader had given each of us a set of meal vouchers with…
The bus crawled its way slowly through the massive traffic of Makkah. We were passing through a tunnel and everyone was wide-awake by now. Right above us were the towering five-star hotels that stood right across Masjid al Haram. Due to the…
While the world outside was running its business as usual, there was an unmistakable feeling of excitement within me. The taxi smoothly cruised along the wide Sheikh Zayed Road towards Abu Dhabi airport, and I gazed outside the window wondering…
In about fourteen hours, we are about to embark on a journey that is the most important one for every Muslim, insha’Allah. We received our e-tickets only six hours ago and our passports three hours ago. I was so stressed out…
Jebel al-Rahmah, or the Mountain of Mercy This is the spot in Arafat where prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) delivered his last sermon to a congregation of Muslims gathered around him. Also, our guide informs us that the prophet…
The place is packed with people performing the tawaaf immediately after the Faj’r prayers. Most people prefer to perform tawaaf before sunrise. The heat during daytime is almost unbearable. I say almost because thousands of people still circumambulate the ka’aba…
The plan was simple and convenient: we leave Sharjah for Jeddah at 10 pm, arrive in Makkah by 3 am, finish umrah before Fajr, sleep for a couple of hours, then return to Masjid al Haram for Friday prayers. Except…
“The first House (of worship) appointed for men was that at Bakka: Full of blessing and of guidance for all kinds of beings. In it are clear signs: the station of Ibrahim. Anyone who enters it shall be granted safe…
The people of Makkah were asleep when our bus entered its borders. I checked the time: 1 am. I thought, still drowsy from sleep, of having read a sign that said non-Muslims are forbidden to enter from this point onwards….
Miqat is an Arabic word which literally means, ‘a stated place’. This is the place where Muslims setting out to perform Umrah or Haj stop over to assume the state of Ihram. Coming in from Madinah, our miqat was at Dhu’l Hulayfa,…
Sweat trickled as we walked hurriedly towards Masjid al Nabawi, or the Prophet’s Mosque, for the Jummah prayers. It was noon and the sun shone brightly upon the City of the Prophet, sallalahu ‘alaihi wassalam. Some sisters have advised me…
Masjid al Quba On Monday, September 23, 622, prophet Mohammed, sallalahu ‘alaihi wassalam, arrived at a town in Madinah named Quba. He stayed with Khulthum bin Al-hadm, a hospitable chief of the tribe of ‘Amr bin ‘Awf. Here he spent…
Silently uttering a prayer as the plane started to take off, I was excited beyond words. I looked out of the oval-shaped window and saw the sun setting in the pink horizon, far across the desert dunes of Sharjah. ‘This…
We finally got invited to His house! We are about to embark on one of the most important journeys of our life, Insha’Allah. To be honest, it still feels surreal, and I’m overwhelmed with excitement and nervousness. “And accomplish the…