Back from Umrah (3 Weeks ago)

As salamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh,

Belated Eid Mubarak!!

Well I came back about 2 weeks ago... okay, 3 weeks ago (and I wanna to go back!!). Hearing about people going for Hajj just adds to the pain and makes me miss Makkah and Madinah a whole lot more. I would have updated earlier, but my Internet wasn’t behaving well, so it made it harder for me to do so. It was an amazing experience, SubhanAllah. I didn’t think I’d go back there this soon. I went 4 years ago for Hajj, but even then I didn’t think it would have been this year, especially since I just got married. My husband was also very fortunate (mashaAllah) since he’s just been for Hajj (the previous one) and being with him made the whole experience more then incredible (MashaAllah). I guess when Allah (swt) calls, no matter when and how, we end up there, as a guest to the house of Allah (swt) and the resting place of Rasulullah (saw), one way or another.

I thought going back the second time wouldn’t be as affective as the first, both emotionally and spiritually. Boy, was I wrong. SubhanAllah the emotions running through me were probably more than the first time I went and looking at the Ka’bah again was just like seeing it for the first time ever. For those who are going for Hajj for the first time, I can’t even begin to explain what goes on inside your heart when you reach Makkah, the Harem, and the Ka’bah. It’s like you know that your soul knows that you’re getting closer and closer to the House of Allah. Going in for the first time with your gaze lowered, makes your heart tremble with great anticipation, excitement and nervousness (you can’t even breath, think, or walk straight!). Then seeing the Ka’bah, in all its Glory and Magnificence, is so empowering that it pierces your heart and soul at the very core of your faith. If anyone has ever had a single atoms weight of doubt in his or her heart, just looking at the Ka’bah will remove it forever (InshaAllah). It’s a moment where it’s just you and your Lord; you don’t notice anything or anyone around you. Honestly, I can never fully explain exactly how one feels at that moment, you have to go through it to know. May Allah (swt) take us all there, again and again and again…

There were loads of people there this Ramadhan, it really felt like Hajj time. It was because all the locals came and most of Turkey was there (yeah all those little women…you see plenty of them). In the last 10 days it was nuts. We went to Madinah where it’s much calmer but there were still a lot of people there. SubhanAllahi wa biHamdi, SubhanAllahi-l-Atheem, being in Madinah is a whole different experience in itself. Again, I can never fully explain what goes on in the heart and soul when you know, that this is where Sayyidinah Rasulullah (saw) is (the Beloved of Allah, the Final Messenger, just think of Seera!), Sayyidinah Abu Bakr (ra) is (The great companion of Rasulullah (saw), the one who was with him all the way during Hijrah), and Sayyidinah Umar (ra) is (the one that struck fear in those that knew his name and never even saw him amongst the Mushriks, Romans and Persians). SubhanAllah and then there’s Jannatul Baqi, where so many Sahabahs (ra) and righteous people have been laid to rest. So many emotions just overwhelm you. Saying Salaams to Rasulullah (saw) and knowing that he can hear it and knows who we are just makes one feel so unworthy of coming in front of him covered in sins when one went against his sunnahs countless times. But knowing one is visiting Rasulullah (saw) is so…gosh I don’t even know which word to use, it just increases one’s love for him in every way. May Allah (swt) take us to visit Rasulullah (saw) again and again and again…

There are soo many memories, funny, sad, happy etc. I could share them all but I’d rather tell them personally because I’m more of a talker (as many of you know) than a writer. But I guess I could share a story or two.

-I made a friend in Madinah, and she has the most adorable little girl. She has cute, little, round cheeks, and she looks like a baby doll, MashaAllah. In Masjid al-Nabawi she would wait for the domes to slide open after Fajr and after Isha adhan. She’s around 15 months and I can still remember her giggle and the way she’d look up to see the dome all excited. MashaAllah, they came from Egypt, and her mother is such a kind person. May Allah (swt) bless her and her family in both worlds. Ameen

-In Madina, at Asr time they would start putting large dasterkans (big sheets on the masjid floors, inside and outside to sit on for iftar) and they would get covered in plates, drinks, Zamzam, dates, yogurt (their yogurt is yuuuumy, especially the one made by Nadec), bread, Kahwa (strong Arabic coffee), and a whole lot more. And Arab families would come and set their own dasterkans. Then they go around and get people to sit on theirs to break the fast (to attain reward). Ah, it’s so beautiful seeing the hospitality of the people of Madinah during iftar.

-In the Harem in Makkah, we were going down one of the escalators, and next to the one going down was an escalator going up. And all I see is a boy hanging on to the railing of the escalator by his hands going up. Man, I felt like trying that too.

-Another time in Makkah, in the Harem escalators we were coming down again, and this time at the bottom of the escalator was a little girl trying to go up…and she wasn’t getting anywhere.

-If you ever go to Makkah or Madinah, try the Movenpik ice cream. And I recommend having the blackberry ice cream in a cup…ohh its soooo good.

-One can never forget the old Turkish women, they’re cute little women but man, they’re tough. One may think they’re old and weak, but they can push through a crowd and get to the other side before the blink of an eye. Okay, that was an exaggeration, but you’d know what I mean if you’ve been before.

So that’s it for now folks or else I’ll go on and on and this will become a very long post, which will bore ya.

SubhanAllah we really, really enjoyed going to the Holy Cities for Ramadhan, it’s just something elsereally enjoyed going there for Ramadhan, its just something elseenjoyed going there for Ramadhan, its just something elseenjoyed going there for Ramadhan, its just something elseenjoyed going there for Ramadhan, its just something else enjoyed going there for Ramadhan, its just something else. May Allah (swt) take those who haven’t gone and take those again who’ve already been. We just have to make du’a that Allah (swt) calls us there, accepts us while we’re there (Umrah/Hajj/all other acts of Ibadah) and calls us back there and perhaps even take our sou enjoyed going there for Ramadhan, its just something elsels there at the time of our death.