Hello, friends! How are you all? Today, I want to share with you a very important journey for me. This journey involves exploring a new country along with fulfilling my religious duties. My trip to Makkah for Umrah was memorable. It all began when I got vacation time from my company. It was a 15 days trip from the 5th May to 20th May 2023. Today marks one year since I completed my Umrah pilgrimage. But even now, it feels like it happened just yesterday.
I had already completed all the necessary documents. My wife was supposed to join me at the Jeddah airport from Pakistan while I was to arrive from Dubai. There was a gap of 1 to 2 hours between our flights. I had worn my Ihram (The special clothing worn for Umrah worship is called "Ihram.") and made the intention for pilgrimage (Umrah) after performing the Fajr prayer at Dubai airport. We both met at the Jeddah airport and from there, we took a taxi towards Makkah. The Jeddah airport was very beautiful. It was around noon when we embarked on our journey, and our flights were about 4 hours apart.
We were both excited as we were meeting after 5 months, and the journey itself was very blessed. It was a tough situation with hunger. My wife had brought macaroni with her, which we ate while sitting in the taxi.
After a drive of approximately 1.5 hours from Jeddah, we reached Makkah. Despite feeling tired from the journey, I felt an immediate need to perform Umrah due to its significance from a religious point of view.
So, we checked our belongings into the hotel and headed straight to Masjid al-Haram from there.There was a small hill next to the hotel that I found very appealing.
A large number of Muslims from every country had gathered here. When we entered Masjid al-Haram, our eyes fell first on the Kaaba. It was an incredibly heartwarming moment. All the fatigue from the journey seemed to fade away as we stood there, offering heartfelt prayers. After that, we completed the Umrah rituals, and by then, it was already evening.
Since childhood, I had always desired to see Masjid al-Haram. It was truly magnificent. The architects from around the world had come together to construct it, making it a masterpiece of beauty.
Everywhere, there were lights and beautiful chandeliers hanging. The view of the courtyard was immensely inspiring. People were engaged in prayers and circumambulation (Tawaf) around the Kaaba. After drinking Zamzam water, we stepped outside.When we stepped outside, the evening view of the area surrounding the mosque was enchanting. There were crowds of people everywhere, heading towards their hotels or restaurants to rest or have a meal.
We exited Masjid al-Haram and headed towards a barber shop. I needed to have my head completely shaved as part of completing my Umrah. Alhamdulillah, my wife and I had completed our Umrah.
We relaxed in the hotel for a while after arriving, then in the evening, we once again made our way to Masjid al-Haram for prayers. The next morning, following the same routine, we went to explore the nearby areas of Makkah.
The mountains of Hira and Soor indeed hold spiritual significance. My wish was to visit the Cave of Hira and the Cave of Soor, but due to my wife's reasons, I couldn't go.
This journey was very memorable for me. I visited many places, some of which I briefly mentioned to you. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.
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Read my previous blogs:
@jahanzaibanjum/the-ideal-age-of-adulthood
@jahanzaibanjum/advancing-boundaries-science-meets-genetic
