Preparing for Umrah in Ramadhaan

Thinking back now, it felt like I was delaying preparation for Umrah. Perhaps because it hadn't sunk in yet, or time wasn't ticking as fast as it usually did. Nevertheless, I had my trusty book - which I also highly recommend - 'The Ultimate Guide to Umrah' by Abu Muneer Ismail Davids, which gave a very detailed insight into umrah in Ramadhaan. In fact it was like a Lonely Planet Guide like read but with added humour  ;)

14th Aug 2011 
Dad and I set off to the airport, broke our fast there with my elder brother and brother-in-law. We recognised some other folk who looked like they were going to be on the same flight and just after we had our bite to eat, my dad lead the Maghrib prayer  near the seating area in the airport. As the prayer ended, an old English chap who seemed somewhat intrigued by our congregation approached us. He wanted to know whether it was true that Muhammad [pbuh] was only given 3 prayers and we the Muslims have decided to pray 5 or something of that sort. Anyways, he decided to ignore my response as he continuously repeated his question, at which point I realised we needed to go to check in! Once on the plane, I was still receiving message of dua' [prayer] requests, so started writing them down.

15th Aug 2011  - - - 07.05 am
After a good 6 hours of flying we had arrived in Jeddah. Once off the aeroplane, we sat in a reasonably cool and airy airport waiting in the Hajj Terminal. Apparently due to the vast amount of people who had arrived for umrah this Ramadhaan they had to open the Hajj terminal to accomodate! All I was thinking at this point was Alhamdulillah - all praises are due to Allah swt - I'm in the land of Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] and I got in with no complications so alhamdulillah. Airports tend to make me nervous especially since my trip to Israel/Palestine in 2006. Ever since, I have this fear that I could get rejected on entry at the airport [not that this actually happened in Tel Aviv - but there was a very high probability of it - that's another story!]

Airport Staff had informed us that they need to shift a set of 500 people from the adjacent hall before we were able to go ahead into it. Still feeling quite positive, I found 2 old SOAS friends, it was nice seeing familiar faces in such a blessed place.

- - - 09.45 am

By now we were on route to the city of the Prophet pbuh straight from Jeddah Airport. The very same city that welcomed him when his own people rejected his message some 1400 years ago - Medinat-ul-Munawarra.

I could see the digital clock in the coach show the temperature as 35 degrees celcius. We drove passed acres of arid landscape with occasional patches of green. Dad told me we were nearly there.

Welcome O Ramadhaan!

My Ramadan art!

As the month of Ramadhaan is upon us, the temperature in the air continues to rise.
Maybe walking the streets in the midday sun wasn't the most wise decision to make today :s
But deep down I felt it was all worth the preparation of going to the blessed land of Makkah in the last 10 days of Ramadhaan inshAllah! :)

So far we have about 3 hours until iftaar (time to break the fast - at sunset) and so far, I don't feel dehydrated, yes a little thirsty, not starving, but a little peckish alhamdulillah. What I like the most about this blessed month, is that importance we give to our souls over our body. Our poor soul craves to remember its Lord, fullfil the promise it made to Allah swt...

"When your Lord drew forth from the loins of the children of Aadam, their descendants and made them testify concerning themselves. (Saying): 'Am I not your Lord' They said, 'Yes, we testify to it.' (This) in case you say on the Day of Judgement, 'We were unaware of this'. Or in case you say, 'It was our ancestors who made partners (with Allaah) and we are only their descendants. Will you then destroy us for what those liars did?" [Surat al-A'raaf, verse 172-173]

Alhamdulillah for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us ya Allah!

Alhamdulillah apart from the fact that I have no work commitments this Ramadhaan [the joys of teaching! :)] I am also blessed to be able to go Umrah!!!!!

O Allah, allow me to fulfill my time wisely and reap the many rewards from this blessed month. Shower your blessing and mercy on my family, the ummah and I striving to become better Muslims. Ameen.

'Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing.' [2:127]

Mooz-lum - a film by Qasim Bashir

The film was deep, full of emotion and it really gave you an essence of the struggles Muslims went through or are still going through post 9-11. 5 stars!

Moslem is what they call us...

I'm letting off steam in the form of poetry (of some sort)

Little time do we give to educate

those inadequate

Bunch of fools

who follow their own rules!

Free speech is what they annihilate

Banning this and that to exterminate

One faith

And only one faith.

Moslem is what they call us

What

difference does it make if they can’t...

Say it like they should,

tell it like it is,

eradicate

the trend of hate

Is it really worth making all the fuss?

Wake up! I want to shout out...

Mustn’t get deluded in the delusion

Of the world dominating fusion

Of president this and prime minister that

They aren’t watching my back

Let me turn to my lord in this upheaval

And cry out to save me from this mess

of a world full of hate and evil.

inspired by the recent niqab ban in France, 
see video debate in Australia