If you have the means, if you feel lost and weary, go for Umrah.

If you have the means, if you feel overwhelmed by the demands of duniyaa, go for Umrah.

Had I known the positive implications of doing Umrah, I would have made an overzealous effort to make the trip possible earlier. Even then, I believe that regardless of how much time one has and how financially affordable it is to some people, if Allah does not will for it to happen, it will still not happen. So Alhamdulilah, I feel blessed that I can perform Umrah this year.

The Invite

The famous narrative among Malay Muslims about an individual being able to perform Umrah is that ‘Allah dah jemput’. Meaning Allah has invited you. Often, I hear people making comments that it is this sacred invite that eases the process of coming to Mekah. To me, it came with a strong urge of ‘I want to go Mekah’. Never mind the endless Mastika* stories about sinners being punished in front of the Kaabah or of how Allah pays cash for bad behaviour or intent. My perception is that while it is good to take heed of other people’s experience there, it is still a personal pilgrimage with intentions known between him/her and Allah. No one experience is the same. I believe that we should not think of Allah wanting to punish us for our previous sins during Umrah. Rather, take it as an invitation out of love. He does not want us to stray too far from the Islamic teachings, and He wants to forgive us and continue to bless us in this holy journey and after.

[*Mastika is a popular Malaysian magazine that tells stories of how people who do bad things are punished in various ways when they are dying. I believe it has been discontinued for several years now].

Mekah

The holy city was everything like I had imagined. A city that hosts the ibadat of Muslims from various countries, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds. To some muslims, this is probably their 10th Umrah in their lifetime. To some, like myself, this could be our first Umrah. While I may not be draining my personal savings with this Umrah trip, other pilgrims may have sold their belongings to make this journey. The objective is the same: to worship Allah.

The keepers of the holy city know that. Hence, they accommodate the differences. They guide. They show the way. They made sure that the place is well-kept and clean at all times. They keep order in a place where millions of people come from all around the world. In Mekah, the first language is Arabic. Hence, the soldiers, the cleaners and most pilgrims will speak to you in Arabic. However, do not let that worry you, especially for English speakers. Somehow, you will get to understand the ‘well intentions’ and ‘kindness’ of people despite the language barrier.

My daughter was a frequent recipient of kindness. She would get sweets and candy from people of all ages. They were handed out as gifts to children so they’ll be happy and enjoy their visits to the mosque. There is no issue of allergies or ‘I don’t give my kids sugar treats’. You just accept the token graciously, only to deal with anything concerning it later. It is because matters like this are seen as something small since the benevolent act weighs heavier in the eyes of Allah. Similarly, the difference one observes in Islamic practices between the mazhabs here is viewed as normal. Somehow, it is fine to be slightly different in how you place your hands on the body after the takbiratul ihram because everyone ultimately worships Allah.

It is interesting how when you place yourself in a devout environment like Mekah or Madinah, you are automatically drawn into doing good deeds and high-quality ibadats. The rukuk and sujuds are slower. The surah you choose to recite is longer. The workload, assignments at the desk or business ventures at home somehow sit further down the priority list. Though dissociating completely from worldly matters can be challenging, the burden of it does seem small compared to your ibadat. Somehow, all the problems I experienced back home seemed so petty and actually solvable once you reach Mekah. That all the pending task back home is just another task that brings in salary for your living, having now a better understanding and confidence that ALLAH is the one who gives you sustenance. So, there is no need to rush through namaz. Or be reckless with life. Instead, perform more solat, fast, recite zikir and make doa more when given a chance to do so. I felt nourished spiritually. I am motivated to continue this motivational streak back home.

Physically, I felt so energised too. I did have a minor cold towards the end when I left Madinah. However, when in Mekah doing Umrah, all my headache, back pain and body tightness seems to find relief and loosen up with time. Maybe it was the Zamzam working its magic. I did read that it has an alkaline pH, rich in magnesium and calcium. Thus, explains the relief for muscle soreness. I had a lot of Zamzam water there since it is readily available at the masjid. We even bought it home via the Saudi consent given to pilgrims, whereby each passport holder can buy 5L of Zamzam for 12.5 SR, and it is not included in the baggage allowance. I was also walking a lot as compared to my sedentary life back home.

InsyaAllah I will share more about my Umrah in a subsequent post. For this trip, we actually went to Cairo first before to Mekah/Madinah. So that is a whole lot of story to tell in a few weeks to come. Look out for the hashtag!