By Muhammad Arif Bin Syed Sulaiman

“Without Allah ﷻ calling us through our teacher, we would not have imagined stepping on such blessed lands so soon.”

Our teacher said, “The more impure you feel, the more you need to go. Allah ﷻ allowing us to converse about this is the clear calling and sign for you to go. Go, when you have the health, time and resources.” As I sat there listening, I made the intention in my heart and SubhanAllah, Allah ﷻ facilitated the rest.

Our teacher told us, “Pack the most important thing, not only your luggage but love for Allah ﷻ and our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.”

Our teacher reminded us that as we bid our goodbyes to our loved ones, we must prepare for the day when we will eventually have to leave them and return to our Creator.

Our teacher said, “Reflect and apply what you have learnt. Practice zikir (remembrance of God) throughout the journey and avoid screen time on the flight.” Look at how Allah ﷻ made prayers available even when you are thousands of feet in the air!

In our bus journey to Medina, our teacher said that we are invited by the commissioned commander of Allah ﷻ, our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and we should give shukur (thanks) to our Creator for this honour. The abundance of praises and salutations was sent as we approached the land of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Ya Nabi Salam Alaik!

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Say, [O Muhammad], “If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
Quran 3:31

Allah ﷻ loves His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ very much. Follow Allah’s Habib (loved one) and He will love us too.

Our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is a man whom we should strive to see at least once in our dreams before we depart from this realm.

“Assalamualaka Ayyuhan Nabi”, when we send salutations to him ﷺ, he hears every single one.

The Prophet replied: “You do not hear better than they do, except they do not respond.”

Our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is a man that we can imagine due to the detailed description of him recorded by past scholars.

Learn and emulate the teachings, characteristics and appearance of our Prophet ﷺ. Soak in the history, see and affirm that it is real, how many victories and sacrifices our Prophet ﷺ and his sahabats (companions) went through for Islam to reach us. Medina, truly a city of peace. May Allah ﷻ grant us the opportunity to visit our Prophet ﷺ year after year. After all, our Prophet ﷺ mentioned, “My intercession is incumbent for he who visits my grave.” And “A prayer in my mosque is a thousand times more excellent than a prayer in any other mosque, except Masjid al-Haram (Mosque of the Ka’ba).”

إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍۢ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِى بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًۭا وَهُدًۭى لِّلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

Surely the first House ˹of worship˺ established for humanity is the one at Makkah—a blessed sanctuary and a guide for ˹all˺ people.
Quran 3:96

Our teacher said, “Allah ﷻ is not found only when you are in Mecca. The Kaaba is a means.” Allah ﷻ made the place blessed, a place where our connection is direct and more substantial. We are not worshippers of the Kaaba, but Allah ﷻ. One should not only feel fatigue and ache in their legs after performing Umrah and circumambulation (tawaf), but rather establish and feel their connection with Our Rabb while performing their Umrah.

OUR LORD HAS GRANTED US ANOTHER DAY OF LIFE AND THE KNOWLEDGE TO PERFORM UMRAH, HIS WILL FOR US TO BE THERE, HIS POWER BRINGING US FROM MILES AWAY AND TAKING EACH STEP TO PERFORM OUR UMRAH, THE ABILITY TO HEAR, SEE AND SPEAK HIS WORDS. WE SHOULD CONSTANTLY BE THANKFUL FOR THE ATTRIBUTES THAT HE HAS GIFTED US.

You may have the means, time and effort, but only when Allah ﷻ calls you can you be granted the opportunity. Set your intention and He’ll plan. It is an opportunity to know what it is like to worship, eat, sleep and repeat. It is important to build little habits and routines you can emulate even after returning to reality. A means to reconnect, build your relationship with Him and our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

We came from Him, live for Him, and to Him is our return. He has gifted us a guide in the process, who is our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and our teachers.

May Allah ﷻ accept our umrah and help us to gain closeness to Him in our own ways.