By Mahmud Abdul Aziz

My dear friends,

I hope this article finds you in happiness and a calm state, however if you’re still battling some struggles, do not despair, the help of Allah is near.

Have you ever passed by a place that reminds you of someone close to you? A particular restaurant, cafe or a housing estate?

Here are some of my reflections that I hope will benefit and connect those who are visiting the Holy Lands. May Allah accept.

The grandeur of The Black Cube is something that brings chills to your spine. Especially the first time seeing it.

Tears often fall, mainly due to its size and the electrifying energy of people circling around it. Our hearts then pour the emotions we have been keeping and the prayers that we hope for from the Owner of The Ka’bah, Allah The Almighty.

This exact mosque and the Ka’bah shows the greatness of Allah. It was built during the time of Ibrahim Peace be Upon him (there are narrations that said it was even there from the time of Adam, but it got destroyed during the flood of Nuh and Ibrahim rebuilt it – Peace be Upon them all)

It has been filled with worship towards Allah since thousands of years ago, continuously till this day.

Despite all these great virtues, do know that this was the blessed city of where Muhammad The Son of Abdullah was born.

When the Ka’bah comes in sight,

Tears often fall,

Due to it’s beauty and height,

My Beloved friend,

Do Know!

That in this site,

There was no sight,

More Beloved to Allah,

Than His Prophet of Light,

Stepping his blessed foot on it.

This blessed place, was where Our Beloved Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon him lived for 53 years of his life.

This exact place was where he was mocked, ridiculed, threatened, abused and accused by his own people.

They laughed, mocked and call him many evil names. He endured all of these with tears and hope on His Lord, that brought millions of people, standing in this very place as Muslims.

The seas of People you see circulating around this Ka’bah, know that it was all due to a man, a prophet who loved you more than you loving your own soul.

When I see the Ka’bah, I see my Beloved.

When you walk out of the grand Mosque, you often see many people of different races.

Many of the are those who have nothing much of the worldly treasures. Know that the poor people, are very much loved by The Prophet Peace be Upon him.

The Prophet spent his most of his time with poor, helping them and fulfilling their needs.

When the poor invited him to their homes, he hastened to attend, ensuring that they were happy to be able to host a Prophet of God.

He lived a simple life and there were days where he went without any proper food.

This was the same Prophet that was offered by Allah the riches of this world, without decreasing his spiritual station, yet he refused, out of his love for the poor.

When I see the poor, I see my Beloved.

Let’s talk about the food that we eat. Let’s just start with our breakfast buffet. Myself, I love eating good food, taking the best of meat, pastries and fruits for breakfast in the hotel.

A part of me enjoys it, thanking Allah for this great blessing of being able to eat such good food.

Another part of me, gets reminded that this same place where we are enjoying all of these, is the same place where Our Beloved Prophet was boycotted by his own people.

The early Muslims of Mecca were starved for a few years. A companion narrated that the stools that came out from them at that time, were like the stools of the sheep.

The Prophet, His Blessed Family and Companions starved so that Islam could reach us today.

The best we could do justice to them, is to thank Allah, avoid wastage and pray for our Brothers and Sisters that are starving in other parts of the world.

When I see food, I see my Beloved.

We then visited the Blessed Grave of our Beloved Mother, Khadijah Peace be Upon Her.

Tears could not stop flowing, for this woman was the strongest support our Beloved Prophet was blessed with during his hardest days.

She was a wealthy woman, who could’ve just walked away when the Muslims were tortured and bullied in the early days of Prophethood, yet never once did she complained.

She patiently endured and supported her husband, gave her wealth in the path of Allah, faced the starvation and boycott together with the early Muslims.

Once, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was mentioning the good deeds of Khadijah رضي الله عنها and Aisha رضي الله عنها was there.

She could not help saying, “You always mention Khadijah . However, Allah gave you younger and more beautiful wives than her.”

Thereupon, the Prophet ﷺ said, “No. Allah did not give me anyone better than her because when everybody was in unbelief, she believed in me.

When everybody denied me, she approved me. When I was deprived of everything, she shared her property with me. And Allah gave me children from her.”

[Narrated by Ibn Kathir: The wives of the Prophet ﷺ]

The other wives married the Prophet when his Prophethood was already established and the number of Muslims had grown.

Khadijah, she was there from the very start, she was his comfort during his hardest days.

Peace be Upon them All.

When I see the tomb of Khadijah, I see my Beloved.

We entered the city of Madinah, witnessing the beautiful mosque that contains the Blessed Body of Our Beloved Prophet Peace be Upon him.

This is the city of light. The acceptance and peace you feel entering it, this was the city that welcomed the Prophet Peace be Upon him, when he had to leave his beloved hometown Mecca.

This was where Our Beloved Prophet established Islam till its peak. This was the city that witnessed his passing, and there was no sadder day than the day he left this world.

When I walk along the streets of Madinah, I see my Beloved.

When inside of The Prophet’s Mosque, you will see metal grills that are covering the tomb of the Prophet Peace be Upon him.

There is not a sight more beautiful than this one. Inside it holds a Prophet and two of his best companions.

When Qais, a man who known to be madly in love with a lady called Layla, passed by the house of Layla, he said:

“ I pass by this house, Layla’s house,

And I kiss this wall and that wall

It is not love for the house that has taken my heart,

But of the One who dwells in that house ”

When I see the metal grills, I see my Beloved.

May our Umrah trip be a meaningful one, a spiritual one, that brings us closer to Allah and His Beloved Messenger, Muhammad the Son of Abdullah.

Forgive me for any shortcomings and thank you for reading.