By Muhammad Aalif Tan

An invitation from Him to our first umrah trip.

Alhamdullilah. No amount of praise is sufficient to express our gratitude to Him, for granting us life, Iman (Faith), Islam, and the guidance of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and a teacher with a sanad (lineage) that links us back to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. I’m deeply grateful to Him for enabling us to embark on this Umrah trip. Had I not met our teacher, I doubt I would have ever found myself on such a journey. Reflecting on the past, this
was likely a dua (supplication) from years ago. Even though I wasn’t actively practising my faith back then, the thought of performing Umrah at least once had always lingered in my mind.

This trip took place in December 2024, marking one year since I joined Ustaz Sameer’s classes and began practising seriously. It felt like an anniversary, a celebration from Allah ﷻ by inviting me to umrah.

SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah).

Furthermore, travelling with our teacher made the trip even more special and meaningful. To have his guidance throughout, to perform Umrah with our mentor, to walk on the paths in this blessed land once trodden by our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his Sahabah (companions), and to benefit from his insightful sharing, historical teachings, extra classes and zikr
(remebrance of Allah); all of this was truly a blessing. May Allah ﷻ bless our teachers and grant them a long and pious life.

The beginning of the journey wasn’t entirely smooth for me. I struggled to clear my workload and hand it over to my colleague. Even on the day of departure, all that was running through my mind was work. I only started packing my luggage the night before. It was a hectic morning, and I was simply going with the flow. A few hours later, I found myself at the airport unprepared, both physically and mentally. I hadn’t even exchange money for the trip.

However, just before entering the departure gates, Ustaz gathered us all to help us set our intentions right for the journey. He reminded us that we were going for umrah solely for the sake of Allah ﷻ. To remember that we actually do not deserve to be on this trip; rather, it was Allah ﷻ who chose us and placed us there. Why? Because He loves us and because our
beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ desires to meet us. SubhanAllah. Yet, all I had been thinking about was work. How ungrateful. As I closed my eyes and began a few rounds of istighfar (seeking forgiveness), tears started to flow. I apologised to my Lord for my ingratitude and thanked Him for allowing me to be on this blessed journey. It felt a little unusual doing zikr while standing at the airport with many people around you. Yet, it was a profoundly peaceful moment.

Ar-Ra’d 13:28

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَطۡمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِۗ أَلَا بِذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطۡمَئِنُّ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ
Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allāh. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.”

The first half of the trip was in Madinah. The atmosphere in Madinah, especially in Masjid Nabawi, was truly special. For some reason, it exudes immense peace. The people there were incredibly kind, generous and friendly. We frequently witnessed individuals distributing dates, food, and drinks. It was heartening to see such mindfulness and care for others. We spent our days literally just in worship, eat and sleep (and a bit of shopping as well). Isn’t that how life should be? To be in a constant state of worship to our Lord, which was what He has commanded.

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”
Quran 51:56

However, limiting the understanding of worship solely to prayers is a misinterpretation of its true meaning. Allah ﷻ mentions in the Quran that He created us only to worship Him, implying a 24-hour state of devotion. But how can we physically pray continuously? Our bodies need rest and nourishment. How are we supposed to pray while we are in the toilet? Therefore, the correct understanding is that worship extends beyond just praying, fasting, zakat (charity) or hajj (pilgrimage). It encompasses being in a state of remembrance of Allah, constantly mindful of His blessings upon us.

SEEKING KNOWLEDGE, PARTICULARLY KNOWLEDGE OF ALLAH, IS ALSO A FORM OF WORSHIP. IN FACT, IT IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF WORSHIP.

We spent our days visiting our beloved Prophet ﷺ and his companions, itikaf (seclusion) in the masjid until nightfall, and then continuing with riyadah (spiritual exercise) and zikr back at the hotel before concluding the night. SubhanAllah, it felt like living a dream. On the last day in Madinah, we embarked on a bus journey to Makkah to perform our umrah. It was an emotional moment as we bid our final farewell to our beloved Prophet ﷺ. May Allah ﷻ grant us the opportunity to return every year.

Nevertheless, spirits were high on the bus as we journeyed towards Makkah. We were already in our ihram, filled with excitement to perform our first umrah. It was a special and touching moment listening to the whole jemaah reciting “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik”, answering the call
to our Lord. Ya Allah, here we are, at your command. The energy was unparalleled.

Prior to this trip, we’ve heard stories of people being overcome with emotion and tears upon first seeing the Ka’bah. So, we anticipated a similar reaction. However, as we drew closer to the Ka’bah, we began to feel puzzled by the absence of the expected emotional surge. I started to
question myself: was it due to tiredness? Or was there something wrong with me?

Then, we were reminded of Ustaz’s words: “Allah doesn’t reside in the Ka’bah”.

In fact, Allah ﷻ is not confined to any place, as He is not bound by time and space like us. In a Hadith Qudsi, Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, said: “Earth does not contain Me nor does the Heaven nor the Throne nor the Seat but the heart of the faithful servant contains Me.” The Prophet ﷺ has said: “The sacredness of the believer is greater with Allah than the sacredness of the Ka’ba.”

Undoubtedly, the sight of the Ka’bah is magnificent, and as we gazed at its beauty while performing our tawaf (circumambulation), we were conscious that it is not the Ka’bah we worship. It is Allah ﷻ whom we worship, and with His power, He creates the beauty that we are witnessing in the Ka’bah.

SubhanAllah.

As we make the seven rounds around the Ka’bah, Ustaz has taught us that beyond making supplication, we should reflect on the seven attributes that He has bestowed upon us, one in each round; Life, Knowledge, Will, Power, Hearing, Seeing, Speech. We should contemplate deeply on how He has manifested these attributes within us. To be in gratitude and to return them to Him in our awareness. How fortunate we are to live a life with these gifts. How weak and powerless we would be if even one of these attributes were deficient. This struck me even more profoundly the next day as we were performing our sunnah tawaf (voluntary circumambulation). Because we are no longer in our ihram, we are not permitted to go to the ground level where the Ka’bah is situated. We could only perform tawaf on the second level and above, which involved a greater distance due to the larger circumference compared to the ground level. As my feet began to ache from walking, my mind started to question my actions. A sense of guilt washed over me when I saw a blind man with a walking stick performing his tawaf, followed by another man with no legs, dragging himself on the ground with his bare hands. These individuals could have easily availed themselves to the wheelchair service where the workers will push them around to complete their tawaf. Yet, they chose to do it independently despite their disabilities. Here we are, able-bodied, complaining about being tired. How ungrateful. It was like a huge slap on my face. Astaghfirullah. May Allah ﷻ not make us among the heedless who forgets His blessings upon us.

This journey was truly the best we’ve ever undertaken. It opened our hearts and minds in ways we never imagined, solidifying the truth that there is no greater reason to travel than for the sake of Allah ﷻ and to visit our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). While worldly landscapes and fleeting experiences are temporary and cannot be carried back, the spiritual
sustenance and profound lessons from this trip will remain with us always.

We pray that Allah ﷻ continuously blesses us with the opportunity to return to His blessed lands and to the presence of His Prophet ﷺ every year.

Ameen Ya Rabb.