Yearning for the Holy Land

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Dear Companion,

By the mercy of Allah, this was my second visit to the holy land, and I have to say that the experience of the sacred lands never diminishes.

A group of my friends had made the intention of performing their Umrah in the summer; I had been informed and asked if I was able to accompany them. I had already been only the previous summer with my family and did not have the finances to go again this year, so my response was a sad “no”.

Weeks and months passed by and my friends had bought and arranged their tickets and stay. They were very eager about the trip so had been doing extensive mental, physical and spiritual preparations far before their departure date. I had witnessed this and was moved by their dedication, as well as yearning for another opportunity to visit Allah’s house and give my salaam upon Rasulullah (saas).

The primary reason for not being able to go was my financial situation in regards to my university costs, I did not want to fall into the student loan trap, so had to be very vigilant about my spending. However, by the mercy of Allah an opportunity arose for me which lessened this financial burden. Coincidently at this same time, I heard of several people who had returned, were planning to go and were currently there. My yearning grew stronger and stronger. Until one day I just had overwhelming persistence in my heart that I had to go. For a few days nothing else consumed my thoughts, and I finally made the decision to go.

Now, I had the task of seeking my parent’s permission. After a while discussing with my mother and father, they had gracefully decided that I could go. That night I could not sleep with the excitement. I informed the group as soon as I was entirely certain I was going. I did not hesitate to get the bookings quickly out of the way. As from past experience I regretted the actual spiritual preparation that I had done and was adamant that this was my sole objective. I wanted to ensure (by the mercy of Allah) that for this Umrah trip I would be as ready as I can be. I thus joined with my brothers in their preparation sessions. Among many was the weekly class our group and another group of young brothers attended about the various aspects of Umrah. These were extremely valuable; even though I was a second timer I appreciated these aspects even more.

To be continued insha Allah…

Sincerely,

Your Brother,