My umrah experience

April 2016, I was privileged enough to travel to Saudi Arabia, and spend 6 days in both Mecca and Medina. My parents accompanied me on this sentimental trip, and it is honestly an incomparable experience. It is an experience that will forever be instilled in my mind, and I hope to perform many more Umrahs, InshAllah.

I'd seen enough photos of Makkah and Madinah to know that it is a mesmerising place, with many masajids and historical sites which you visit along the way. But seeing pictures on canvases and frames is one thing. Watching videos and live broadcasts of the taraweeh is nothing compared to actually being one of the millions of tiny specs you see on the TV screen. I was honoured at how God was inviting me to His beautiful house, I'd been yearning to travel there after hearing my friends experiences.

Medina

Our beloved Prophets city. I remember arriving in Medina very late, and just before entering the hotel I took a quick glimpse of the mosque further ahead, surprised to see people walking around in the middle of the night. The serenity and tranquillity I felt in Medina is surreal. And although it was havoc with it being so busy, I felt jovial every second and the scenery made it even better. The big umbrellas that open at Fajr and close at Maghrib were something I would gaze at for ages, as they blocked the intense sunshine from the people below.

Praying every salah in the Masjid-e-Nabawi with people from different countries, as we all united to please our Lord- that's something I love, part of the Ummah coming together to worship the Creator. On most days, me and my mum prayed Maghrib, and then stayed inside the masjid until Isha, reading Quran and praying extra nawafil. I remember talking to one Egyptian sister, who knew no English and who was attempting to tell me something. Via my broken Arabic, we talked for a while to pass time, and in the end before parting ways, she said 'I will meet you again in Jannah sister, inshAllah!' It's times like these that you feel so happy to be a Muslim. Of course it's the biggest blessing and the thing I'm most grateful for anyway, but hearing such a beautiful message makes you understand that all we go through in this life will be worth it in the end inshAllah.

One event that really stood out to me and I think is worth mentioning is getting into Riyadh al Jannah (Garden of Paradise). At the start it was an absolute disaster. The workers assembled us into different categories (ethnicities) and made us wait around. They were clearly being so biased as they allowed the Arab women to enter first and the whole situation was handled very poorly. I still remember how we were standing around for such a long, just impatiently waiting for the doors to open.

When we finally entered I quickly prayed two rakah, as there were so many women and very little space to actually pray. Although my mind was not fully focused because of the overcrowd of people, I felt in my heart the presence of RasoolAllah (pbuh). I know it sounds bizarre, but my heart starting pounding, and I was grinning uncontrollably. Ease and love came pouring into my heart as my eyes drifted around, mesmerised by all the stunning art and calligraphy that decorated the walls.

Makkah

Despite the fact that I keep telling myself I love both Makkah and Madinah equally, and refuse to pick a preference, I'd be lying if I didn't say I love Makkah a little bit more. Medina is very serene, very simple and although like I mentioned it was very hustle bustle, it was nothing compared to the atmosphere in Makkah. The fact is, it doesn't matter what time of year you go to perform Umrah- it will always be extremely and excessively busy. Take it back a few decades, and you'll see old photographs of the the Ka'bah looking almost abandoned. There would only be a group of people, and you could at least see the ground. Now however, you can go in the morning, night or afternoon, and it will without doubt always be bustling with people from all over the world, at some times with barely any space to stand. I feel like the influx of people however, is a very positive thing. It means not only more people are taking their deen seriously, and taking an interest in their religion, but also more people are becoming Muslims. Let's not forget that Islam is currently the fastest growing religion in the world, and naturally this means the Islamic pilgrimage locations will just keep filling up with new Muslims who have come to be a part of Islam.

We performed Umrah the night we arrived, and it was actually a lot harder than I imagined! Going around the Kabah 7 times, and going up and down Safah and Marwa- it was too much for my body to handle. This is when I pushed myself to stay resilient and I put my indolent side to a halt. Nobody would sit around waiting for me to catch my breath, we all wanted to complete our Umrah and sleep!

Zeyara is visiting places in Makkah and Medina. In Medina I visited Masjid Quba which was beautiful, and in Makkah I visited Mount Hira, where Prophet Muhammad found revelation, and where the peaceful religion of Islam derived from <3

Construction everywhere, which meant more rush added. There was a copious amount of people already,and now they have blocked off so many things.On the ground floor, tawaf is a lot harder to perform, men and women so close together, they've made everything a mess. Nonetheless I kept myself to myself (I tried anyway!) and circled Allah my head held high.

On a more deep note, something that really shocked me was the amount of poor people. I'm not stupid, I'm aware there is poverty and mistreatment everywhere in the world nowadays, but I didn't realise people went as far as to fake being poor. I only noticed this in Makkah. As I left the hotel to pray once, I noticed a group of women begging for money, just like many others there. However, when I returned from praying, I saw the same group of women huddled in a corner, with phones in their hands and handbags swinging off their shoulders. I was so shocked, how can women dressed fully in hijab, representing Islam, so casually fraud people like that?
Unfortunately, some of the poor really were needy, and many children came to my attention. Some sold tissue packets in the mall, whilst others walked around barefoot. These examples are always show non TV and social media, but I guess I felt more empathetic since I was seeing this sad reality with my own eyes. The world is some what reprehensible for this- the fact is there is enough money to go around the world for everyone and that we have enough food on this planet to feed three other planets, yet some just don't feel the need to share.

Spiritually, the best part for me was when I first set eyes on Allah's house. Let me tell you about when I first saw the Kabah. Wow. My dad held my hand and led me in, telling me to keep my eyes averted, and on the ground. We ambled along and then halted at the Kabah. Eyes streaming with tears, I looked up and saw the most beautiful thing in the world. To a Muslim it is their core to life. I was astounded. Speechless. This is the house I pray to every single day. To add to that, the fact that I was standing right in front of it, was infinitely amazing. From praying thousands of miles away in the UK, in my bedroom on my maroon prayer mat, to praying in Makkah in front of Gods house.I felt so special, God had invited me to His house, He had wanted me to experience this, out of so many people, so many people who are unable to make a trip like this, I am truly grateful.