Previous posts in this series: Parts 1 to 10 Not quite “three wishes” After arriving in Makkah, we settled into our hotel and had less than an hour to prepare for umrah – at 9.30PM on that Thursday night. Not only would it be our first umrah, but also our first ever sighting of the … More Hajj Chronicles Part 11: The big moment
Previous posts in this series: Parts 1 to 9 Goodbye While I fell in love with Madinah, the truth is I eventually became too comfortable there. And because there seemed to be too few outings / tours, it actually felt a bit boring at times (to be totally honest). Nonetheless, Madinah was an awesome experience, … More Hajj Chronicles Part 10: Hijra
Previous posts in this series: Parts 1 to 8 To wrap up the Madinah leg of the trip, I’d like to highlight some points which haven’t been covered elsewhere. Unlike previous posts, this one won’t follow a narrative, but will just take a point form approach. As such, there are no ‘Related lessons’ this time … More Hajj Chronicles Part 9: Loose ends
Hajj is now over, and as the pilgrims return home to their loved ones, they take back with them a multitude of precious memories from the journey, lessons they’ll hope to apply for the rest of their lives, and an elevated sense of spirituality. Back to reality But for many, those feelings can quickly fade … More Beyond Hajj: Five ways to maintain your Hajj for life
This picture was one of the last I took on my Hajj last year – as I was leaving Mina after my final round of pelting the Jamaraat. As this year’s hujjaaj prepare to do the same at this time, I hope the feelings and memories of their Hajj journey will remain with them forever … More Sweet sadness
I wrote this exactly one year ago – in Mina on the first day of Hajj 2011. May it be a reminder to myself and others of how the journey of Hajj is this life’s preparation for a more important journey we’ll all take. “Friday 4th November 2011 Death’s dress rehearsal Day 1 of Hajj, … More Reflections from Day 1 of Hajj
A few weeks back, I’d planned to publish a series of ‘Hajj tips’ posts – with this one being the first. I ended up not having the time to do the full series as hoped, but due to a recent request – and the stats showing quite a few downloads of the first tipsheet recently … More The biggest 5 days of your life
Hajj is coming up very soon, and to help get you in the spirit, I’m giving away copies of a DVD we put together after last year’s Hajj. The DVD features more than 200 pictures and videos from Madinah, Makkah, Hajj itself, and Palestine. It also includes audios from Hajj 2011, information about the places … More Hajj competition: Your chance to win
With Hajj being only weeks away, I thought I’d share some historical pictures from Hajj and the Kabah – so that we can get a sense of what it was like before the modernisation and convenience of the 21st century. 1885 1938 1953 1941 -when there Masjid Al-Haram was flooded Unknown time … More Hajj in times of old
Hajj is on the horizon, and a common attitude among our communities is that it’s something you only do when you’re old. While you’re young, you want to live your life (i.e. “have fun”), and when you get older and settle down, you’ll make this journey, change to be a better Muslim, and live the … More “When I get older, insha-Allah”
slip-sliding away..... 