In the Islamic calendar, two major events stand out: Ramadan and Hajj. Both of them are seasons of barakah, wherein the sense of community is high, and on a personal level, our good deeds can be multiplied exponentially. In terms of timing, these seasons are close together – occurring in the 9th and 12th months … More Guess who’s coming?
With poetic inspiration returning to me at the end of last year, I thought it would be a good time to look back at some of the more creative posts on this blog over its history. Since there’s nearly 7 years to cover, I’ve split the selection over more than one post – hoping to … More Let it flow (part 1)
The last day of the year, in the heart of a South African summer. I’m at work now (sadly), but this time of year brings back fleeting memories of childhood summers gone by: Hours and hours in the back yard playing soccer and cricket; Still more hours and hours on the tennis courts, pushing ourselves … More Summer Daze
Where this blog stands right now If you’ve followed this blog for the last few years, you’ll notice that my focus – since late 2011 – has almost completely been on Hajj-related topics. This was a change from the blog’s first 5 years, wherein the content was a lot more varied. Obviously, the change in … More Second time around
Alhamdullilah – this year’s Hajj will be wrapping up very soon, and for those who didn’t get to go, I hope that the live media coverage has been a source of inspiration for not only the journey of Hajj, but also the intention to want to become better Muslims. Every Hajji has their own unique … More More than just memories
Picture courtesy of Saaleha The days of Hajj are almost upon us, and since the moon wasn’t sighted in South Africa this past Saturday, it means that Dhul Hijjah officially started here on Monday. This contrasts with Makkah, where the month started a day earlier – on Sunday. Every other month of the year, this … More The great Eid debate
Previous posts in this series: Parts 1 to 29 Ambassadors of Hajj Hajj consists of 5 days, but those wanting to exert themselves even more can stay an extra night – taking the total to almost 6 days. Some of our group opted to go back to Aziziah after the 5 days, but my … More Hajj Chronicles Part 30: Farewell
Previous posts in this series: Parts 1 to 28 An unfortunate pattern From Eid day onwards, the atmosphere in the camp on Mina was far more relaxed. We’d passed the climax of Hajj (i.e. Arafah), and now had just a few more days on Mina until it was all over. In a way, it … More Hajj Chronicles Part 29: Back to the Kabah
Wrapping up the Hajj prep series (after the previous Madinah tipsheet and Makkah tipsheet), our final tipsheet focuses on the big event – the biggest 5 days of your life: Hajj. Download: 5 days of Hajj tipsheet Here, the tips cover day 1 on Mina, the all-important day of Arafah, the journey to Muzdalifah, Eid … More Ready for Hajj series: Part 3 (Days of Hajj)
Previous posts in this series: Parts 1 to 27 Why did the Hajji cross the road? The morning after losing my phone, we were back in Aziziah for a few hours. Despite the fact that the main segments of Hajj were over, communication was still important – thus I needed to get a new phone … More Hajj Chronicles Part 28: Boom!
