Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Day 16-19 (Days in Makkah)

From our room at the Swiss Hotel, we can see the Kaaba. We arrive at night, but the lights and the whiteness from the Haram flood our room. Our next Salah won't be until tahajjud so we enjoy some solitude and time for reflection in our quiet abode. The room is so luxurious and after the days and nights at Mina, Arafah, Muzdalifah and Shisha, having your own washroom is the ULTIMATE luxury!

Our time in Makkah is almost a routine. Starts with tahajjud, then a reminder from Sh Alaa, then fajr. An after tahajjud halaqa with one of our favorite shaykhs on the roof of the Haram, a slight breeze and a stillness in the night - can it get any better, subhan Allah?!

After fajr, we head for breakfast which consists of meeting my "dhaal/bhaat" (lentils/rice) craving. Next, we return to the hotel room to get some precious rest before Dhuhr. The afternoon is spent trying to squeeze in last minute shopping and a delicious Hardees lunch by the time Asr enters. But our purpose is to spend the rest of our day and as much time in the Haram as possible, with the millions of other worshippers. And of course, we try to perform tawafs whenever we can.

Tawaf, or the circumambulation of the Kaaba, is an amazing act of worship and is unlike anything I could have ever imagined, subhan Allah. As I watch the millions of people perform tawaf, each one with their own story and their own duas escaping their lips, I can't help but pause. Their voices create a loud hum, distinct but somehow uniform. It would be impossible to hear any one person.

And yet, by His Power, Allah hears us all. Every single one of us. From the man with the tear stained beard, shaking and crying, to the one-legged uncle who refuses to use the wheelchair, to the sister with barely any space for herself but still shifting to give space to another, to the brother handing out cups of zamzam for hours, so that people don't have to stop.

Here, we can barely hear ourselves make dua, yet Allah hears every single voice amongst us for He is truly the All-Hearer. You cannot help but get a lump in your throat. You cannot help but hope that your duas are sincere and accepted. And you cannot help but increase your love for your Creator with every step that you take.

Our days in Makkah are coming to an end, and tomorrow will be our last.


Video of Tawaf 

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