Our umrah trip already feels like it was ages ago; the memory distant, but still framed by the overwhelming and ever lingering light of the two most blessed lands on Earth. I was fortunate enough to walk those floors with 8 other family members in April 2023, and nearly 10 years after my first visit as a young vibrant teenager.
Our first stop was Medina- picture this: driving in to the city as the sun is starting to set on the 1st day of Ramadan (1444). City lights are coming alive as the sky slowly gives way to darkness, the air is echoing with the takbeer that marks the sunset prayer and the break of fasting for the near 1.6 million inhabitants and 1+ million visitors of Medina. We come to a stop in front of our hotel and as we all take turns climbing out of the bus (all 7 of us and my two nephews, what a procession), we find ourselves faced by locals who offer us dates and water. Off to the side of the street next to a masjid, there are rows of men and women standing, bowing, prostrating in prayer; in unison; in peace; in mercy - this is Medina
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| the Prophet's mosque | medina mornings |
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| view from the back of our bus, Medina-bound |
Medina is a closed off world of its own; and in this, there exists another closed off world: the Prophet's masjid. I wished then, as I always will, to live within the walls of Masjidul Nabawi- stepping outside of its premises for even necessities would raise a deep sense of loss in my heart. How to put it into words? Our footsteps hit the floors differently, the Quran entered our hearts differently, Salah granted us a different level of tranquility - every good act, no matter how small, was amplified in goodness.
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| city of light |
In Medina, you can be amongst a crowd of individuals yet still feel singularly present, as if in seclusion, with Allah (swt).
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| solitude in prayer | medina mornings |
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| what Amir sees | medina mornings |
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Zayd chasing pigeons | medina mornings
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Zayd, unknowingly embodying the Prophetic way of sitting | medina mornings
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وَقَالُوا۟ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا ٱلْحَزَنَ ۖ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌۭ شَكُورٌ٣٤
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view from inside the Prophet's masjid | medina mornings
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May Allah (swt) allow us to frequent this beautiful and sacred space. May Allah (swt) increase it in amn (safety) and barakah (blessings). May He protect the keepers of the two haramain, and may he grant victory and peace to the land of our third Haram (Palestine) and grant its protectors an honor and reward everlasting.
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