More of Makkah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

I got in another trip Alhamdulillah. I was a little hesitant to go so soon, thinking that I needed to rest. But no, I didn't. I'd had enough rest. Actually, I was well-rested and ready to join Abu Hibaat on his 'Umrah. Ma sha Allah.


As lovely as it is to take the kids when it's not crowded, it can take away from the focus and concentration quite a bit. So three of my gang stayed with my parents jazaahum Allahu khayra and we went with Bub. This time we went earlier in the day. But as it wasn't hot as I'd expected it to be. And sure enough, today it's cooler and greyer. Not like the usual June heat. The crowds were not as heavy either, which is always a good thing.


While we were walking between the Mounts of Safa and Marwa, a man walked past us and handed Abu Hibaat a miswak (toothstick) from a bundle he was carrying. He carried on walking and kept stopping briefly to hand more of them out. I was so touched by this gesture. As simple as it seems, I started thinking about in more detail. The man was in ihram (wearing the 2 white towelling cloths) so he was also performing the 'Umrah. As well as the reward of that in sha Allah he was giving giving charity. "But it's just a miswak" you might think. Even if it was "just" a miswak, every little thing given in charity counts. As he will be rewarded for the steps he took to perform his 'Umrah, so too will he be rewarded for walking up to people and giving them the siwak, if Allah so Wills. And it isn't just a miswak. It is a blessed thing that Allah's Messenger (sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) strongly recommended us to use. So in sha Allah, this man will be rewarded for reviving a Sunnah. Perhaps there are other facets to this simple gesture, but I'll mention only one more that means a great deal to me. How do you feel when someone suprises you with a gift? Even if it isn't a surprise, doesn't it make you feel good when someone gifts you with something, no matter how small it is? Talk about optimising!

I'll leave you with pictures of some of the architectural detail of the mosque.