Nine reminders when performing my next ‘umrah

I recently performed the ‘umrah with my wife and 2 young boys. It was a very powerful experience which will remain with us forever. I can’t even begin to describe my experiences here, so I won’t try.

But - I was able to jot down some spiritual takeaways from that trip, and will probably split them up into a few pieces for it to be more digestible when I revisit them later in life.

This one is a general one on the things I tried to do during the trip, which are reminders for me when I next perform my ‘Umrah (or Hajj). I also thought that it might be beneficial to share this for those of us who may be thinking of going.

1.                  Be Crystal Clear in Your Intention

The thing that can potentially wipe out any spiritual benefits of performing an ‘umrah is firstly the reason why you're doing it. You will get what you reap. If you want to tour the area for a "feel" of the Makkah mukarramah and Medina munawwarah, and see what’s the place all about, then you will get the benefits of being a tourist. If you are performing it as a duty to fulfil because lots of people are pressurising you to do it, then you will get the benefit of pleasing others. If you are doing it because you have a longing to be near the Prophet s.a.w. and the Ka'bah and you are doing so for the sake of Allah alone, then you will get rewards for that, Insha Allah.

2.                  Humble Yourself

Once you get the intention right, pretty much you have set the right direction for yourself. Now you need to prepare for it by humbling yourself to face Allah's Rasul and His House. You have been invited by Him and it is only befitting that as His guest, you begin the journey by humbling yourself. You can do this by constantly thinking of the trip, and making do'a in your daily solah to make the journey easy for you and those traveling with you. Remind yourself that it is by His Will that you obtained such a thought to perform the ‘umrah, and that He provided you sufficiently to be able to afford the trip. Not everyone has the thought, the time or resources to make the trip, so count yourself extremely privileged and blessed.

3.                  Make Comprehensive Preparation for Umrah ‘ibadah (acts of worship)

Now, take time to find out the do'as, niyyats (intention) and other acts of ‘ibadah to ensure you obtain maximum spiritual benefit of doing certain acts. For example: At Masjid Nabawi in Medina, make it a point to perform 2 raka'h solah at the area known as the Raudhatul jannah, and personally say your Salam to Rasulullah s.a.w. in front of his resting place, along with Sayyidina Abu Bakr Siddique and Sayyidina 'Umar ibn Khattab. At Mecca, know the do'a to say when first seeing the Ka'bah and when performing the tawaf (circambulation).

Also, read up on the significance of all the places that you would be visiting. When was it built? Why? What major incidents happened there?

4.                  Know Your Limits

The common thinking during a stay at Mecca or Medinah is to throw yourself full-blown into various ‘ibadah, such as performing all your make-up and superogatory prayers, joining for all jema’a prayers at the masjidein (masjid al-Haram and An-Nabawi). However, it is also important to manage your time here as much as you do so in normal life and give your body rest. Give yourself ample down-time (at least 6-7 hours of sleep in view of the Arabian heat), do your ‘ibadah at the masjid or ka'bah at night when it is cooler, and drink lots of zam zam water.

5.                  Bring your children
Many people dissuade others from bringing their children aged 1 - 8. Common reasons are that it would be “too much” for the kids to take, too hot for the kids, too crowded and the kids might get lost etc. But guess what - it is really okay. Everyone brings their kids there and many perform their 'umrah with them.

We brought our 2 boys aged 4 and 6, and alhamdulillah, it was beautiful. Kids' hearts are pure, so it is likely that they fully experience the barakah and grace from and pleasure of Allah and His Rasulullah s.a.w., and insha Allah they yearn to visit these places again later in their lives. Our boys, masha Allah, really enjoyed the experience of performing the 'umrah and visiting all the mosques.

Vital here is the pre-trip explanation sessions to the kids on what they will be seeing and experiencing to give them a better idea of what to expect. As parents, during the trip we were also prepared to shorten our ‘ibadah and prioritise our care of the boys AS a form of ‘ibadah, in case they fell ill or were very tired. I carried my 4 year-old on my back using a baby carrier when doing my 'umrah and that helped. My wife and I also took turns visiting the ka'bah and performing tawaf and solah at night when the boys were asleep.

Allah makes things easy when you bring your children. We experienced it firsthand. I can't recount all our experiences here, as this is neither the proper mode or time for such sharing, but I will recount one such instance. We made our doa's for Him to make our 'Umrah easy and to be accepted. Our first sight of the area surrounding the Ka'bah made us believe that it was very, very crowded. But as we began our tawaf (circambulation around the Ka'bah) with the boys in tow, we realised that we were completing each round rather quickly. On hindsight, we realised that we had no serious difficulties in completing our tawaf as human traffic in front of us was always seemingly clear and we managed to complete our tawaf much sooner than we thought we would.

6.                  Resist the temptation to speak ill of things

Allah will test whoever performs the 'umrah, and the tests may come in any form: from the travel agent to your children's behavior to the food you eat, there will be tests. Resist the urge to scowl, chide or scold people or speak ill of them in front of them or behind them. Refrain from complaining about your condition (hotel room, transport, soggy rice, mosquito bites) for these will distract you from your mission. Always, always, tell yourself why you are here – to seek Allah’s rahmat and barakah at His House, and to be in the company of Rasulullah s.a.w. And in the process of doing all these things, forgive and forget all small inconveniences, have patience in all matters and be single-minded in your objective.

7.                  Ask for everything, and supplicate for everyone

We all have countless needs and wants. We all want the best for our children, our families, our ustads (teachers), our friends and to a certain extent, all of humanity. Supplicate for everyone during your acts of ‘ibadah, and leave nothing unmentioned. Now is not the time to be shy. Allah tells us to ask Him, because He is ready to give, for this will not diminish him an iota. So ask for forgiveness, seek His Blessings and barakah, and keep asking until you cannot think of anything else to ask. When you reach that point, still ask!

8.                  Drink Plenty of Zam Zam water

It is only at Mecca and Medinah that we can get Zam Zam free of charge and in abundance.

It is reported that Rasullulah said:

"Zamzam water is what one intends to drink it for. When one drinks it to be healed, Allah heals him; when one drinks it to be full, Allah makes him full; and when one drinks it to quench his thrist, Allah quenches it. " [From Ahmad, and Ibn Majah]

So every opportunity you get, just drink zam zam. Fill your bottles with it. Give your children plenty. Keep reciting the do’a when drinking it, facing the kibla.

9.      Reflect

Whenever you get the chance, reflect on your experiences during your ‘umrah. Why did this special thing happen to me? Why did we face this challenege? What is the message from this incident earlier this morning?

Importantly, reflect constantly everyday after the trip. Do not forget the feelings and spiritual energy which you experienced during the ‘Umrah, and seek to remain in this state everyday until Allah gives you a chance to see His House and His Beloved again, insha Allah.