May 25, 2012
I was at jumma today

I went to the mosque today to pray Jumma and as I sat listening to the khutba I couldn’t help but think back to a few months ago when I was sat listening to the khutba at the Ka’aba. I thought back to all those times I was at Mecca and also Medina. I thought back to the times I visited the holy cities and it filled me with sadness and longing.

I’ve been thinking about Mecca for a few days now. I went through some of my photographs from the grand mosque and each one evoked so many memories. I want to share some of my favourites with you. Clicking on the links will let you see them in better quality. Please don’t steal my photographs.

This picture is of visitors to Mecca getting ready to pray Jumma. The original post for the image is here.

This picture is of the door of the Ka’aba and pilgrims trying to reach for it. The original post is here.

This is my favourite ever photograph. I call it “A Whirlpool of Pilgrims”. The original post for it is here.

I don’t think there’s any place in the world that is like Mecca. It is spectacular beyond belief. There are so many wonderful things about the place that I can’t even begin to start to list them. The one thing that always sticks with me is that this is the exact same place that the most holy people in the history of Islam set foot. They walked the same steps that I walked. That fills me with joy but the most incredibly yearning to visit again.

May Allah let me and all of you visit soon, ameen.

11:19pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyM7-NLN
(Notes: 60)
  
Filed under: mecca photography jpeg islam muslim jumma travel saudi arabia 
March 10, 2012

Anonymous asked: What spurred on the decision to go abroad? and why ksa of all the places on earth?

Well… I’ve always wanted to travel. It’s been a bug I’ve had my whole life. After my masters finished I was finding it hard to find a job so I looked in to working abroad.

I was looking at the Far East or South America but, alhamdulilah, I’m really blessed in that Allah made my path towards Saudi. What attracted me was the fact that I could visit Mecca and Medina and the money there was the best in the world. Going there changed my life in numerous ways and many of them were for the better.

8:18pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyHmvvp3
Filed under: Anonymous ask me anything anon saudi saudi arabia ksa mecca medina travel far east south america 
February 20, 2012
Jumma at the Grand Mosque - Mecca The atmosphere is unbeatable. There are hundreds of thousands of people. They stand up in silence. The only sound you hear is of babies crying and for a moment there’s perfect silence. They wait for the imam to start. I prayed Jumma from this spot. When you stand up from Sajdah and look up for that brief moment the bliss that runs through you is indescribable. There’s nothing like praying here. It’s the best feeling in the world.

Jumma at the Grand Mosque - Mecca

The atmosphere is unbeatable. There are hundreds of thousands of people. They stand up in silence. The only sound you hear is of babies crying and for a moment there’s perfect silence. They wait for the imam to start.

I prayed Jumma from this spot. When you stand up from Sajdah and look up for that brief moment the bliss that runs through you is indescribable. There’s nothing like praying here. It’s the best feeling in the world.

2:33am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyGiEsSg
(Notes: 565)
  
Filed under: islam muslim mecca kaaba umrah travel saudi saudi arabia salah jumma photography photo jpeg 
February 19, 2012
In awe of the Ka’aba My favourite picture from this weekend.

In awe of the Ka’aba

My favourite picture from this weekend.

2:15am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyGeR6dM
(Notes: 249)
  
Filed under: Mecca hijab hijabi islam kaaba ksa middle east muslim saudi saudi arabia photo photography jpeg travel 
February 17, 2012
I’m home from Umrah

Alhamdulilah, I made it there and back in one piece.

It was phenomenally special. My shaved head got sunburn today. Al-Baik was tasty as always.

I prayed for you all!

8:28pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyGZkqdf
(Notes: 3)
  
Filed under: umrah mecca muslim islam pray 
February 16, 2012

Read More

3:50am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyGUlWsG
(Notes: 5)
  
Filed under: death Muslim Islam Mecca umrah fear scared 
February 15, 2012
I just hired a car

A brand spanking new Hyundai Elantra 2012. I literally peeled all the stickers off the car and it has that brand new car smell.

The steering is so smooth! Gotta love it.

We leave for Mecca right after Fajr. Hopefully we’ll get there at around Asr time. I can’t wait. I’m so excited!

4:45pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyGShZgd
(Notes: 3)
  
Filed under: car drive hyundai elantra new car smell love mecca travel road trip fajr asr muslim umrah 
February 14, 2012
I’m going to Mecca this weekend, in sha Allah

For the first time since August 25th. It’s been too long. I’ve had this longing to go back.

It’s going to be my last time before I head back to England.

I’m incredibly happy that I’m going but there’s this deep sadness too because I don’t know when I’ll get to go again.

Would you like me to pray for you whilst I’m there?

11:09pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyGQcH1X
(Notes: 11)
  
Filed under: england happy home ksa mecca sad saudi saudi arabia travel umrah islam muslim 
January 25, 2012

A new video blog where I talk about a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

12:44am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyFJffWw
(Notes: 60)
  
Filed under: teacher teach teaching video video blog family education university college classroom class drive ryan gosling movie film tumblr hair mecca stubble shave qatar car cars car show international car show 
January 23, 2012
I’m a terrible son

I go weeks and months without talking to my parents. Today the timer reset to zero. I woke up from a nap and my first thought was to call my mum.

I can’t remember the last time I called my parents. I think it’s been a few weeks.

It always breaks my heart when I talk to them. They’re both getting older. Mum was in an accident a few weeks ago and she’s still not 100%. My dad was complaining about his health too.

They were both so happy when I told them I’d be home in five weeks and three days. My mother asked me to bring a jai namaz (prayer mat) back from Mecca for her and some zam-zam water. My dad didn’t ask for anything. They both wanted me to just come home. I think they miss me a lot. The house is so empty with just the two of them living there now.

They’re going to go to Pakistan on the 22nd of March for two months. My cousin is getting married out there. My mum doesn’t have much family left there now and doesn’t think she’s going to be visiting all that many times again in the future. She’s not sure what to expect. I told her I was going to move out to my brother’s house when they leave. I didn’t tell her that I might not come back home after that.

Time to be less of a bad brother now and call my sisters.

11:22pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyFFwocV
(Notes: 13)
  
Filed under: son family mother father mum dad old islam muslim mecca pakistan travel wedding 
January 22, 2012
If you could travel backwards or forwards in time to any point in the past or the future… where would you travel to and why?

(try to tell me a time/place that isn’t of religious significance because I know most of my followers would say Mecca 1440 years ago)

6:02pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyFBQ0Ox
(Notes: 8)
  
Filed under: Mecca Islam travel time travel past future question why religion 
January 13, 2012

Anonymous asked: Pray salaat-ul-istikhara.

Coincidentally, anon, that is exactly what I plan on doing. I have so many things I need to make clear in my mind and I’m going to put them all on God, in sha Allah. I’m going to start tonight and I have a bunch of questions that I’m going to run through over the next few days. I’m hoping to go to Mecca for Umrah next weekend and I plan on utilising my time to maximise prayers and duas.

Allah is the only one who will never let us down. I’m putting everything on Him.

2:53pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyEiIjFa
(Notes: 4)
  
Filed under: Anonymous ask me anything istikhara prayer salat salah Allah Islam Muslim Mecca Umrah faith religion God 
January 12, 2012
It’s 7 weeks until I go home and I’ve been thinking about it constantly

I’ve been thinking about how it’s going to be.

You see, I’m really not liking Saudi at the moment and I want to leave but I don’t know what I’m leaving to. I don’t know what awaits me. Right now I don’t have the highest expectations of ‘home’. I don’t expect I’ll go there and everything will be magically okay. It wasn’t okay before I left for Saudi and I’m realising that it won’t be okay now.

Saudi isn’t my home either. I don’t belong here. It’s so hard being here. I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s like my whole life is on hold when I’m here.

I don’t have a home any more. I did for a while but not now.

The thing is… I can stay here and earn and save decent money and be unhappy or I can go home and sit around and mope and be unhappy. It all comes down to how I spend my time in England. I have ideas what I want to work towards but I don’t know if it’s possible.

I never used to think about the future. I never used to worry about it. My life was a ride that I was along for. Now it’s all I think about. I’m constantly obsessing about it. It’s like if I can figure that out everything will be okay. If I find a path to walk everything else will fall in to place. I know that’s not how life works but my mind is my worst enemy right now.

I’m broken; a wreck; a ruin. Everything is falling apart and unravelling and I have no idea how to hold on to things. I have no idea how to move forwards.

I’ve been praying to Allah to give me strength constantly. I’m putting it all on Him. I’m hoping to go to Mecca next week and I think I really need to go. I need to detach myself from this world for a while and try to get my head straight.

8:52pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyEfwwCJ
(Notes: 19)
  
Filed under: future thoughts saudi saudi arabia ksa home england crisis existential crisis Allah Islam Muslim Mecca 
November 17, 2011
What makes you happy?

This question has been on my mind an incredible amount these last few weeks and months. I really struggle to come up with answers to it. A lot of my happiness stems from other people which is something I need to change. I really need to find things that make me happy that are just about me.

There are a few things that make me happy like visiting Mecca or Medina (I’m overdue a visit to both!), running, reading, and learning new things that stick out but after that I struggle.

Tell me some things that make you happy.

9:30pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZVTONyC39QzL
(Notes: 48)
  
Filed under: happiness happy knowledge learn learning question reading running what makes you happy mecca medina