Humaira and Doctor Zayn left home a little before midnight. It was a heartbreaking experience to step out of the house at that hour. It was like she was leaving her life behind her, not knowing whether she will come back to it again or not. The duas of travelling are a big gift. They let you face reality as it is and yet make you hopeful and optimistic. So when was about to leave, she recited these words:

'Allahumma antas-sahibu fis-safar wal-khalifatu fil maali wal ahl…'
(O my Allah you are my companion in my journey and you are the protector of my property and my family).

Just then, Humaira felt like some unseen hand was putting a soothing balm on my heart. Instantly she felt cheerful and it seemed like there was nothing to worry about except for the acceptance of Umrah. She began to look forward to all that I will see and experience but mostly I wanted to feel the pure faith, the pure love and consciousness of Allah which I had always yearned for.

The flight to Jeddah was comfortable and the best thing was the awesome experience of seeing dawn stripping apart the curtain of darkness. Her glittering eyes were glued to this miracle and her heart wondered:

'Does this happen every day? Or is this an extraordinary way of Allah to tell us that a new dawn had come in our lives… which will tear apart the curtain of unawareness?'

They reached Jeddah in the bright shining new day. However, fate made it that it was the same airplane but the couple missed each other.

However, they had to wait several hours before we could move on towards Makkah. By that time Zainab was quite exhausted from lack of sleep and the heat of the desert was also making her very drowsy. Therefore she couldn’t enjoy the drive as she had imagined; rather drifted off to sleep every now and then and would be reawakened by noises and jerks! This went on throughout the drive but Khalid's presence offered her little comfort.

Finally, the plane landed and they were already in Makkah. Stressed and tired, Zainab and Khalid went to the hotel room booked well. It was one room. It was two different rooms facing each other just like how it was at home in Nigeria.

Although, Zainab always had the excitement to travel out as well as, to visit the beautiful places. She'd read about everything in a small pamphlet in her hands. Zainab was already tired. Immediately she got into her hotel room, she fell on the soft, cozy bed and slept off.

Humaira too had planned to pray immediately she gets there but this time, she couldn't stop thinking about two things; Bed and sleep.

Thus she was not able to perform Umrah that night. Feeling immensely sad and disappointed for not being able to accompany everybody to the masjid, Humaira just managed to offer my prayers in my hotel room and fell on the bed… Thus her second lesson of Hajj was patience and endurance. She had expected things to happen in a certain way because of our limited knowledge and vision, but she forgot that Allah gives us things in a much better way, due to His limitless knowledge and vision.

So we must have faith in him in order to protect our hearts from being impatient and ungrateful.

Meanwhile, Doctor Zayd got into his room as well. The room Zayn booked was on the sixteenth floor so, it was in the same hotel but they didn't meet.

Zainab woke up in the middle of the night at the sound of a most beautiful Azaan which seemed like coming from just outside my window. Just then, she realized that it was the call for Tahajjud… and her heart seemed to jump with joy, just to think that she was going to see Kaaba for the very first time in her life. She just couldn’t bear to be separated from it anymore… so despite the fact that the headache and nausea of the previous night was still hurting her, she got ready to go.

The walk to the masjid was hardly 5 minutes but it seemed like a long journey because of her urge to reach there at once! There were couple of people on the streets rushing forward… like a river of human bodies flowing in the same direction.

Humaira was scared yet thrilled to be a part of that great big family… brothers and sisters followers of the same faith.
So, her third lesson of Umrah was of Islamic brotherhood… it was awesome to think that I was not just a mother or sister, but rather she was a part of this universal family which transcends geographical or cultural boundaries…

When they entered the masjid Zainab felt so confused because she had expected that the moment she will step inside she will see the Kaaba but all Zainab could see were pillars and yet more people all around, about hundred of thousands. There was a section of women nearby so Zainab went and sat with them because the Azaan of Fajr had started by that time.

Although she was a bit disappointed for not having seen the Kaaba so far, but my heart lifted at the thought of praying my first ever salat in this great masjid. But as soon as the prayer ended, Zainab felt a wave of nausea rising in her throat and she realized that in her hurry she had forgot to bring along my bag. So she asked the woman next to me if she had any plastic bag but she had none.

Feeling immensely grateful and relieved, Humaira joined Zayn and they started walking… step by step she followed him; her eyes glued to the front, looking out for that first glimpse of the Kaaba. And there it was at last… so beautiful, so attractive, so dignified and majestic… like a most magnificent jewel placed in the middle of an ocean of people circulating around it in complete adoration. As her dark eyes absorbed the mesmerising sight, her poor heart made its most passionate dua.

In the very first moment Zainab had this great tide of awareness washing all through her heart and soul that if the house of Allah can mean so much to everyone. "Then, how beautiful must be Allah…!!!" Zainab wondered, staring at the gravely place. "If my heart is moved to such an extent on seeing a building then what will be the state of my heart when I will see Allah in the hereafter?" She concluded.

Hearing her say these, Khalid chirped in.
"I learned a lesson today. That Allah has kept Himself hidden from us but shown us His marvellous signs so that we might love Him. That is why Allah made Kaaba so special, that is why people love Kaaba so much. No wonder they yearn to see it. They return to it again and again if they can… because it is like a magnet towards which the heart pulls with a great passion…  But the real and ultimate objective of our heart is the love and adoration of Allah." He muttered.

"Yes, Khalid." Zainab replied him. "This is the first time you ever say something reasonable."
She glaced at him but he chucked at her look. She couldn't help but to let out a loud blush.

People around turned to them and Zainab went quite, cupping her mouth with both hands as if she was trying to say, I'm sorry.

***

"Pilgrims circumambulating the Kaaba in Mecca." The Umrah tour instructor explained.
"In accordance to the Shariah (Law of Islam), for both pilgrimages, a Muslim must first assume Ihram, a state of purification achieved by completing cleansing rituals, wearing the prescribed attire, and abstaining from certain actions. They visited many places and reached the Miqat, a principal boundary point in Mecca, like Dhu 'l-Hulaifah, Juhfah, Qarnu 'l-Manāzil, Yalamlam, Zāt-i-'Irq, Ibrahīm Mursīyah, and a place in Al-Hill." He explained.

Different conditions exist for air travelers, who must observe Ihram once entering a specific perimeter in the city so that morning, so, Zainab and khalid observed the Ihram together in the holy mosque. So did Humaira, doctor Zayn and other Muslims that were there.

"Umrah requires Muslims to perform two key rituals, Tawaf and Sa'i. Tawaf is a circling round the Kaaba. For men, it is recommended to do the first three circuits in a hurried pace, followed by four rounds of a more leisurely pace." He went further as they followed. "This is followed by Sa'i between Safa and Marwah in the Great Mosque of Mecca, a walk to commemorate Hagar's search for water for her son and God's mercy in answering prayers. Pilgrims conclude the pilgrimage with Halq, a partial or complete shortening of the hair."
They and others that cane for Umrah followed him as he explained. Understood or not, Zainab and Khalid took pictures of the ancient building of the history being told.

"Umrah is sometimes considered the 'lesser pilgrimage', in that it is not compulsory, but is still highly recommended. It is generally able to be completed in a few hours, in comparison to Ḥajj, which may take a few days. It is also not meant to be interpreted as a substitute for Hajj. However, both are demonstrations of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their substain clarification needed to Allah (God)." The tour guard expanciated.

Some we're scribbling down somethings in their Jotterpads while others were taking pictures. Well, it was a lovely sight indeed. After hours of touring, They went back to the mosque to perform a congregational Zuhr prayer before going back to the hotel room to rest.

So, both Zainab and Khalid, Humaira and Zainab were in the mosque at the same time but destiny made it that they didn't meet. Zainab and Khalid were one out of the thousands of people that went for Umrah.

***

On Sixth Last Day of Umrah...

"It is said that praying in the Prophet’s Mosque before returning home; The prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said; "One Salat offered in my mosque is superior to 1,000 Salats offered in other mosques except Al Masjid Al Haram."

"Wow! I never knew you to be a religious dude." Zainab snuggled at him

"Sure, I'm not religious but that doesnt  mean I know nothing about my religion. And... I read somewhere that the Prophet (PBUH)'s burial place is marked by a bright green dome in the southeast corner of the mosque." He pointed out on the pamphlet he was holding. "Here! Should we visit there right away or?"

"No... I'm kinda sleepy right now." She scratched her eyes like a baby.

'Ugh! You're such a lazy girl." He hissed at her.

"Whatever! We can visit there tomorrow or next tomorrow. What's the rush?" She asked as she grabbed his arm. They went into their hotel room to have a rest.

Later in the evening, they prayed and took pictures. After that, they visited other beautiful restaurants and eat sweet, delicious foods, drinks and snacks.

On their way back. Zainab asked Khalid to take her back to the mosque.

"It's going to be our last night here, Khalid. Let's use the little time left to pray, and offer tajjud."

"But I'm already tired Aliyah..." He mumbled like a tired cat.

See who's calling someone lazy? You're as lazy as f***! Khalid closed her mouth before she could complete the last word.

"What's it?! Zainab pushed him away."

"You shouldn't dare say such words here. You're not in Nigeria my dear."

"Hmmm? Tell me more." She hissed at him sarcastically and walked away, towards the road leading to masjid Al- mukarramah masjid.

***

Words and Translations

-Madinah: Located 400km north of Makkah, Madinah (Medina) is the second holiest city in Islam. After learning of a plot to kill him, Mohamed (PBUH) and his followers left Makkah and entered Yathrib, which welcomed them. He renamed it Al Madinah.

-Masjid: Mosque.

-Du'a : Prayer.

-Masjid Al- Mukarramah: The holy mosque.

-Shopperholic: Someone that shops for live.

-Jalabbiyah : A long piece of cloth worn by Muslim men or women. Also known as Jalbab.

***
Omg! I literally misplaced the book is scripted this chapter. Too bed... I just had to make things up. Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading? If there's any mistakes or anything you want to add or ask. Feel free to d.m me.