By Abdullahi Jamaa
It’s a capricious Wednesday afternoon in Nairobi, we have just checked into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on our way to Mecca, a journey of 5885kms to perform Umrah.
All our travel documents and pre-departure arrangements including tickets and Visas have been done, checked and rechecked on time by Amirah Travel, a professional Hajj and Umrah agent in Mombasa.
We boarded one of the aircrafts operated by Emirates, thanks to our host, Amirah Travel, there is nothing more pleasing than enjoying a comfortable travel. Comfort makes your journey undoubtedly easy and joyful.
Shortly we are on the skies and the screens in front of our sits display the distance and the travel time to our connecting destination, Dubai, which is 3560kms from Nairobi.
Lifetime Journey
Mecca, the Holy city of Islam, the birth place of our beloved prophet (SAW) is beckoning. As my travel agent calls it, to Mecca it is not just a journey but one of a lifetime.
The varied thoughts around this kind of religious travel is thrilling. In one moment you will think about all your life and how you will pray to Allah once you reach Mecca, in another instance and back in your mind you start arranging your endless list of Duas and wishes .
AlhamduLiLaah for me, one month before my travel I have done my part, watched a host of videos, reading countless Islamic articles about Umrah. Spiritual readiness is important before you embark on any religious activity.
Although I did my personal sacrifice to study about Umrah, later on-ground our travel agent provided a comprehensive onsite assistance including some printed materials regarding all Umrah activities.
With all my awe inspiring consternation about this journey of a lifetime plus endless thoughtful anticipations, we touched down at Dubai. From here Mecca is one final stop away, too close yet too far at 1850kms.
To cut the long story short, from Dubai we arrived at Jeddah, a strategic port city on the red Sea, a modern commercial hub and gateway for pilgrimages to the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
An enthusiastic team from Amirah Travel received us at Jeddah airport. Without wasting time we boarded a bus to Mecca ending our eight hours of comfortable flight time.
Snaking hills
Before I forget, we are already in Ihram state, having done our preparations and intentions at on-air Meeqat as announced by the captain. This is an initial important stage of Umrah and a must for every pilgrim.
Mecca is nearly two hours away from Jeddah by road. We immediately hit the road, a highway with all the hallmark of Saudi Arabia’s wealth and prowess. A modern infrastructure that makes the road trip enjoyable too.
On the roadside there are the snaking hills, dotting the desert with seemingly hard rocks and endless valleys, picturing Islam’s most historical places in a special way. Towns along the highway are so modern and well built.
We arrived at blissful and blessed Mecca on a chilly Thursday morning. The cold weather of this season is a rare occurrence in most months of the year. It was however a courteous weather especially for physically exhausting activities of Umrah.
We unpacked, had a deserving few minutes of rest at our hotel located along Ibrahim Alkhalil street, named after Prophet Ibrahim (AS) who in Islamic scholarly parlance is regarded as the father of Tawheed .
Shortly we are off to the grand Mosque, the seat of Islam that houses the Alka’aba, a historical structure elegantly covered with an enormous cloth of black brocade, the kiswah.
In two hours time we were done with Umrah, which in Islamic terminology means paying a visit to Ka’aba, performing Tawaaf (circumambulation) around it, walking between Safaa and Marwah seven times among other activities.
While doing Umrah , a Muslim is blessed with constant amazing feelings, spiritual sensations, it’s usually a personal choice for one to offer more righteous acts including a great deal of tawaaf, reading the Holy Qur’an, pray, give charity and do other acts of worship.
Apart from mosque activities, worship formalities and routines, what makes Amirah’s Umrah package memorable is their organized sightseeing ‘Ziyara’ around Mecca and Medina the two holy cities that define in date and data Islam’s inception.
Mecca is truly iconic, a place full of love and life where Muslims from around the world and from different social and cultural backgrounds visit to reconnect with their religion, many for the very first time and few for many times.
The tour around the two cities are ideal for every Muslim who would like to witness the past of Islam. It is a great opportunity to visit ancient structures that still exist today reminding Muslim worshipers the personal sacrifices and struggle that the early Muslims made.
Mecca is particular amazing, dotted with so many hills and ancient sites, it offers more historical Islamic anecdotes. It has a pristine landscape that defines the pains and gains of the prophet (SAW) and his obedient companions as they spread Islam to the world.
The Amirah team provided a religious scholar with a great knowledge of the history of Islam. We visited a number of places in Mecca including the cave of Thawr, Jabal Rahmah, Masjid Al Jinn in Mecca, while in Madina we made a deserving dedication to the Prophet’s Mosque, Jabal Uhud, Masjid Qiblatain among others.
Here is a brief description of some of the historical places we visited.
The Cave of Thawr
Jabl Rahma (Mount of Mercy)
Masjid Al-Jinn
Jabl Uhud (Mount Uhud)
Masjid Qiblatain
The Amirah experience
The unforgettable Umrah trip with Amirah Travel lasted for about 10 days. Days that had put fresh impetus into my life, rejuvenating my faith and of course raising my spiritual aspirations a level higher.
It is amazing experience to do Umrah with a professional agent. With their affordable Umrah package and a near-perfect arrangement, doing Umrah is no longer a reserve for the super wealthy.
With a little hard-earned halal income, I highly recommend a worthy visit to Islam’s holiest cities and with Amirah experience you will surely make a lot out of your spiritual journey.
