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Day 3 at Al-quds
We start with reasons....
There are many to relate by what I feel we leave behind is this....
Umm Salamah (ra) relates that the Prophet (saw) said, “If anyone puts on Ihram for Hajj or Umrah from Masjid Al-Aqsa and then proceeds to the Sacred Masjid (Ka’bah), their past and future sins will be forgiven, or they will be entered into Paradise”. (Abu Dawud)
Zaid Ibn Thabit (ra) reports that the Prophet (saw) said, “How blessed is Al-Sham”! The Companions (ra) asked, “Why is that”? The Messenger (saw) replied, “I see the Angels of Allah spreading their wings over Al-Sham”. Ibn Abbas (ra) added, “And the Prophets lived therein. There is not a single inch in Al-Quds (Jerusalem) where a Prophet has not prayed or an Angel not stood”. (Tirmidhi, Ahmad)
Abdullah Ibn Umar (ra) reports that the Prophet (saw) said, There will be migration upon migration. The best of the inhabitants of earth will reside where Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) migrated (Jerusalem)”. (Abu Dawud)
we wake up early again... Down to the old city passing though the gates crossing Israeli soldiers I arrive at the gate of the mosque, Jamshed one of our group member with a big beard has been stopped by israeli asking him if he was a Muslim? Well he what can I say, arguments are many but any ways, yes he is and we leave after they record his passport number.
We pray pre-dawn prayers and and in bidding fare-well to the masjid are over come, if it is the taking of pictures or starring at the building all that becomes irrelevant as it is the place and it's holiness that we are going to miss.
We sit in the mosque for a time while I head back to the hotel to change in to my "Ihram" (two pieces of White cloth a Muslim wears when going for pilgrimage to Mecca)
We have our break fast... We have to leave by 9:30am for the border.. A final hone call to the wife to keep her updated. I haven't spoken to her in all the emotions there is so much to tell her that I start to miss her but home when I am... I will mention when I better understand the feelings.
By the time we head back to the mosque to proclaim our intention and are back for the bus to take us we are late and we leave at 11:00am to face a traffic jam on the highway to border.. We pass the Maqam (passing place) site of Prophet Musa a.s ( glory be to Allah the holiness of this Place... I am so much in love with it)
Our flight to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia is at 5:30pm and at 12:00 we are still on Israel at 1:30 we reach the border pray or travellers prayer.. combining two prayers.
we this time are delt with courtesy as can be given to Muslims travelling on GMT ( general Muslim time). May be because we were leaving Israel,I mean do they really want us?
We cross the border into Jordan... Thinking all will be ok when we are healed for another hour by them. This time to my utter disbelief I am held up again...for more questioning.. ( I wish they would update their communication system,same old story ( my name is similar to a trouble maker - and he is wanted by Interpol ) what have I gotten into? I mean this is getting beyond funny now. Imagine sitting in Ihram in an office with stacks of papers and clutter the immigration going though my details...
At last we are through.
Time 3:30pm we leave the Jordanian border our flight from Amman airport Is at 5:30pm and it is an 2 hours drive.
Well we do reach 45 minutes before take of and are rushed into seats our luggage meats us brought by hotel staff...
We start our journey...
Labbayka allahuma labbayk.. Labbayaka la shareeka laka labbayak..inal hamda wal naímata kaka wal mulk..la shareeka lak
"I am here at your service O Allah, I am here at your service, I am here, you have no partner, I am her, verily all praise grace and dominions are yours and you have no partner"
We fly towards Mecca....
sheikh Yaqoob Our group leader shares some thoughts with me...
The thoughts of the group are obvious, our scholars have been preventing the people in general against travel to Palestine thinking the travel of the masses supports Israel.. We saw first hand the suffering of the Palestinians., the business they work the lives they live, the children running in the street live oppressed,the elderly have given up work early and take it upon them
Selves to protect the mosque from the govt.( a few years ago a digging attempt was sabotaged by the Palestinians to shake the foundation of Al-Aqsa mosque.. ( I have seen this for my self)
The saddness is that we as ummah (Islamic civilisation) as a whole have failed Palestine.... Why I ask? Why can't we make it a point to visit or holy land to go and see for our selves what goes beyond the news channels. The people in Al-Quds needs us. Rather we need them more than any so lets support them, a holiday for umrah should start from there, it has got a Hadith to support it, if we are their in forces our help their will support the local palestinians....Do they not have the right to live free? Or our holidays in europe are more dear to us?
I for once will go again... Life permitting inshallah....
- comments
Asma Sad indeed that another brother is needed by Interpol :( Wify misses you as well and is damn bored over Easter holidays. I wanna go to Palestine as well ;(
sarah love the blog,already learned so much from it very nice i must say.ps, dont forget to pray for me :)