Umrah journey to Saudi Arabia: My unforgettable spiritual odyssey

My heart lifted when the pilot of the Qatar Airways plane, flying from Doha to Saudi Arabia's Jeddah city, made a mid-air announcement. The Miqaat was approaching, which meant it was time for pilgrims to put on their special garments.

It was the evening of February 4 and I was about to embark on Umrah — a holy journey to Mecca which Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] and hundreds of first Muslims took in 629 A.D. from northern Medina province.

I had travelled from the United States, and after a long 13-hour flight, I donned my ihram, two white unhemmed sheets of towelling material, during my stopover at an airport in Doha. Once my second flight flew over the Miqaat, I made a mandatory verbal intention — Labbayka Allahumma Umratan [O Allah, here I am to perform Umrah], putting myself in a state of consecration in which certain permissible activities are prohibited for pilgrims.

In a few hours, the plane touched down on the tarmac of the sprawling Jeddah airport. At the enormous Saudi immigration desk, young female staffers donned in black head-to-toe abayas took fingerprints and stamped visitors' passports — a sign that the conservative Saudi Arabia is making strides with an increasing number of women in the workforce.

I along with my wife and seven-year-old daughter were soon rushing toward the gleaming station of one of the world's 10 fastest trains. The Haramain bullet train hurtled toward Mecca, exceeding 300 km per hour at times, and in an hour brought us closer to Islam's holiest site and the most important mosque — Kaaba and the Masjid al-Haram, or the Grand Mosque.

Since 2020, my parents and I have been dreaming of performing Umrah together. The Covid pandemic marred my plans for three consecutive years. And then my father's sudden death in Kashmir while I was continents away crushed me to the core.

Dealing with a parent's loss from afar can be truly heart-wrenching. Umrah was thus a much-needed journey for healing and solace. After many years, I finally met my mother and sister in Mecca. They had arrived a day before, and I was excited to be led by them into the divine realm of Masjid al-Haram.

Facing the Kaaba

The last time I cried hysterically was last year when my father, also my best friend and mentor, passed away. From afar, on a phone screen, I watched his final ablution, funeral and burial rites in Kashmir.

Then I stepped inside the Masjid al-Haram, humbly lowering my gaze until I stood in front of the Kaaba, the cubical structure gracefully adorned in a silk and cotton veil. The first sight of the Kaaba brought me to my knees, tears flowing freely. Feeling overwhelmed with emotions, I couldn't help but prostrate on the white marble floor.

Rising up, the sight of the Kaaba captivated my teary eyes. I was finally in front of the Bayatullah [the House of God]. I was seeing the Qibla — the direction I had faced all these years during prayers. I was looking at the structure whose foundation was raised by Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismael. I was near Hajr al Aswad [the sacred Black Stone attached to the east corner of the Kaaba] that billions of Muslims want to touch and kiss. All the stories I had heard and read about the sacred site raced in my head.

A strange feeling overwhelmed me as I joined tens of thousands of pilgrims — men in white clothes and women largely in black abayas — to circumambulate [perform tawaf around] the Kaaba.

It appeared as if all of humanity had converged at the sacred site — black, white, brown, Africans, Asian, Americans, Europeans — all orbiting the one structure in an anti-clockwise motion, stressing the unity of humankind under the lordship of the Almighty.

Tawaf, seven complete circuits, can range from 1.5km to more than 4.5km, depending on the size of the crowd and where one starts from. Walking in the outer ring of the Kaaba increases the distance, but is less chaotic. That's where one often finds elderly, weak and other pilgrims circumambulating in batches.

Inner circles, near the Kaaba, are always jam-packed. There is a chance of getting squeezed if not trampled. I found it comfortable to stay in the middle of the concentric circles of pilgrims and let myself go along the crowd's rhythm.

Once I completed my tawaf, it was time to offer two short prayers behind Maqam Ibrahim, or the station of Prophet Ibrahim, some 50 feet from the Kaaba. Mentioned twice in the Holy Quran, Maqam Ibrahim is a small square stone which Muslims believe bears the imprint of Prophet Ibrahim's feet. Prophet Ibrahim is believed to have stood on this stone during the construction of the upper parts of the Kaaba. Hence the imprints.

This stone — kept in a glass case and protected by a golden-metal frame — and the Black Stone are considered the oldest and most sacred landmarks in Islam, dating back 4,000 years.

During my visit, I was lucky to have seen the sacred stone multiple times. Pilgrims kissing the golden enclosure, which should be avoided, are often scolded by the watchful Saudi guards.

Next, tired and thirsty pilgrims drink the sacred water of Zamzam from the mini drums installed behind Maqam Ibrahim and some 66 feet east of Kaaba, where the well of Zamzam is located. One can see hundreds of Zamzam drinking stations inside and outside the mosque. About 25,000 containers provide Zamzam to pilgrims at any point of time.

The story of Zamzam has always riveted me.

Muslims believe the spring of Zamzam gushed miraculously, some 4,000 years ago, in the barren wilderness to quench the thirst of Hajar and Ismael, the wife and infant son of the Prophet Ibrahim, who were stranded in the desert.

Before the water emerged from the ground, Hajar ran seven times between the nearby hills of Safa and Marwa in search of water. With God's command, angel Jibreel dug through the sand and unearthed a well of water. As the water kept flowing, Hajra called out "Zam! Zam!" meaning "Stop! Stop!" in fear the water may run out. Hence the name Zamzam.

As part of Umrah or Hajj, pilgrims must replicate the struggle of Hajar by brisk walking and running seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwa. Seven trips back and forth, in what is known as Sai [Arabic for searching or walking], between the two hills amount to roughly 3.6 km. This was the hardest part for my daughter. For days, she could not hold back her complaints of "walking 150 miles." To ease her discomfort, I bought a wheelchair for her upcoming Safa-Marwa trips.

This ritual marks the culmination of one's Umrah journey. For men, the final step is shaving the head or trimming a small portion of their hair. Women usually trim an inch or less. Once you've shaved your head, you're no longer in a state of ihram, and all restrictions are now off.

The joy of reaching my Umrah journey's conclusion was overwhelming.

Exploring other sites

Then it was time to explore what was around or near the Grand Mosque.

Touching the premises of the mosque and dwarfing everything in its vicinity, the Clock Towers — world's largest hotel complex — is a Saudi government-owned complex of seven skyscraper hotels. Built on what was once a hill, its history traces back to an 18th-century Ottoman Ajyad citadel that was demolished in 2002. It offers breathtaking views of the Grand Mosque.

A site that captivates pilgrims in the premises of the mosque is what many believe is the spot where the Prophet Muhammad was born in 570 AD. The modest two-floor structure is painted in yellow and has been turned into a school and a library.

On its right is believed to be the hillock where Prophet Muhammad and some of the first Muslims remained under brutal siege and social boycott imposed by the polytheists for years together. Today, part of the hillock has been levelled to make way for new infrastructure, including roads and hotels.

The Mosque of the Jinn, one of the oldest in Mecca and nearby Jannatul Mu'alla — the main historical cemetery where several members of Prophet Muhammad's family including his first wife Khadija and two sons are buried — are must-see sites.

I also wanted to visit Jabal al-Nour [Mountain of Light] and the famous grotto of Hira where Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation of the Holy Quran. A Rohingya-Arab cab driver promised to take us there, but failed to show up at our hotel. During a brief conversation we had the day before, the man told me that around 250,000 Rohingya have been happily living in Saudi Arabia since the 1960s "with Pakistani passports."

It was ultimately a local Saudi cabdriver who agreed to show us important places around town. We began with Jabal Thawr mountain, some 8 km from Mecca, which houses a historic cave called Ghar Thawr. It was this grotto where Prophet Muhammad and his companion Abu Bakr took refuge in 622 AD during their migration to Medina while being chased by the pagan Arab clans opposed to Islam.

Our trip to the Valley of Mina brought us outside the premises of the famous Jamarat pillars, a significant site for Hajj rituals during which pilgrims must pelt the pillars, also called Stoning of the Devil. Further ahead was Jabal ar Raḥmah, a rocky granite hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, overlooking the vast valleys and settlements around.

This is where Prophet Muhammad gave his famous and farewell sermon to his companions.

The site is also revered by some Muslims who believe it to be the place where Prophet Adam and Eve reunited on Earth after their separation and exile from Paradise.

Saudi authorities have erected a pillar on the hilltop, cautioning pilgrims against praying or supplicating there because "Prophet Muhammad did not command us to take this mountain or the pillar as a place for prayer or supplication."

To conclude this part of the tour, we finally reached the base of Jabal al Nour, known for the Hira Cave where Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation of the Holy Quran.

Daunted by the dark evening, our already sprained ankles and 1,700 steps to conquer, we gave up the idea of summiting the mountain and instead decided to tour the Hira Cultural District at the foothills.

We stepped into the past at this modern cultural site and experienced the lives of prophets through audio-visual stories. The presentation dedicated to Prophet Muhammad's biography was gripping.

A few days later, we visited the vibrant city of Jeddah on the Red Sea, some 80 km west of Mecca.

Exploring its corniche area was truly delightful. Before reaching Jeddah, our cabdriver proposed that we visit a camel farm in the al-Jamum area along the highway.

We agreed enthusiastically and after a short time he led us to an unexpected yet charming desert area, surrounded by camels, their offspring, and the camel herders.

One of them even offered us fresh camel milk to drink. I tried it for the first time and noticed it was slightly thicker and sweeter than cow milk.

Tranquillity of Medina

After experiencing the bustling energy of Mecca, it was time to conclude our visit to Saudi Arabia with the serene peace of Medina.

Medina is in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and hosts the second largest and holiest mosque in Islam, Masjid al-Nabawi [The Prophet's Mosque], the tomb of Prophet Muhammad [under the iconic Green Dome], and Jannat al-Baqi, one of the two holiest cemeteries in Islam and a place that holds a special significance, being the resting place of Prophet Muhammad's kin and companions.

Mecca is a tough place. It exhausts you, physically. In contrast, Medina is tranquil.

The legendary city that provided sanctuary to Prophet Muhammad and the first Muslims has faced significant challenges in Islamic history and is thus treasured by Muslims.

The first and the key site for any pilgrim is Masjid al-Nabawi and the contiguous Green Dome built over the tombs of Prophet Muhammad and first two Rashidun caliphs Abu Bakr and Omar.

Barely an eye remains dry upon seeing the Green Dome, the tombs under it and Rawdah Riyad al-Jannah [Garden of Paradise], a small section near the Prophet's Tomb enclosure leading to his pulpit [Minbar Nabawi].

I was fortunate to explore and pray inside the sacred area twice in one day — thanks to the Nusuk app [the official tool for obtaining a permit] and then some kind-hearted Kashmiri pilgrims who were travelling in a group and had a spot available for one more visitor.

Masjid al-Nabawi was originally built by the Prophet himself, immediately after his migration from Mecca. In its early days, the mosque boasted a simple architecture with mud brick walls, supported by columns of date-palm trunks with an open-air courtyard.

From the Rashidun Caliphate to the Ottoman Empire, it saw numerous expansions, reflecting the changing times.

Today, Masjid al-Nabawi captures eyes and hearts with its elegant domes, minarets, sliding door courtyards, sparkling white-marble floors, green carpets, golden railings, air conditioning, and retractable umbrellas — all maintained by an army of janitors — ensuring an unforgettable experience.

Outside the premises of Masjid al-Nabawi are historic mosques named after the Prophet's companions.

I was overwhelmed by Masjid Quba, the first mosque in the world and Masjid al-Qiblatayn [the Mosque of two Qiblas], where Prophet Muhammad was commanded to change the direction of prayers from Al Aqsa in Jerusalem to Mecca.

The historic battle sites in and outside Medina also hold great significance for Muslims, drawing many visitors.

We visited the sites of the Battle of Badr, Battle of Uhud at the foothills of Mount Uhud, and the Battle of Khandaq [the Trench]. Journeying through these areas with a local guide was truly enlightening.

We left Medina for Mecca and performed another Umrah, walking the familiar path once again. Our entire journey of more than two weeks was uplifting and soul-stirring.

Visiting Islamic sites, meeting local people, and praying all along was like reliving those childhood stories told by our elders. For any pilgrim, leaving Saudi Arabia is tough.

It's bittersweet departing where it all began. With heavy hearts, my family and I bade farewell to the holy land with the promise to ourselves to return to its sacred sites.