#virtuestour

[naderkhan]

En route to Madinah we stopped at the site of the Battle Of Badr, where an epic struggle took place 1,438 years ago on the 17th of Ramadan. The Madinans were a ragtag ill-equipped group of just over 300, with total submission to God, and with love for His beloved (ﷺ). They were up against a 1,000 strong army of warriors armed to their teeth, with an arrogant confidence in themselves. It was a rout. A unbelievable victory was granted to the Madinan army, and the pagan warriors of Makkah ran helter skelter. A large plaque near the battle site lists the names of the Madinan martyrs. Their cemetery is a short walk away. Shaykh AbdulKarim shared a few reminders with us there, and the lessons from it for our lives today. We prayed for the slain heros and for ourselves. On our way back to the bus, someone pointed out to us where the Makkan pagans lay buried, including a couple of their foremost leaders: Amr ibn Hisham aka Abu Jahl, one of the most arrogant leaders of the Makkan elite and the most zealous enemy of The Prophet (ﷺ), and Umayyah ibn Khalaf, another tyrant from the Makkan elite with deep hatred for The Prophet (ﷺ) and His message. Abu Jahl was slain by Abdullah ibn Mas’ud - a short, thin, dark skinned man from an “insignificant” tribe, and Umayyah was slain by Bilal ibn Rabah - the Abyssinian slave whom he had so mercilessly tortured to renounce his faith. Both Sayyidna Bilal and Sayyidna ibnMas’ud rose to towering heights of nobility. All nobility lies in loving The Prophet (ﷺ) and serving him. All debasement lies in hating The Prophet (ﷺ) and opposing him. We boarded the bus and continued towards Madinah. There was so much to take in at this stop. .__________________ . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at Badr Battle Field) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsme2YNg9QE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1orsy5e2unlut

[naderkhan]

Farewell tawaf. Before we left for The City of Light, The City of The Prophet (ﷺ), the beloved Madinah, we returned to the #Kaaba for one final tawaf, and bid farewell to The Holy House of God. We pray that it’s less of a “farewell”, and more of a “see you soon”. Ameen. . I took this picture just after I completed our final “shawt”, or circumambulating, alongside Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya. . “We are those who have come back to our Lord, and those who have repented, and those who have worshipped and praised our Creator and Sustainer. Allah has fulfilled His promise, and awarded victory to His servant, and He alone has defeated the forces of evil.” . “O Allah, You are peace, and from You comes peace. So keep us alive, our Lord, in peace. O Allah, increase this house in dignity, honour, nobility, and awe. And increase him who performs Hajj or Umrah in dignity, honour, nobility, and piety. .__________________ . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at The Holy Ka'aba الكعبة المشرفة) https://www.instagram.com/p/BshvGLagHSG/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=jpjqhao5sma7

[naderkhan]

We completed our last Umrah as a group on our last night in the blessed city of #Makkah. What came out of this trip, much more than performing the sacred rites together, was a #brotherhood that will insha’Allah last us a lifetime and beyond. .__________________ . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at The Holy Ka'aba الكعبة المشرفة) https://www.instagram.com/p/BshX497A2n7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1f5zghax7xfdx

[naderkhan]

This is the grave of Sayyidah Maymunah bint Al Harith. She married The Prophet (ﷺ) after his Umrah (lesser pilgrimage), some seven years after his migration to Madinah, when the Makkan tribes agreed to let him enter and perform the sacred rites. On the way back to Madinah, the caravan stopped in a place called Sarif, about 10 miles out of Makkah. The Prophet’s tent (ﷺ) was pitched under a certain tree there, and this is where their life began as husband and wife. She would only be with him for the next three years, after which The Prophet (ﷺ) passed away. Four decades later when her time was near, she gave very specific instructions about her burial. Many wives and companions are found buried in the Jannat Al Ma’ala cemetery In Makkah, where people visit their graves, pray for them, etc. She couldn’t care less about whether or not anyone would visit her, or tend to her grave, or pray at her grave, or any such thing. All she wanted was to be buried in Sarif, under that same tree where they had first consummated their marriage. There’s no tree there now. Bus drivers shuttling visitors face heavy fines if they‘re caught taking anyone there. But there she lies, undisturbed, her grave encloses by four walls, by the side of a dusty main road, in a sleepy little town that has taken the name Sarif. I saw empty itr bottles there - presumably from people who wanted to pour fragrance over her grave but, like us, could only view it from behind metal bars of a window in one of the walls. It seems these visitors just took the lids off of the bottles and tossed them over the walls on and around the grave. There were some fresh rose petals by the grave as well. . When we all heard her story, there was hardly a dry eye in the group. . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at قبر أم المؤمنين ميمونة) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsC5AbWgP8t/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rbi03p5ycmnv

[naderkhan]

A few pics of the teachers at #VirtuesTour1440 in their element. @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh Ibrahim Osi-EFa, & Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, at some of the locations along the tour. . @VirtuesTour #VirtuesTour #Mawlid #RabiAlAwwal https://www.instagram.com/p/BsB2lOkgRDF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1llswx35djfx6

[naderkhan]

This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries on #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years. So this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . I took this picture on one of our visits into the #HaramShareef after the initial umrah. The ambience was especially serene. Every worshipper had his or her own story written on their faces - of need, of concern, or gratitude, of returning, of heaviness, of joy - everyone had their own story, and for a little while some of these stories converged in this blessed moment and in this blessed space. . #BlessedTimes spent with #BlessedCompany in #BlessedPlaces. #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at The Holy Ka'aba الكعبة المشرفة) https://www.instagram.com/p/Br4eBAzgGqX/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=mfj4e8swpf2k

[naderkhan]

Throwing a #DesiGangSign with beautiful souls on the #VirtuesTour in Dec 2016. Photo courtesy of Mohamed Yahya with his passionate rendition to my right. Will really miss everyone in this picture during the first ten days of Rabī’ Al Awwal in a month’s time. https://www.instagram.com/p/CFbcrDpDthV/?igshid=6rxewndtnegr

[naderkhan]

For those following my posts on #VirtuesUmrah1440, sorry for the long gap since my last post. I’ll start sharing my experiences again from today insha’Allah. .__________________ . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 https://www.instagram.com/p/BwIDF88AlJF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=qp0md8zl0bbh

[naderkhan]

When things got busier for the crowd control police and religious police (religion control?), we were able to sit together with Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya for some Zikr and Salawat in the marbled precinct directly facing the Green Dome on the south side of the #HaramShareef. . It’s one thing to send Salawat to The Beloved (ﷺ) from the other side of the world. It was an entirely different experience to do so from merely metres away from his blessed tomb, (ﷺ). What made it even more real, was all the trips we’d made earlier in the day to some of the lesser-known blessed places in the area. This was real - *all* of it, not fables from someone’s imagination. Will post about some of those places in upcoming posts, insha’Allah. Of course, AlhamduliLlah, the blessed company of the lovers of The Prophet (ﷺ) - Shaykh AbdulKarim and all the other attendees - made everything even more special. .__________________ . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi المسجد النبوى) https://www.instagram.com/p/BuDCF4ugRZh/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1uahqwrd3ftti

[naderkhan]

Even though the Masjid Quba is currently within the city of Madinah, at the time of The Prophet (ﷺ) it was 6 km away, in what then was the village of Quba. The Prophet (ﷺ) first arrived here with his companion and beloved friend Sayyidna Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him.  We learnt that they arrived in Quba on Monday, either the 8th or the 12th of Rabi’ Al Awwal, fourteen years after The Prophet (ﷺ) first began to receive revelation. He (ﷺ) went on to Yathrib after staying in Quba for four days It’s debated whether this is the first purpose-built mosque after the advent of The Prophet (ﷺ), or if it’s “Mosque of the Companions” in Massawa Eritrea that was built by the companions who had migrated there a few years earlier. This masjid is referred to in the Qur’an in Surah Tawbah: “…certainly a masjid founded on piety from the very first day is more deserving that you should stand in it…” [9:108]  The Prophet (ﷺ) personally worked to lay the foundations, and later said about it: “He who purifies himself at his home and comes to Masjid Quba and offers two rakats therein, will be rewarded the reward of an Umrah (lesser pilgrimage).” [Sunan ibn Majah] We all arrived here on the bus with our guide Sidi Muhammad Faris, just in time for Dhuhr.  We didn’t get to spend nearly as much time here as we had wanted to.  But there were so many more blessed sited to visit that morning, and we had to keep our stop brief. This masjid hasn’t changed much from what I remember from my childhood.  I recall one specific visit with the whole family, when we stayed a while, and I enthusiastically kept knocking rakaat after rakaat — I think I nailed double digit Umrah rewards on that day! This day though, I had to suffice with a couple. .__________________ . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at Masjid Quba مسجد قباء) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtYneM9gKHB/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=iq1remc1djsj

[naderkhan]

This will probably be one of my most favourite pictures that I will have ever take in my entire life. I snapped this hurriedly and discreetly just as we came out of #JannatAlBaqi. . We had just visited the family and companions of The Prophet (ﷺ), and many of the righteous people who have come since then and gone ahead of us, and we prayed for them and for ourselves. . As we came out, we were met with this gorgeous late-afternoon spectacle. We were still on the ramp at the Baqi entrance that led to ground level. The guards were hurrying people out - they were closing the cemetery for the night shortly. They were also not allowing pictures to be taken from here for some reason, and were literally going through peoples’ phones to delete any pictures if they saw them take any. . I couldn’t let this moment pass without at least trying to capture it. I stood two of the brothers from our group on either side of me, and took this really quickly. . Balagh al-‘ulā bi kamālihi Kashaf ad-dujā bi jamālihi Hasunat jamī’u khisālihi Sallū ‘alaihi wa ālihi .. Through perfection did he attain the heights With his beauty did he dispel the night Oh! How blessed are all of his qualities Send peace on him, and his family (ﷺ) (Translation from #SoliloquyOfTheFullMoon by Noor Yusuf, Copyright 2016, all rights reserved) .__________________ . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at Jannat Ul Baqee) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtEzNp9AuMX/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1km7zk6iaonsl

[naderkhan]

Ānkh utthī, mohabbat né angdāī lī Dil kā sauda huā chāndnī rāt méń Unki nazrôń né kuchh aésā jādū kiyā Lut gaé hum tô pehli mulāqāt méń His gaze arose, and love began to stir awake. My heart was bartered under a moonlit night His eyes so utterly bewitched me That I was robbed of myself the moment we met. I fell asleep after departing from the site of the battle of Badr (see previous pic). In what seemed like a few moments of sleep, I was awakened by an excited “there it is”! My eyes popped open and I sprung up to the window without a thought. I saw the blessed green dome in person after 25 years, and I couldn’t hold back the weeping that burst forth. Something in me felt like I’ve finally come home after a long time. . We checked in at the hotel, quickly headed towards the #MasjidNabawi, and entered the marbled precinct from the southern side. Shaykh AbdulKarim began to recite a specific Salam that he had been instructed to by Habib Omer (@alhabibomar). It wasn’t long before we were approached and asked to keep it moving - as you can see, it was really crowded. . I had played this moment over and over in my head - all the songs that I’ve sung about him (ﷺ) around the world, ... what would I sing here? What’s my “set list” for The Prophet (ﷺ)? I found myself speechless and songless. At that moment I remembered the advice of Faisal Bhai - The Blacksmiths’ tabla maestro. He said “there’s places you pour out, and there’s places you drink up. Don’t worry about pouring anything out when you’re there. Just drink up as much as you can.” So I just kept repeating Salat Al Fatih. That first night was ... *very* special. It’s been almost two months since, and I can’t help but think about it several times a day. . .__________________ . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi المسجد النبوى) https://www.instagram.com/p/BstKuI2AEDq/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=znkjx035q1vg

[naderkhan]

This is the resting place of our mother Sayyidah Khadījah, and her eldest son with The Prophet (ﷺ), Sayyidna AlQāsim. . Theirs was the first resting place we visited in Makkah, at the Jannat AlMu’alla cemetery, before visiting those of other companions and many of the great men and women throughout the centuries buried in the cemetery. . Her remarkable life, her selfless service to all, and her specific spending of her possessions and her self for The Prophet (ﷺ), all of this would fill many pages. It’s not for no reason that she’s one among the four most perfected women. . . Her life ended after having endured a brutal man-made famine of The Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions, where they were sectioned off into what was effectively a concentration camp in a valley near Makkah. Given her prominent family and her immense wealth, she didn’t have to stay there with them, but she chose to do so. And in so doing, she shared with them in their hardship. She also spent her entire wealth in order to secure food and provisions for those around her, especially the children. Even though the blockade ended in three years’ time, its impact took a real toll on her health, and led to her demise. . May Allah inspire us with some of what He has gifted our mother Khadijah, of chivalry, loyalty, generosity, service, and love, all for The Prophet (ﷺ). .__________________ . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at Jannat al-Mu'alla) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bse1hIBgLq9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1h6kz9r4mfbh7

[naderkhan]

This 70mhigh granite hill, about 20km away from central Makkah, is #JabalArafat or #JabalRahmah - the mount of arafat, or the mount of mercy. The plain of Arafat that stretches out around it is where one of the integrals of #Hajj are fulfilled. We learn from our teachers that on the Day of Reckoning, the plain of Arafat will be stretched out such that this is where the entire event unfolds. . This mount is where our father Sayyidna Adam and his wife Sayyidah Hawra (Eve) finally found each other on earth, after searching for each other for some forty years after having descended upon her. Perhaps this means that even if you are the only two people on the planet and are literally made for each other, you will still need to spend time taking the means to eventually find each other. Here’s where I shamelessly plug one *really* good means towards finding your marriage partner #Matchbox (@yoursearchendshere). . The last time I was here was when I did Hajj in 1993, at age 17. Coming back here after all these years brought back many sweet memories. And seeing this place without the hundreds of thousands of hajj pilgrims around it, was a little surreal. . .__________________ . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at Jabal Rahmah (Arafah) جبل عرفة) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsebsXtgK3g/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=11tr2ut7pho95

[naderkhan]

This is a small, innocuous looking library just outside the #HaramShareef in Makkah. Something happened at this site almost 1500 years ago, that sent ripples through space and time. The stars in the sky seemed as if they were about to fall on a home that was once on this site. The thrones and palaces of kings in distant lands shook under them, and fires that had been burning for hundreds of years were suddenly extinguished. Sorcerers and their demonic assistants knew that it would no longer be business as usual from then on. Distant palaces of Syria and Persia were suddenly visible in this little city in the Hijaz for a few moments, as a blessed light shone in all directions. . Almost 1500 years ago, Allah sent forth His most beloved creation into this world, (ﷺ). Ahmad (ﷺ), the final prophet as foretold by every Prophet before him, had arrived. . When we first visited, I couldn’t contain myself. As we approached, I started singing “Jashn é āmad é rasūl!” (ﷺ), and everyone in the group joined in, massive smiles on our faces, and for some of us, tears streaming down at the same time. . We returned later in the trip well into the night - Shaykh AbdulKarim and I and almost all the brothers and sisters in the group - and there was hardly anyone else there. We sat in the dark, facing the library with a short wall to our back, and sang the entire Burda. Sidi Qudra, a Tanzanian brother in the group, was more accustomed to singing it in a faster tempo, and we were done in no time. Some of the chapters we couldn’t help but sing slower and relish the meanings. Can you guess which ones? . There was only one other place on this trip where singing the Burda was more beloved to me - that’s coming up a few posts later insha’Allah. .__________________ . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at مسجد الحرام - Masjid Al Haram) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsXCiHCA5YG/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=199r67ntmdnb2

[naderkhan]

One of the most amazing blessings on the #VirtuesUmrah, was the chance to meet blessed men of God, be in their company, and receive their prayers. Habib AbduBakr Mashhur (@alhabibabobakr), Habib Muhammad Saqqaf, Habib Umar ibn Hamid, and Habib Ubaydullah Attas. Later in Madinah we would meet Habib Omar ibn Al Hafiz (@alhabibomar) completely by coincidence. But I’ve long come to understand that such “coincidences” aren’t really that ... coincidental. . . The immensity of being gazed upon by someone who was gazed upon by someone who was gazed upon by someone, in an unbroken chain of merciful gazes all the way back to the gaze of The Mercy to The Universe (ﷺ), as some of our teachers have taught us, is a blessing to be sought after. And AlhamduliLlah we were blessed with what we received in the Haramain. . . .__________________ . This past #RabīAlAwwal, @VirtuesTour invited me and the rest of the #VirtuesTour team to the first ever #VirtuesUmrah trip. I hadn’t had the chance to visit the holy sanctuaries in #Makkah and #Madinah for #hajj or #umrah in over 25 years, so this was an intense trip for me. The company of @AmirSulaiman, Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahya, and all the attendees made it even more special. . #VirtuesUmrah1440 #VirtuesTour1440 (at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsUkz6lA_O9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=hy05i23bktks