1Umrah and Drawing Near to God

With time, and after Fawzooz had found inner peace through remembrance and glorifying God, the idea of performing Umrah began to visit him. Umrah had always been in his mind as a symbol of spiritual renewal and of drawing near to God, but only now did he feel ready for it. After all the spiritual experiences and personal challenges he had been through, he realised this journey would be an important milestone on his path. One evening, he decided to take the step. He sat with his family and told them of his wish to perform Umrah; they were overjoyed and supported him with all their love. Fawzooz began preparing with great enthusiasm. He felt this journey would not simply be the performance of religious rites, but a chance for spiritual purification and deep connection with God.

He began his journey with a visit to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. Standing before the Green Dome and seeing the Noble Rawdah, he felt deep humility and a calm that filled his heart. He sat in the Rawdah, raised his hands in supplication, and began repeating blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him: “O God, send Your blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions.” With every repetition he felt closer to God, and his inner peace grew. Those moments were the opening of his spiritual journey, and he carried that feeling of closeness to God and His Messenger with him as he prepared to head to Makkah for Umrah.

“With every step of the tawaf, the burden grew lighter.”

When he reached Makkah and saw the Kaaba for the first time, he felt something he had never felt before. The sight was overwhelming, and his heart filled with humility and awe. It was the fulfilment of a dream he had long carried. He drew near to the Kaaba, his eyes full of tears, and raised his hands in prayer. His heart overflowed with gratitude to God for granting him the chance to be near Him in the holiest place on earth. Fawzooz began the tawaf around the Kaaba. He circled and repeated his prayers, but this time they were different. He was not only asking God for worldly needs; he was asking Him for tranquility and calm, and to purify his heart of everything that kept him far from God.

With every step of the tawaf, he felt the burden he had carried on his shoulders for years slowly lighten. The tawaf became an inner journey, in which he put his thoughts and priorities back in order.

After the tawaf, he went to perform the sa’i between Safa and Marwa. Walking between the two hills reminded him of the patience and trust of Hajar, peace be upon her, and how God answered her prayer and gave her water in a barren desert. He felt that this walk was a living embodiment of the trust in God he had learned before. Every step filled him with certainty that God was always with him, hearing his prayer and helping him. In every moment of the Umrah, Fawzooz sensed God’s presence powerfully. He reflected on God’s mercy and generosity, and felt the doors of mercy and forgiveness opening for him. As he sat in the Grand Mosque after completing the sa’i, he felt his heart had become purer, as though God had washed it clean of every worldly worry.

On the night before his return, Fawzooz sat in his hotel room and took a moment to reflect on his spiritual journey from its beginning. He remembered every moment he had been on the edge of collapse, and how God had always been beside him, guiding him and giving him strength. Umrah was not only a religious experience for him; it was the crowning of everything he had learned about trust, remembrance and prayer. It was a chance to be renewed and purified once more. Before going to sleep, Fawzooz prayed to God deeply and sincerely. His prayer was full of gratitude and complete surrender. He asked God to protect his heart from desires and whims, and to keep him on the straight path, the path of faith and piety.

When Fawzooz returned from Umrah, he felt like a new person. His soul was purer and his faith stronger. He realised that this had not only been a journey to the Sacred House of God, but a journey into the depths of himself, where he found the inner peace he had long been searching for. Umrah had been a chance for spiritual renewal, and an important milestone on his way to God.