note: the verse mentioned in italics is #144 of Surah Al-Baqara in the Holy Quran.
"Indeed We see the turning of your face to heaven, so We shall surely turn you to a qiblah which you shall like..."
Yesterday I called a friend who was on his way to the Masjid-e-Haram for Isha prayers. I had selfishly called to be part of what everyone is experiencing subhan Allah. I'd immensely missed the Haram throughout Ramadan, constantly dreaming of myself in various situations linked to prayer there.
Nothing prepared me for what I heard yesterday. The adhaan over the phone. That did it for me. It was the resolution of the emotional eddy I felt myself twisting in for so many days, months now. Subhan Allah. The Haram adhaan that I heard over TV every day was nothing, absolutely nothing compared to hearing it, so seemingly close to me.
Being silent through the adhaan, I hung up as soon as it was over, SMSing my friend thanking him for letting me experience that.I left my phone after that, not knowing he'd call back. He left a message on my voicemail: a recording of the Isha salaat.
"...Turn then your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever you are, turn your face towards it..."
I was left with an indescribable, almost physical ache to be there, there with the qiblah right in front of me for me to see, over and over again. Not knowing when I'll go there next left me strangely haunted.
Previously today I found myself explaining to someone that the word awesome has been hackneyed by chewing-gum twanging adolescents to the extent that it becomes over-rated where applied with most accuracy. Seeing the Haram is awesome. Finally being able to see the qiblah the entire Muslim world turns to for prayer. The constant tawaf around it by all those striving to please their Lord.
The most gratifying feeling throughout salaat in the Haram was being able to look up to see my qiblah before my eyes and not have to imagine it to be there; each time, everytime. The one place looking up does not distract one from ibaadah.
"...And those who have been given the Book most surely know that it is the truth from their Lord; and Allah is not at all heedless of what they do."
"Indeed We see the turning of your face to heaven, so We shall surely turn you to a qiblah which you shall like..."
Yesterday I called a friend who was on his way to the Masjid-e-Haram for Isha prayers. I had selfishly called to be part of what everyone is experiencing subhan Allah. I'd immensely missed the Haram throughout Ramadan, constantly dreaming of myself in various situations linked to prayer there.
Nothing prepared me for what I heard yesterday. The adhaan over the phone. That did it for me. It was the resolution of the emotional eddy I felt myself twisting in for so many days, months now. Subhan Allah. The Haram adhaan that I heard over TV every day was nothing, absolutely nothing compared to hearing it, so seemingly close to me.
Being silent through the adhaan, I hung up as soon as it was over, SMSing my friend thanking him for letting me experience that.I left my phone after that, not knowing he'd call back. He left a message on my voicemail: a recording of the Isha salaat.
"...Turn then your face towards the Sacred Mosque, and wherever you are, turn your face towards it..."
I was left with an indescribable, almost physical ache to be there, there with the qiblah right in front of me for me to see, over and over again. Not knowing when I'll go there next left me strangely haunted.
Previously today I found myself explaining to someone that the word awesome has been hackneyed by chewing-gum twanging adolescents to the extent that it becomes over-rated where applied with most accuracy. Seeing the Haram is awesome. Finally being able to see the qiblah the entire Muslim world turns to for prayer. The constant tawaf around it by all those striving to please their Lord.
The most gratifying feeling throughout salaat in the Haram was being able to look up to see my qiblah before my eyes and not have to imagine it to be there; each time, everytime. The one place looking up does not distract one from ibaadah.
"...And those who have been given the Book most surely know that it is the truth from their Lord; and Allah is not at all heedless of what they do."
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