By Neelam Rahim

A challenging yet spiritually uplifting journey for Brother Dawood, who shares his hajj experience with Radio Islam International.

Brother Dawood said his hajj’s highlight was getting closer to his deen. 

“We all carry our sins and have our wrongs. Since I have been here, I feel like I will be a way better Muslim than before I came here,” he says.

Brother Dawood said that he has tried to walk every step of the way as he needed it to humble him, and Alhamdulillah it did precisely that. The walk from Mina camps to Arafat was lovely until reaching the mountains, but unfortunately, he could not get to his base. Trapped in the heat with no resting place, Ml Zakariya found and guided them back to camp.

“I had minimal rest, but I was powered by Allah [SWT]. I felt strong every day, even though it made no sense as I had so little rest. This journey has humbled me in every way,” says brother Dawood.

Not having been to Saudi before, brother Dawood mentions that he landed in Madinah and was astonished that people had built such a beautiful creation.

“The size of the Haram in Madinah is astronomical. It was the largest congregation for Jummah that I have ever read. Madinah was one of the most spiritual and beautiful places I have ever visited.”

Brother Dawood adds, “From Madinah, we took a bus trip to Makkah. That was also an ordeal, but it’s all part of Allah [SWT] ’s test. On my arrival in Makkah, seeing the Ka’abah for the first time, I cried my eyes out. It’s an experience that I cannot describe to people. The emotions that through run your body at that time are spectacular and uncontrollable.”

“The spirituality in the Haram makes me yearn to experience it again one day.”

Listen to Radio Islam’s podcast below to hear more about brother Dawood’s hajj journey.