A Winter Pilgrimage Journey

 Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik! 

Around 2015, Medina’s mom, Rossy,  and I decided that we will go for umroh (little hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina), if both of us graduated from our doctoral studies, to express our gratitude to Allah without whom I feel we would lose our sanity in this academic struggle in a long and winding road.

At that time, we just moved from Norwich to Bristol (UK). Rossy just started her PhD at UWE Bristol and I kept struggling finishing my thesis atu University of East Anglia in Norwich.

Alhamdulillah, I finished my study and attended my graduation day in May 2018 and returned to Jakarta in late August 2018.  Rossy submitted her thesis and returned to Jakarta in mid 2020 (the time lockdown was applied worldwide and PCR test was extremely expensive). Pandemic happened and we waited in obscurity while at the same time saved some money for the trip. 

Two years have passed.  And finally the three of us flew to Medina, and later Mecca, in December 31, 2022,  and we started the first of January 2023 in Medina. “It’s magical!” said Medina, our lovely daughter when the first time seeing Masjid An-Nabawi with its beautiful “umbrella”. “I am now inside myself”, she added, LOL.  Alhamdulillah we could visit the grave of our beloved Prophet Muhammad and entered Raudah and make prayer there.

We were in Medina for 3 days and went to Mecca on January the 3th. We did umroh three times. Medina (11 yo) did not complain at all for walking and walking while doing Thawaf (circling Ka’bah 7 times) and Sa’i (walking from Shafa and Marwa back and forth for 7 times). What a pious kid! 

And not coincidentally, the third pilgrimage coincided with our 23rd wedding anniversary, 6 January.

So, Happy anniversary, my dear Bidadari Cinta.

I don’t believe “till death do us part” thingy, since we do  believe the afterlife. So hopefully, Allah will grant us happiness, peaceful life in this world and in the hereafter. I wish Allah will reunite us, and our beloved ones, in Heaven.

And I hope I will become a better husband, a better

dad, and better human being.

Amien.

Bonus: after doing the farewell Thawaf, we managed to touch the Kiswah and even kissed the House of God. Alhamdulillah.

We will return for the Hajj (please make dua for us, the waiting list is unbelievable). And for praying inside Hijir Ismail, and for kissing the Hajar Aswad.

For other #umrohstories follow this hashtag and stay tuned for my blog ekkyij.blogspot.com 

More pictures: