Day 2 of this awe inducing journey, saw our first full encounter, the prologue that foundationed the love that we gained for this blessed, illuminated, peaceful city, madninah al Munawwarah.
This day presented the barakah of Allah, where time became slow and our experiences became abundant.
Knowledge, brother/sisterhood and an encompassing feeling of sakeenah.
The day started early, and many of us, spewing with adrenaline, went to the masjid pre-fajr, harnessing the barakah of the last third of the night as well as upkeeping:
– الصلاة خير من النوم
Prayer is better than sleep
We then experiences the beautiful Athan, and began our Fajr salah in Jama’ah, followed by Janazah salah (which we were taught by Sheikh Omar beforehand)
As this finished, the brothers, led via our Ameer Omar, hastened outside waiting for the bodies that were to be taken to baqi.
We had 2 goals in mind, to gain an understanding/experience of a burial in baqi, as well as gaining the reward of 2 Qirats, each the size of Mount Uhud (as learnt in day 1, reported by Abu hurairah bukhari)
Once the body was in sight, we were all rushing with the Jama’at gain some of the immense ajr that is tied with the janazah. From there we were exposed to the burial as well as filling of the grave. An absolute eye opening experience, Alhamdulillah.
From here until Asr Jamat we had free time to do our own ibaadah and activities as well as exploring this beautiful city.
Once all back after Asr jama’at, we left for the desert. Ariving at the desert after some fruitful discussions in the coach, it felt surreal to know that a desert like this, was walked on by the Prophet SAWS and/or the companions. It makes us feel that closer connection to the Prophet, to the seerah. We gained appreciation for the struggles and the story of the Prophet, that his journeys through the desert, He experienced this extreme heat, thirst, with no near markets or houses for seeking comfort and help.
To maximise this desert experience, YYT organised quad biking with us where we rode around with the other brothers/sisters for an adventurous experience alongside feeling the atmosphere of the desert – we realised how hard it must’ve been for the Prophet SAWS on a windy day with the sand clouds covering you head to toe. An amazing experience with the ikhwaan.
After the activity, we travelled to another part of the desert to beautiful tents where brothers sat together (sisters had their own cosy space) and after praying Maghrib and Isha in Jama’at, we shared chai and were hosted by a graduate of Medina, Sheikh Imran. 3 sheep were slaughtered earlier that morning, just for us to have an amazing fresh dinner, cooked and served all in the hands of the Sheikh, what humility may Allah bless him! He also gave a short naseeha on the responsibility we have as Muslims, referencing the struggles/duties of Prophet Ibrahim AS. Being the best of believers include being confident believers – as the coach of Mohammed Ali taught us. He gave real life experiences and stories on how he’s expressed his religion and we shouldn’t be afraid to.
He later even done a practical show on some of the moves he learnt.
To end this beautiful day, we all dug in to the delicious meat and rice, and then we all sat round around a fire and experienced that beautiful feeling of brother/sisterhood!
