Bimillahir Rahmanir Raheem. Alhamdulillah. No words will ever do justice to the experiences and blessings I recieved being in the two holiest of lands that Allah ta'aala bestowed on mankind, in a blessed land with blessed people. Being able to study, and learn from people with so much knowledge, Subhana Allah! It was not a privelege I took lightly with out a thought, it is not something that insha'Allah will ever leave me, in spirit, in soul, in memory. May Allah allow me to come back insha'Allah.

When i first heard of the Seminar, Ibn Ali Talaab, I was so happy for my husband, subhanallah! So when I recieved the offer one single month before the trip, I accepted, though doubtful that everything would be able to be accomplished before the trip, with so much to do and so little time. Not only did we have to get the visas, I still had to get a passport so my infant son, then only three months old, could go with me. My husband was back at home, while I was 800 miles away with family, so everything had to be handled through the mail; no small feat with only a month to get everything done! But, Alhamdulillah, everything went very smoothly, in retrospect. We had all three passports the day before we left, and the tickets came the day we left, Alhamdulillah!

I had never been on an international plane trip before, actually had ridden on a plane only two months before that. I knew it would be hard with a baby, but subhanaAllah, i was so happy and felt so blessed to be able to say my first trip was to Medinah and Mecca, with such a wonderful group! I was so excited to learn all I could.

The trip went very smoothly and everyone was very accomodating on the plane, I wasn't even aware about the bulkhead seats and the bassinets, but someone was kind enough to switch with me so that I would have the bassinet for the baby. Alhamdulillah, such wonderful people. We started talking and had a great conversation across the aisle. Already someone to call a friend on the trip!

Stepping off the plane, my husband and I were celebrating our tenth anniversary-alhamdulillah, no better way could we have planned it, SubhanaAllah.

We went through customs, and everything went smoothly. So we stopped at the masjid to pray! I was so excited to take everything in. The masjid was a cool breath on a hot day, clean and quiet; a good chance to pray for thankfullness for bringing me on this journey, and to ask for protection of the children and family I left behind.

The journey from the airport in Jeddah to the hotel in Medinah was a long one, but it was a good chance to meet the people on our trip and look at the sights outside of our bus window. It was amazing to see a busy, vibrant city right outside, with so many western similarities. As Jeddah slowly faded away, as we would pass little villages, I began to notice a few things; that with every, there was a masjid, alhamdulillah to stop and pray. There was never any of the issues one might face in the U.S.; where to pray, wondering if it is clean enough, safe enough, quiet enough.

Having grown up in the Shenandoah Valley, in Virginia, mountains have always surrounded me. I was intrigued at first over the mountains one finds in Saudi Arabia. Truth be told, I didn't like them at first; I thought they looked "naked." As the time went on I don't know how I could have disliked them; they were beautiful, inherently old, with so much history. I imagined the prophets of old climbing them and taking the journey I was currently.

We reached Medinah late at night. I was tired, and hungry, and wanted to get out and stretch out. But I remember straining to see the Masjid from any angle. It was lit up very bright, but I could only a stray minaret here and there as our expert driver careened throught the city. It was so amazing to finally be here! I felt as if someone needed to pinch me because I certainly must have been dreaming!

After getting our room assignments and storing the luggage, my husband and I met up and went through the street entrance to pray at the Masjid an Nabbawi-the grand masjid, in which one prayer is worth 1,000 prayers! It was late, and quiet. And peaceful, so peaceful and cool and serene. I felt closer than I could ever have been before when I prayed this prayer.

Classes for the ladies were held in the Masjid, subhanaAllah, not even a gift for the men, but for us! Up, up, up the stairs to our class room. The classes were full of Hiqma, wisdom and knowledge, so many things I could implement back at home, insha'Allah.

The women with me on the trip were so amazing; I felt such awe to be with them. I felt we developed a strong bond that words cannot express with clarity my heart feels. I felt I knew them, more than we had known each other for only a little time, I felt as if I knew them, with out any reasons for such. We were there only for ilm, only for the sake of Allah ta'aala. Alhamdulillah.

Finally, the time at Medinah drew to a close. My roommates and I made our final prayers at the Masjid and boarded the buses, bound for Umrah and Mecca and more ilm, insha'Allah.

Again, we arrived in Mecca late, but alhamdulillah, it was worth it. I contemplated the relative ease in which we were traveling, compared to the same trip the Blessed Prophet, may Allah's blessings and peace be bestowed upon him, had made over fourteen hundred years ago. How was I to complain?

We arrived at our hotel, yet another 5+ star hotel, where there were drinks awaiting our arrival. The ladies sat down as the men figured out the confusion of the luggage and rooms. Until finally, alhamdulillah, we were ready for our Umrah. We had just missed the shuttle that would take us to the Masjid Al-Haram, but as it was only a few blocks away, we decided to walk. We couldn't see the Haram from the hotel, we had to walk a few blocks and then turn a little bit left. It was early morn, about an hour away from Fajr. When we rounded the corner, Subhana'Allah, there is stood, crowned and mighty in all of it's marble and light. This memory will stay with me forever, insha'Allah. As we stood there, taking in the glory of the masjid, subhana'Allah, the athan began to call. After standing there, we hurried on to make Umrah before Fajr.

Going in to the masjid, subhana'Allah, the direction we had been praying towards all along was right there! In that very place, the house of Allah, the house that Ibraheem (AS) had built with his son so long ago, a holy place that so many people had been blessed enough to travel to and now little old me, Alhamdulillah!

Umrah was good, alhamdullillah I pray it was accepted of my self and my husband (and Hamza-four months old and made his first Umrah alhamdulillah!), and all of our sisters and brothers. It was moving to think about the Sai'e, and the turmoil Hajar (RA) must have felt, striving to find the water for her son, subhana'Allah.

Medina was leisurly almost compared to the hectic schedule in Mecca, but masha'Allah, who can complain about our dear administrative team who had strived to bestow upon us ilm and ilm and ilm, subhana'Allah.

What a wonderful trip! Each site was better than the last, each Shaikh, subhan'Allah, so blessed were we to be with the most knowledgeable muslims, they strived their hardest to teach us so much.


We sat, screened with privacy while we learned at the feet of the scholars, and were even able to ask the questions we had always wondered, we were able to learn as much as they were willing to teach us, we only needed to let it in!

The women were also blessed with a special gift~the ability to study with women scholars, especially the women who were teaches at Umm Al Qura, the university in Mecca. They took the time out of their busy schedules and helped us to learn the Quran, and sat with us as we divided up in groups according to our skills in Arabic.

We bonded with them quickly. So, when it was time to say our good-byes during our last sesion with them, we were in a circle, and at least 95% of us were crying, tears streaming down. One of the teachers told us through an interpreter, said the words that will be with me insha'Allah in my heart for always, "Remember when things are dark, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We love you and will pray for you; pray for us and remember you are not alone!"

And finally, the time had come to say our good-byes and exchange our email addresses. The tears were shed, and chin up, it was time to go home, all the while making fervent prayers that this wouldn't be the last time in this holy land, next time, insha'Alllah, I will bring my family, insha'Allah, I'll at least be able to impart some ilm for my family, insha'Allah.

Alhamdulillah for this trip, Alhamdulillah for this opportunity, may Allah bless the administrative team that made everything go so smoothly who strived for only the best. Alhamdulillah.