An Extraordinary Journey

the obligation of Hajj. When I arrived in Rawanda (Africa), I met a Muslim brother, Mohammed Soleman al-Qaid, and suddenly, the means for performing Hajj were arranged. In this matter, my situation was exactly as described by the poet in his verse: Khuda ki dein ka Musa se poochhiye ahwaal— Ke aag lene ko jaayen, payambari mil jaaye. ‘Inquire of Moses about the divine blessings granted to him by God He went to fetch fire but was granted prophethood instead’. It was my deprivation that I had not yet made plans for Hajj. I left my homeland for a different journey, but strangely and wondrously, God took me through Asia, Europe, and Africa and finally brought me to the sacred land so that I could attain the blessing of Hajj. Although I was the one performing Hajj, it was God alone who made it possible. No one else had any part in it. Finally, when I reached the Haram and set eyes on the Ka‘bah, it was a scene beyond words. Seeing the Ka‘bah and finding myself in its vicinity was such a profoundly divine experience that my pen fails to describe it. Upon receiving this unexpected blessing, my heart was filled with overwhelming emotions. Uncontrollably, I said, ‘O Allah, I had not yet made plans for Hajj in my life. It was as if I was content to die without performing Hajj. How extraordinary is Your grace that You saved me from this indescribable deprivation.”