Due to the flight being cancelled at Baghdad, we missed our connecting to London and so were in Istanbul over night. It’s one of those where you see sunset and sunrise at the same airport and you know you have been there too long. Turkish put us up in a hotel and had dinner provided. It was a set meal,… Read more →
Balad They have been building up the area surrounding Balad, so I though the market looked smaller. But it looks more done up. I pray that those people who cannot have children are granted children through the sake of Sayed Muhammad. Samarra So at the checkpoint, they checked our bags, and I didn’t have my phone so went through. The… Read more →
I am not ready for this. I was going to visit my parents before coming here, and on the train to the Village, I was upset from then that I was going to leave the Holy Lands. We went to Abu Fadhil and it was quiet, there were people yes, but considering it was only a few days after Ashura… Read more →
Visited Furaat and we were outside Maqaam Imam Zamaane for Zohr and so went into pray salaat there. We wouldn’t have made it to BH in time and I was happy to pray there. Maghrib was at BH, and that is clearly my new spot this year. Nothing wrong with praying under the stars. I had never seen the… Read more →
After sleeping post Fajr, we went for Zohr at Abu Fadhil. We reached with 10 minutes to go for Salaat, and I got a spot in the 3rd row. This is how quiet it has become. When you donate money in the Haraam you sometimes get food vouchers to eat in the Haraam, and so we ate lunch there.… Read more →
Aamal and Majlis was in the hotel and it was timed well so that it would finish for Salaatul Jamaat. I didn’t time it well enough for Salatul Maghrib, and so didn’t make it inside to Abu Fadhil. The doors shut whilst I was still in the queue. Instead of trying another door, I just went to Baynul Haramain… Read more →
Fajr at Abu Fadhil, I managed to get space in good time, and left after Ziyarat Ashura. However, the sound wasn’t good where I was sitting for Salaat, so I moved where I was facing Qibla and the Zarih. Picturesque Views. Today I was going to rest, take it easy because tonight was the big one, the Night of… Read more →
After being patient to give our salaams properly, we went in to Abu Fadhil first. How can I describe what it was like to visit a man who was raised for this Day? How do I describe what his mother must have felt when she heard of his passing, because she knew if Abbas fell, then who was there to… Read more →
Sayedah Sharifa I have been fortunate to visit Sharifa daughter of Imam Hassan, and last time there was an hall in which to pray in, now it is literally only the Zarih. So you pray Salaat under the skies – my kind of Salaat. For those who are not well, ask in the name of Sharifa that they are healed.… Read more →
Masjid Kufa at Fajr time is calm, there are only a few groups and the air is just still. The weather is quite cool as well, so you aren’t dying under heat. You know how you see on the internet that the sky is black but is lit up by the lights in Masjid Kufa, it is exactly how the… Read more →