Umrah to Mecca
as’salaamu alaykum,
Inshallah this Thursday I, along with 130 members of our community, will be leaving to visit Mecca and Madina with the intention of performing the Umrah. Alhamdulilah, this is the seventh year that we will be taking a group of our community members to perform this journey and I pray that this year is as meaningful and beneficial as the last four.
As I make my final preparations for this trip, I would like to ask all of you that if you have a need for a specific du’aa request, to please let me know as soon as possible by clicking here and filling out this form. As always, each of you has a place in my prayers whether you send me something specific or not.
This time of year has become strange for me. With the excitement of this trip comes the realization that soon after will come the end of the semester and, with it, another group of you will be moving on to another phase of your lives. It’s exciting to think about where you will end up, but it is bitter sweet as the cost of it is not being able to see and spend time with each of you as much I would like to. At times I wish I could sit down with each of you and tell you how grateful I am to have you in my life alhamdulillah. I have learned and benefited from being in this community for almost 16 years now and this community would not be what it is without each of you in it. It would not be possible for me to make this journey and not remember each of you every step of the way. If I have ever hurt, offended, or wronged any of you, please let me know what I can do to fix the harm that I might have caused. I will do my best to make things whole again and will ask Allah to forgive myself and you all for any of our shortcomings and mistakes.
For those who are traveling during this upcoming break, please do keep those you have left behind in your prayers. For those who have graduated, moved away or started a new phase in your life, this community is still yours and you indeed have a rightful place in it whenever you so wish to take hold of it. I really do miss each of you more than you probably realize. Do come by and visit or even just send a note – it would be nice to hear how you are doing. And for those who remain here, do your best to keep an eye on things. Whether you are a student, alum, on faculty or a community member, this is your community – inshallah, Allah will continue to bless it and shower His infinite mercy upon it. I love each and every one of you and it is truly an honor to be able to serve you in whatever way I can.
Please do keep me in your prayers. Inshallah you all will be in mine.