Assalamu alaikum. My name is Melissa Lucas and I live in Australia. A few years I won an Umrah trip through Hadith of the Day and I wanted to share my story of visiting Makkah and Madinah with you all today
Here is my story.
In 2013, I was a member of HOTD. They shared a hadith about mothers and there was also a competition to enter. HOTD was donating Umrah flights and accomodation to 5 people who had limited funds to take their mothers along with them to do the Umrah Pilgrimage. You had to write why you thought you should win. When I saw it I thought of my mum. She was an Australian revert and in her 50’s that had never been to see the house of Allah. I was a new revert that had never been as well and was having a hard time in life and needed an iman boost. I told my mother about it and she convinced me to enter the competition. I didnt think I would ever win the competition but to my amazement I did.
My mother and I were going to spend 5 days in Mecca and 5 days in Medina and I was so thrilled. The best part was telling my mother. We were on a high all day. I took my brother along too, being our mahram. The flight was long and hard but once we got there, that was all forgotten. First we went to Medina. The place was nothing like I had ever seen before. No greenery was there like Australia but Medina had a sense of tranquility and I was in absolute awe.
The prophet Muhammed SAW masjid was just divine. A place I would never forget. I loved spending time there in worship and just reflecting and taking in my surroundings. My mother and I were able to enter the rawdah and it was such a memorable experience. The shopping was also a lovely experience and I enjoyed connecting with my mother there. Everything about the trip was wonderful. Once we arrived in Mecca, we completed our Umrah at night. It wasnt easy to do as I remember my feet getting sore after a few hours it took to complete the pilgrimage.
I loved every minute of it though and just reflecting on this now, I remember the feeling being amongst all my brothers and sisters in Islam making dua after dua to Allah SWT. It was an amazing experience. I must say one of duas was asking for a husband and not only that, a specific person I had in mind if he were to be my husband. When I went back home, life went back to normal and I had the wonderful memories and my connection with Allah was more closer than ever. A few months later I got a proposal from the same man I made dua to Allah swt to grant me a husband. It was amazing. When you truelly make dua and try your best, Allah does listen and if he wills, he grants your duas true. Alhumdulillah. I am now a happily married woman of almost 2 years and I look forward to returning to the house of Allah for my Hajj pilgrimage with my husband and daughter in the future, InshaAllah.
I want to thank HOTD for their generosity and also to the donor who made the journey possible for my family and I. Truly the blessings come from Allah SWT and may Allah SWT grant us all Jannatul Firdous Ameen Allahumma Ameen.
by Melissa Lucas
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