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Experience of When I visited the BasvaSagara Reservoir.As I approached, I saw the gates were open. When I reached here, I watched the waterfall cascading from the dam. The view was beautiful and magnificent. There’s a mist you can feel as the water gushes out of the gates. On the dam, they’ve installed beautiful lights, which at night actually light up the water. So the water looks like there’s colored water flowing out of the town. I would highly recommend visiting this place when water is flowing out. You can see my pictures; they look just like perfectwallpapers.

This blog is all about my journey of a lifetime – a journey that changed my life, a journey that brought me to the right path, the path of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah), what can I say? I never thought I would get a chance to visit the holiest cities in the Islamic world: Makkah and Madinah.

The Call

One fine day, I was in my office as usual, working and feeling a bit excited because my office trip to Taiwan had been approved. It was going to be my first international trip, so I was very happy. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was my mother. I picked up the call, and she said, “Your grandmother is going for Umrah, and she is alone. She doesn’t have a mahram.”

In Islam, a mahram is a close male relative who accompanies a woman when traveling. My mother continued, “Your grandmother is going for Umrah, and she doesn’t have a mahram. Miraj, ask your manager if you can get leave and go for Umrah with your grandmother

The Approval

With a heavy heart, I went to my manager and explained the situation, requesting leave. My manager was incredibly helpful and approved my request for more than two weeks of leave in just 10 minutes. It was absolutely amazing. At that moment, I truly felt it wasn’t me who decided if I wanted to go for Umrah or not; it was Allah and His Prophet who were calling me to that place.

Departure from Gulbarga

Then began the beautiful part of my journey. I took leave, submitted my documents, got my visa, and we started our journey from my hometown, Gulbarga. My father and my uncle (Chacha) went with me and my grandmother to drop us at the airport. After going through the airport procedures – security checks and immigration – we boarded our flight to Riyadh.

Missed Flight and a Blessed Suhoor

From Riyadh, we were supposed to catch a domestic flight to Jeddah. Unfortunately, due to the huge rush, we missed our connecting flight. That night was when Ramadan was starting, and we were supposed to fast. We requested help from Saudi Airlines, as there were about 40 people who had missed the flight. The airline arranged a beautiful suhoor (pre-dawn meal) for us at the airport. We prayed at the airport, and Saudi Airlines took responsibility and arranged a special flight for us in the afternoon.

Arrival in Makkah

We left Riyadh for Jeddah around 3-4 PM and reached there at about 6-7 PM. From there, we started our journey to the most beautiful and sacred place in Islam: Makkah. We reached Makkah around 11-12 PM on the first day of Ramadan. We had broken our fast earlier at the airport.

In Makkah, we were part of a group of 40 people on a package tour. Our guide led us towards the Masjid al-Haram so we could see the magnificent Kaaba. As we walked, my heart was pounding, and I was filled with mixed thoughts about what to pray for at my first sight of the Kaaba.

The guide said, “After a few more steps, you’ll have your first look at the Kaaba with your own eyes. Make your first prayer beautiful.” There are no words to describe the feeling when I saw the Kaaba. My body was chilling and shivering, and the only thought that came to my mind was to thank Allah for giving me this opportunity.

Performing Umrah

We continued our Umrah journey, starting with the tawaf (circumambulation) of the Kaaba. Then we performed the sa’i between the hills of Safa and Marwa. After completing our Umrah, we made many duas (supplications) and prayers. At the end of Umrah, we had to shave our heads. I went to a nearby barbershop, paid 10 riyals, and came out completely bald.

We stayed in Makkah for seven days, exploring several heritage Islamic sites. On our last day, I made a final attempt to reach the Hajar al-Aswad (the Black Stone). Every day, I had tried to touch it, as it’s believed that touching it wipes away sins. On that last morning at 3 AM, I went to perform my final tawaf. Miraculously, I was able to kiss the Hajar al-Aswad. I wept for an hour, asking for forgiveness and determining not to repeat my past sins.

Journey to Madinah

Then we started our journey to Madinah. As we neared the city, we could feel a sense of calmness descend upon us. In Madinah, we visited the Prophet’s Mosque and paid our respects to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them). We also visited Riyad ul-Jannah, a place said to be a part of Paradise, and prayed there.

During our seven-day stay in Madinah, we prayed Tarawih, visited local markets, and enjoyed some local cuisine. My cousin Faizan and I spent a lot of time together, including visiting the famous Al-Baik restaurant for their delicious fish fillet.

A Changed Life

When I returned home, I decided to make some changes in my life to align more closely with Islamic teachings. By the grace of Allah, since that journey, I’ve been praying five times a day, which I struggled with before. Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah), to this day, I always try to pray five times a day with the congregation.

I thank Allah for this beautiful journey and pray that Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon him) will call me again to relive these beautiful memories and chilling experiences.