Before Every Journey, Something Begins Within
قبل الحج أو العمرة
You may already have booked your journey.
Or perhaps you are still waiting.
You may feel excited.
Grateful.
Humbled.
Hopeful.
Nervous.
Uncertain.
Or you may simply feel that something has already begun changing within you.
Preparation is not only about getting ready to travel.
It can also be about noticing what this journey is already awakening inside you.
This page brings together four collections of reflections that many pilgrims naturally explore before Hajj or Umrah.
You do not need to begin at the beginning.
Simply begin with the part that feels closest to where you are today.
Preparing Your Heart
Sometimes the most important preparation happens quietly.
Long before you arrive in Makkah, you may begin noticing questions about your intentions, your gratitude, your hopes and your readiness.
This collection explores the inner preparation of the heart.
Begin with: Is My Intention Ready For Hajj Or Umrah?
Preparing To Meet Allah
Pilgrimage is not simply a journey across the world.
It is also a journey towards Allah.
You may already find yourself reflecting on what you hope Allah will accept, what you hope to leave behind and how you hope to respond to His invitation.
This collection explores those reflections.
Begin with: What Am I Bringing Before Allah?
Becoming A Pilgrim
Before you become a pilgrim outwardly, something may already be changing inwardly.
You may find yourself wondering what kind of person you hope this journey will help you become.
This collection explores the inner qualities that many pilgrims begin reflecting on before they travel.
Begin with: Am I Ready To Become A Pilgrim?
Living The Journey
Preparation is not only about leaving home.
It is also about the life that follows your return.
You may already be wondering what you hope this pilgrimage will leave within you.
This collection explores the longer journey beyond Hajj or Umrah itself.
Begin with: What Do I Hope To Bring Home From Hajj Or Umrah?
Begin Where You Are
There is no correct order through these reflections.
Some people begin with their intentions.
Others begin with Allah.
Some begin with the pilgrim they hope to become.
Others begin by thinking about the life they hope to return to.
Allow your own questions to guide you.
Sometimes they already know where to begin.