2025 Umrah Comes Right On Time

My Umrah trip came right on time this year. Half of America is mourning the death of a conservative influencer and is monitoring the rest of the population in order to see if they display a sufficient level of sadness at the loss. Much of the other half seems to be cheering. A corny and extremely unfunny late-night comedian got caught up in this drama. Q-Anon and Blue-Anon online imbeciles are busy lobbing conspiracies at one another after every mass shooting- which happen to be routine occurrences in America. The largest and most important city in America is holding an election fit for the Saturday morning cartoons and the leading candidate is a trust fund kid who had never had a real job. Post-season baseball is arriving without the presence of the Cardinals, and this season will not be fondly remembered in St. Louis.

Not all news is bad. We have to stay positive. Boxing is undergoing a resurgence under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, and his relationships with The Ring Magazine, Zuffa Boxing, and fighters. Riyadh is now the fight capital of the world. The NFL season is underway, we have an extended summer, and St. Louis just landed a direct British Air flight to London. While there is no end in sight to the Russian war in Ukraine it looks like the horrendous conflict in Gaza may be winding down thanks to the leadership and diplomacy of Saudi Arabia and others.

Qatar

I had been wanting to visit Qatar since they hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Qatar did a fantastic job as a host and showed everyone that world class sporting events can be alcohol free and family-friendly. The magnificent opening ceremony in Qatar appealed to higher ideas and purpose while the French Olympic ceremony two years later called to the gutter.

It just so happened that the cheapest flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia was via Qatar Airlines out of Dulles (DC). We spent a day and a half in Doha, Qatar and weren’t disappointed. We arrived at night and took a walk along the Corniche, visited the Pearl Monument, and then headed to the Souq Waqif (traditional market). The next day we visited both the Qatar Museum and the Museum of Islamic Art and both are world class institutions.

The Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahhab Mosque (the state mosque of Qatar) was next.

Our hotel had a breakfast buffet that we utilized. On night one we ate at a traditional Arab cafe outside of the Souq. On night two we ate on a street crowded with international restaurants and throngs of people. Think London and New York minus the murder, mayhem, and disorder. While I had my eye on Bengali and Iraqi joints, I knew we would end up at an Indonesian restaurant. The food was delicious and a nice end to a brief time in Doha.

Makkah

My visit to Makkah was so rapid and profound that it’s hard to put into words. We arrived in Jeddah and were picked up from the airport by our guide and then taken to our hotel in Makkah. We stayed in one of the Clocktower hotels and I’ll recommend that to all Americans. I did 17,000 to 20,000 steps a day in Makkah. If I would’ve stayed further away from the Haram that number may have been double, with less amenities, and possibly limited air conditioning. We have to be realistic with regards to what level of physical conditioning and comfort we are at and then plan accordingly.

Getting to our room we opened our curtains and there it was for us to see. The Kaaba. The first house built to worship God in a spirit of monotheism. The place that Muslims face in prayer five times a day. The place I had seen in so many thousands of photos and videos and heard so many stories about. There it was.

We settled in and then met our guide. We just hired him for that night to guide us on our Umrah. He only spoke Indonesian, but that wasn’t important for me. I was simply looking for physical navigation as I knew what all the places were and the prayers to say because I’d been studying for months and helped by people like Sheikh Yusuf Jaffar Idris (who I was able to see after Fajr) and others. There also several very good Umrah tutorial videos on YouTube. There also books available for download such as this one from Ibn Baz.

We arrived at Masjid al-Haram and it was well after ‘isha. We didn’t have time to gawk and to be awestruck. It was time to get down to business. We went right into our tawaf. During our seven circuits the crowd seemed light at times and then it would get thicker. At one point we were next to a group from Japan. At other times groups from Indonesia and Uzbekistan. When we got too close to the Black Stone things began to get crowded and chaotic and I physically directed our guide to the outside lanes. There is no benefit in wrestling, fighting, and endangering my health, and that of others, to touch either the Black Stone or the Kaaba.

After we completed our tawaf we drank Zamzam water. I don’t think I’ve ever had water that refreshing in my life. There is something surreal about drinking from that blessed well. I was also parched. During Umrah you must keep your Wudu, so I barely ate or drank anything that day to avoid the need to go to the bathroom. It was also around 100 degrees. The water really boosted my energy as we prayed two rakats and then went into the seven circuits of Sa’ee.

After Sa’ee it was time to get my head shaved. The free barbers outside of the Haram don’t use a razor so we went into the shopping mall to find a barber. We found one and, while he did an adequate job removing all my hair, he absolutely sliced the back of my head. I actually bled all night despite attempts to stop the bleeding. I was also dealing with a cyst on the back of my neck that I had drained the week prior. That cut, getting my foot trampled on twice, and buying thobes that were so tight on my arms that it was painful to get up from sujud, all made for a physically challenging trip in temperatures that went up to 110.

The rest of our time in Makkah was spent in prayer. I spent more time at the Haram around Fajr, Maghrib, and Isha. During the day I prayed and retreated to the AC of my room or the nearby malls. Our hotel concierge provided us with a Ziyarat tour of the various significant places for Muslims in Makkah.

I did very little shopping in Makkah, and I had breakfast at the hotel buffet and dinner at whatever restaurant had the shortest line. This includes going to Hardees one night.

Bonus- we happened to be in Makkah during Saudi National Day. Our hotel threw a party featuring cake and pastries and we were able to attend. It was on that same day that Saudi Mufti Abdul-Aziz al al-Sheikh died. King Salman ordered that Salat al-Ghayb be offered for the Sheikh at Masjid al-Haram and I was able to participate and also attend a halaqa that night discussing the legacy of the Sheikh.

Madinah

We left Madinah on the Haramain Rail Line and purchased our tickets on the Nusuk app. The train is faster, safer, cleaner, and more modern than any train operating in North America. Catching it was an excellent decision.

In Madinah you immediately feel the sense of peace and calm. Makkah is hustle and bustle. Madinah is relaxing. Our hotel was right next to Masjid an-Nabawi so we simply walked over before prayer times. My step count dropped to 12,000 to 17,000 a day in Madinah.

There is an amazing feeling praying in Masjid an-Nabawi and spending so much time with believers. I spoke to many Muslims and asked them where they were from and those who spoke English were interested in knowing about both my journey to Islam and the general situation of Muslims in America. At Jummah I prayed in between a Chechen and an Indonesian and at my hotel there were many British, Moroccan, Saudi, and Egyptian Muslims.

To illustrate how much Saudi Arabia has changed under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad ibn Salman, our tour guide in Madinah was a woman driving an SUV, and she was a great guide. She took us all over Madinah and showed us places such as the site of the Battle of Uhud, the Qooba Mosque, the Qiblatain Mosque, and the King Fahd Glorious Quran Printing Complex. We were generously connected to her by a Saudi student in St. Louis (Brother Bandar, JAK). My time in Madinah also included a Rawdah appointment, booked on the Nusuk app, to visit the grave of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Abu Bakr (RA), and Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA). It’s an experience so intense I don’t have the words to describe.

Jeddah

Before leaving Saudi Arabia, we spent a day in Jeddah. This is a city I would recommend to any American for a visit. There are neighborhoods that look as plush as South Beach or Malibu (but with peace, civility, and order) and there are older neighborhoods that looks like Damascus. Visiting the Jeddah Corniche and the floating mosque will go down as one of the highlights of our trip.

Advice

In this video I share my experience and give some advice. I will also advise to stay hydrated and drink plenty of water as you’ll be dealing with extreme heat and to change into your ihram in your hotel if you’re flying. You don’t wanna be changing into your ihram in a cramped airplane bathroom, especially if you’re overweight.

Riyadh

The next time I’m in Saudi Arabia, insha’Allah, in addition to pursuing some personal opportunities, I hope to journey to Riyadh and watch some boxing and eat some American style halal BBQ.

More photos from my journey are available on Instagram