Hajj & Umrah Reviews and Community

Salam alaikum! I’m in the process of writing a children’s book about Mekka. The book will be for muslim and non-muslim children to learn more about the kaaba, inshallah. I have a number of photos that some friends gave me from their recent Umrah, but I don’t have any with Zamzam in them. I would love to have one showing a child taking wudu with it, or a nice one with a grown up. It would be nice to have one showing the actual well, basically something which gives an uninformed reader an idea of how the whole thing looks (so maybe not too crowded).

I am also interested in any other nice photos you might share showing children in the areas of mekka/medina (in the mosques or otherwise). It is important that the pictures are not blurry and that the main people in them agree to them being published for this cause. They could be touched up for lighting problems etc though, and cut smaller etc.

If you or someone you know has photos which I might be able to use, I would be very interested. May Allah reward all those who may help, and I ask for your duas that this project can work. Thank you!
mintee- I’m working with real photos - there are lots of cartoonish books around about Islam, yes, but they don’t really make it seem real. Thanks for the tip about the bookstore, I’m also looking finto local publishers there in case you know appropriate ones (you seem to have some insight into the bookworld there). There seem to be few.

as for googling pictures - of course I have done that.And flikr etc. No luck.

Thanks!

try google images http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&safe=off&q=%D8%A8%D8%A6%D8%B1+%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%B2%D9%85&sa=N&start=0&ndsp=21

Salam alaikum! I’m in the process of writing a children’s book about Mekka. The book will be for muslim and non-muslim children to learn more about the kaaba, inshallah. I have a number of photos that some friends gave me from their recent Umrah, but I don’t have any with Zamzam in them. I would love to have one showing a child taking wudu with it, or a nice one with a grown up. It would be nice to have one showing the actual well, basically something which gives an uninformed reader an idea of how the whole thing looks (so maybe not too crowded).

I am also interested in any other nice photos you might share showing children in the areas of mekka/medina (in the mosques or otherwise). It is important that the pictures are not blurry and that the main people in them agree to them being published for this cause. They could be touched up for lighting problems etc though, and cut smaller etc.

If you or someone you know has photos which I might be able to use, I would be very interested. May Allah reward all those who may help, and I ask for your duas that this project can work. Thank you!

I took some pictures in the museum in Makkah…however I have no access to them at the moment-

http://www.ksau-hs.edu.sa/English/LifeInCampus/Pages/TheTwoHolyCities.aspx

you could contact the above website to ask permission for the picture, and ask them to send you some more.
the pics in the museum are AMaZinG. it’d be great if you could get hold of them

May Allah guide us all

Like I’m in track…should I drink Zamzam water before I sprint (just to feel like..Allah please help me) or is it wrong or stupid?

I always drink ZamZam water before I take exaMinations, go on big events…. etc. Go ahead.

How do I know if I’m facing the ka’abah or not? (salat, drinking Zamzam water etc.) I’m so confused about this north west south…. I’m confused?

Google Qiblah/Kiblah finder, you enter your your location and they tell you the direction.

I don’t know if i had this dream because i was thinking about something similar to it or if it was from my subconscious mind…? I’m not sure but here it goes…

Last night I had a dream that i was sitting in front of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW)’s grave (it did not look like the actual grave site in Medinah but i knew in my dream that i was sitting before his grave). And i was sitting next to this man who i don’t recall knowing. And we are holding either plain water or Zamzam to give to the Prophet (SAW). It was something along those lines.

it was very short but i was wondering if anyone knows what any part of that dream means?

Thank you soo much.

Aww thats so cute. Well, all i know is that if you dreamed of prophet Mohammed it means that is really him.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

I heard the Prophet saying, "Whoever sees me in a dream will see me in his wakefulness, and Satan cannot imitate me in shape." Abu ‘Abdullah said, "Ibn Sirin said, ‘Only if he sees the Prophet in his (real) shape.’"

[Quran Yusufali 9:19] Do ye make the giving of drink to pilgrims, or the maintenance of the Sacred Mosque, equal to (the pious service of) those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and strive with might and main in the cause of Allah? They are not comparable in the sight of Allah: and Allah guides not those who do wrong.

Wahidi and Suyuti and other commentators have reported that one day Abbas ibn Abd al Muttalib and Talhah ibn Shaybah boasted with one another about their special privileges and honours. Talha said: "I am the keeper of the sacred Ka-bah and I have its keys in my charge." Abbas said: "I am the trustee of the sacred well of Zamzam, and the privilege of supplying water to the pilgrims belongs to me." Ali said: "I do not understand why you take pride in these things. I started saying my prayers seven years before you and I am a warrior who fights for the cause of Allah." Abbas was uncle of Ali (as) and Rasoolallah (saww)
Abbas came to Rasoollah (saww) to complain about Ali (as)
On that occasion verse 19 was revealed.
Rasoolallah (saww) said to Abbas "uncle till now I used to defend Ali (as) TODAY Allah is defending Ali (as)

may Allah SWT hasten Imam Mahdi’s AS return.

I don’t know if i had this dream because i was thinking about something similar to it or if it was from my subconscious mind…? I’m not sure but here it goes…

Last night I had a dream that i was sitting in front of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW)’s grave (it did not look like the actual grave site in Medinah but i knew in my dream that i was sitting before his grave). And i was sitting next to this man who i don’t recall knowing. And we are holding either plain water or Zamzam to give to the Prophet (SAW). It was something along those lines.

it was very short but i was wondering if anyone knows what any part of that dream means?

Thank you soo much.

Can I just first of all say, no-one here on YA I believe can interpret dreams. Even scholars can’t interpret dreams.

If you want an interpretation of your dream, you must go to a scholar who is learned in that field.

Each and every dream can have a whole different interpretation, even the same dream can have 10 different meanings. So those who say they have such books, these books are only for you to read, and mistily get a rough idea of your ‘own’ dreams, but I can assure you, it’s never accurate. So don’t be interpreting dreams for others’ by using these so called spurious books.

Doctors told me that my father will die three weeks before he passed away, but i didn’t tell my father that he is going to die.
i had a strong faith that Allah can heal him no matter what doctors said, i was telling my father everyday that u look great, everything will be just fine and u’ll come back to home very soon.
I was doing everything I could to him; praying, reading qur’an on him, charity, read qu’ran on Zamzam water and wipe his body with it,…etc.
i was crying everyday, i couldn’t believe that this is actually happening to me and I refused to believe what doctors said.
suddenly he became very tired and breath hardly, he looked very weird; like he is between two worlds, I cried a lot and I grabbed his hand and whispered at his ear all the time that doctors gave him medicine and he’ll be fine.

I had no idea that he was in sakarat al mawt, one more day and he passed away.
Alhamdolilah my father said the tshahod and passed away with a smile on his face, thank Allah.
But its so painful when I remember him, I cry everyday, I saw him very weak, tired…etc.
I pray for him everyday but what I want to know did any of ur parents passed away, ur stories could condolence me.
thank u reema

Don’t worry sister! You are not alone in the world whose father is no longer in the world. Three months have past since my father died. He died on 26th February, this year. I am only 15 years old, but I am ready to handle every sorts of situations. I believe in Allah, that He will surely give me patience. On that day in evening, I was playing on computer like my regular routine. Suddenly, I heard loud sound of breathes coming from my father’s room. I quickly ran, opened the door and saw that my father’s eyes have been tilted, so were his feet and hands and some foam type substance was coming out of his mouth. I called my mom, she ran and came. I called doctor, we took him to hospital, as I could never think that he has died. The doctors in hospital said that he has expired 1/2 hours ago. Could you believe? I never cried. When doctors told me, I said OK. It was his time. And as ordered by Allah in Surah Baqarah, I said that:
"Whenever you lose something, say: ‘We belong to Allah, and we will surely return to Him"
My mom still don’t believe that he is no more, and she cries atleast half an hour daily. But I don’t want to condole her. Actually, I don’t know that what should I say her to give her condolence. I never seen my sister crying, just on the day of his Janaza, she cried. It is the truth that I never cried, but I always remember his love and grace.

You would still be older, look at the faces of small children who don’t even know who their father was. They don’t even know, what is the love of a father. Thanks to Allah, that He has provided us an oppurtunity to see how fathers are. I don’t say anything bad to Allah, because I can’t. I don’t know if your father’s responsibilities have now been shifted to you, or if you have some brothers and sisters. All what I know is that now everything is on me, my mother’s responsibility, my sister’s. Everything is one me. Be patient, also think that you’re still grown up, I am just 15. How am I living? It will really condole your heart.

May Allah grant every Muslims who have passed through this world, the Jannat ul Firdous
Jazak Allahi Khayrin, Sister.

He was probably suspended in time because noone seems to have seen him flying through the air. Or the flying horse-like creature might have been invisible- like the angel Jibreel when speaking to him because his young wife Aisha wasn’t able to the angel even when the angel was in the same room as her.

Not only that, he had his body split open by the angel and had his abdomen washed with Zamzam (holy water) before the flight, and then got magically stiched up without any scars at all, leaving him in perfect health. He had conversations with Moses and Jesus in heaven and bargained with God on the number of times people should pray each day- they settled on five, and this is literally why Muslims pray 5 times a day.

This is all recorded in the hadiths.

Now if you don’t consider this a miracle, then what further evidence do you need before you believe?!

Allah let him split the moon and produce water for everyone to do wash for prayer, and he made food continue to appear from one pot too. We just don’t focus on his miracles because they come from Allah, he couldn’t do them without Allah’s permission

Islam is the last religion sent to the whole world by God (Allah). It integrates with judism and christianity and completes them. Moslems believe in Jesus and moses as prohpets. If you read the Quraán, you will definitely realize that it touches your heart just because it is Allah’s words to people. Quraán is the only holy book that no change to even ONE letter ever happened since it was inspired to prophet Mohammed 1427 years ago. Quraán is still one of the miracles of Islam in the modern world side by side with Zamzam well, in Makkah; the well that still stands to water millions of people (pilgrims) every year to perform Hajj (Pilgrimage).Islam is the religion of peace, and love amongst humanity. It should NOT be looked at through a group of extreemists that only represent themselves and nobody else. Please, look take some honest time with yourself before you answer the question, and read first about Islam before you wonder why I ask that question! I only seek paradise for everyone.

Many reasons. for example:
1. the riots over a cartoon.
2. beheading innocent people
3. killing of others, such as the Nun for what the Pope said in his speech.
4. The Prophet owned people, slaves, concubine! Why if the religion is so right, they why would the prophet own people.
5. The Prophet bought more than let go slaves, and when he did let them go, he either used them to tread the muslim prisoner, or gave them away as gifts to friends.
6. the prophet breaks his own rules. Married more than four wives. Do as I say, not as what I do.
7. because of all the wars that he caused. 67, only one of them was for self defense.
8. Islam is not a religion of Peace. Unless you mean Peace for the Muslim people only, then Yes it is.
9. Because Muslims want to convert the whole world to Islam.
10. because if a Muslim convert to other religions, they are accused of insulting Islam, and they are imprisoned, and many times killed.
11. because there is no freedom of religion in Islam
12. Because if you are not with them, they consider you against them.
13. because if you say anything they didn’t like, they claim that you insult their religion, and riots, burn, and kill.
14. because there are no mircales in Islam. Muhammad was asked to do any miracles, and he never did. He use to say that the Quran is the miracle.
15. because Muslim think if you are not Muslim, then you will not go to paradis no matter how much good a person you are. That is not fair. Why would a Muslim person who sinns can go to paradise, where as a person who is an infedil will not? prejudice.
16. because there is not such thing as Islam being the only true religion. If it is, then why would a person kill an innocent person for the name of Islam! that makes islam look bad.
17. because the Quran has many mistakes in it, but you refuse to see them.
18. because the Quran has contridiction, but you don’t know about them, or refuse to see them.
19. because as you said it has not change, which is not true. People who lives in the 1400 are not the same as the people who are living today. So, we have to change with the times, and Islam doesn’t want to that. I could be wrong on this one, but that is how it looks like.
20. because I read the Quran
21. Because I know how a many can hit his wife to teach her how to behave, as if he is perfect and can never do wrong, and she is nothing more than a servant to him.

22. You mentioned the extremists! The extremist will do their deeds, and you the non extremist will not speak against it. You just sit be and say nothing. Unless someone may say something that you consider as an insult to your religion then you will come out and speak out against that.
23. because for example, the three girls who got their head chopped off by Muslims for not being Muslims and no Muslims came out rioting against it, or said a think about it.

I have many more. but I will end it with this.
24. because I believe people should LIVE AND LET LIVE. You can be a Muslims, and I don’t want to be one, because Islam is not for me. Thank you. and God Bless you whoever you are.

25. What makes you think that Islam is the only right religion on earth? from the look of it, it is not. If it was then the Muslim country should be in a great shape, not many of them live in a poverty state. Either controlled by their own Imams, or their own government, or by those who act Holier than thu and they are themselves covered with sinns.