Entering into the Holy City of Qum and feeling a blast of spirituality and peace. Home-coming and contentment.
Waking up to the melody of the beautiful Munajaat of Imam Ali (a.s.) followed by the Adhaan of Fajr.
Witnessing a glorious sunrise while listening to Dua e Ahad. Praying Salaat in Jam'ah.
Witnessing the gorgeous and peaceful gardens of Jamia-tuz Zahra as night softly falls and moonlight brightens the night around.
Translate this page
04 May 2024 / 25. Shawal 1445
An Eye-Opening Experience, testimonial by Fattimah Hamam from Canada
Imam Ali (AS) has said: “Live in this world as a traveller, and leave behind you every sweet memory. Indeed we are guests here, and every guest must soon leave.”
I have always had high expectations about the experience of travelling, with a certain inescapable lure. Visiting distant lands, learning about foreign cultures and languages, meeting new people and exploring sights were all things I was looking forward to prior to leaving for Iran. However, I was not aware of what an impact this trip would have on so many aspects of my life.
Travelling to the Middle East and being removed from an environment I was familiar with allowed me to broaden my understanding of the world and specifically on this trip, my religion. I was given a new perspective on the things I was always taught in Madrasah, Islamic ideologies and daily rituals. The perfect balance of spiritual revival, physical activity, cultural experiences and class time added to this experience. Whether it was praying in congregation amongst thousands of others, climbing Mount Khidr and looking down onto the city of Qum, or absorbing the underground wonders of the Ali Sadr cave. There was wisdom and a lesson behind everything, every place we visited, everything we saw, we could see Allah (SWT) and feel His omnipotence. This gave me a strong sense of the all-encompassing presence of Islam in our lives.
I began feeling this impact through the power of tears, which were always coupled with feelings of peace and contentment. Being in the Holy Shrines, seeing the beauty of nature and visiting extraordinary personalities put me in touch with my spiritual and emotional side.
There is something refreshing about reading Dua Nudba in Masjid Jamkaran or seeing Shia’s from all over the globe gather at the Imam's shrine that evokes this sad, yet happy feeling. I cannot organize the words and thoughts in my mind together to truly articulate how I feel and what I experienced during my time in Iran. It is this feeling that left its mark on me, a sort of spiritual energy that I took back home to Canada after an eye-opening and truly holistic experience.
Written by: Fattimah Hamam from Canada
Related News
Allah (swt) says: “Take one step towards me, I will take ten steps towards you. Walk towards me, I will run to you.” [Hadith Qudsi].
It is not far from the truth when I say that I was excited but at the same time worried about my trip, whether it would be as rewarding as I had envisioned. The holy land we were headed to awaited me.
