Over and Over

Gilded

MAKKAH,
SAUDI ARABIA.

Hakeem, Zubair, Sasha, and Layla were all in the miqat, but men in a different section from the women as islam prescribed.

Many pilgrims like them choose to enter into the state of ihram at Masjid Aisha, which is a more convenient location from Al-Masjid Al-Haram.

Hakeem and Zubair trimmed their nails, and Zubair cut a small portion of his hair while Hakeem cut a very large portion, claiming that it would grow back before the end of the week.

Layla and Sasha also had to trim and cut their hair as it was part of the rules for umrah.

As part of the rules, one must cleanse their body, so, after they did so, the men got into their ihrams while the ladies got into their wavering Abayas.

They performed two Rakats of Salah Al-haram, and they made their niyah, and they proceeded to the Haramain.

By the gate, Hakeem patiently waited for layla. He couldn't do anything about the sun as it was not permissible for him to cover his face.

"Layla!" He called when he spotted them from afar. She saw him too, and she walked over to him.

"Let's go," he said, holding her hand firmly in his grip, and they made their way to the Haramain.

"Ya Allah," layla said, smiling widely, "Wait," Hakeem said, dragging her back.
"Where are you going to?" He asked, raising his eyebrow.

"I'm going to the Ka'aba," she said, looking at the Ka'aba, and you could see her eyes shining from the view of it.

"Recite the dua first," he said rel, asing her. " بسم الله والحمدلله و صلواة على رسولا الله اللهم اغفرلي زنوب و افتحلى أبواب رحمتك
(Bismillahi wal hamdulillahi wasalawatu ala rasulillahi, Allahummaghfirlee zunnubi waf tahlee Abwaba rahmatik.)

Then they walked to the ka'aba with her hand still in his, they started doing the Tawaf(Circumbulation).

They got a chance to be close to the ka'aba and even be close to the Yemeni corner.

Layla remembered the last time she came to makkah and how Allah had wiped all her worried when she poured her heart to him.

So this time around, she planned on doing the same thing.

When she leaned against the ka'aba, tears streaming down her cheeks, she felt a stream of emotions overwhelming her.

Memories of that tragic night came back to her head vividly as if she were watching a movie in a cinema.

And in that moment, she found peace in pouring her heart to Allah.

Beside her was Hakeem. He had also leaned against the ka'aba, his hand resting on the Yemeni corner.

He sensed layla's distress as it was visible on her face. He looked at her with concern, and his eyes were reflecting a depth of understanding.

"Layla, don't you remember this? Don't you remember a moment like this?" Hakeem asked softly, his voice filled with compassion.

"What do you mean?" She asked, laying her wet eyes on him, "Don't you recall this same moment from years ago? " he replied.

Her mind drifted to a long time ago when she was just eight years old. She had visited the Ka'aba to pray after the tragic incident that almost shattered her world.

At that time , she also got a chance to touch the black stone. She recalled a young teenage boy, much like Hakeem.

He was standing beside her also like Hakeem was. His tears mingled with hers as he fervently prayed in a language that she couldn't understand.