Can we do it?

The route Makkah to Madinah was, Subhanallah, beautiful. What wonderful landscape and mountains full of character. Their colours seem to change as you drive on. The pale yellow desert colour, the rouge sand, black mountain, green moss landscape. Subhanallah, beautiful.



I didn't take my time taking photos this time round as we were always pressed for time. Logically you would want to be in either Makkah or Madinah as early as possible. Thus taking time for photo session will only slow us down.

You can't help but imagine the journey that Rasulullah s.a.w. and his companions took to migrate in order to spread the truth. The mountainous scape will reassure you that it is not easy.

But one story about migration for the truth caught my attention. Have you heard of Umm Kalthoom bint Uqbah ibn Mu'ayt?

She is the daughter of one of Rasullullah's biggest enemy, Uqbah ibn Mu'ayt.

Now, she is an example of someone who is willing to go all the way because of her deep believe. If you look at the mountains and think of traveling by foot and camel are hard for the men, just imagine traveling as a woman. Alone! As a woman myself I know, that it is not easy.

And that was exactly what Umm Kalthoom did! She migrated to Madinah! Masya Allah! Imagine that. Alone. Perhaps on a camel. Camp out by herself. In the part desert, part mountain scape. Allahu Akbar!

The thing is, she traveled after the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. The treaty of Hudaybiyah said that the Prophet s.a.w. must return any people who migrated to Madinah to embrace Islam to the mushrikeens. And Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. did abide to this treaty and had actually sent back two men.

Learning that Umm Kalthoom had fled to Madinah, her brothers (Umarah and Al Walid) went after her. They met the Prophet s.a.w. and asked that she be returned back to them.

When Umm Kalthoom reached Madinah, she said to the Prophet s.a.w. , "I have fled to you with my religion, so protect me and do not send me back to them, for they will torture me and punish me, and I do not have the patience and fortitude to endure that. I am a mere woman,and you know the weakness of women. I see that you have already sent two men back."

Allah knows the faith of Umm Kalthoom bint Uqbah (and other women who made hijrah) for His sake. Allah sent down this verse in Al Mumtahanah 60:10.

O you who believe! When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them, Allâh knows best as to their Faith, then if you ascertain that they are true believers, send them not back to the disbelievers, They are not lawful (wives) for the disbelievers nor are the disbelievers lawful (husbands) for them...

Their examination was asking them to testify with the shahadah. And to be sure that if they fled because of anger with their husbands or any other reason and not because of faith, they were to be returned back.

So I am sitting here thinking. The fact that I am living in a country where it is easy to practice my believe. I can travel in a luxury of the car. Not a daughter of an enemy to Islam. Born as a muslim. Surrounded by good people. And here I am still struggling with my innerself.