Meccan Meditations: What Door has Allah Opened For You?

Being in front of the Ka'ba, one cannot help but be in awe. What time one has in Mecca, in the Haram area, is precious and so the rhythm of life is different; we walk around the Ka'ba as the center and, in reality, our lives for that short time revolve around God because our hearts are with Him. When one leaves, the heart is still attached, yearning to be back.

It is easy to look at those who have been given the opportunity to visit and worship in Mecca as blessed, and be sad over one's own position of being far. Those without the opportunity wish they could be the person who is there for even a moment, the one who is there for a day wishes they could be like one who is there for a week, and so on.

Certainly, praying in the sacred mosques carries multiple blessings. The Prophet ﷺ said, “One prayer in my mosque is better than one thousand prayers elsewhere, except al-Masjid al-Haraam, and one prayer in al-Masjid al-Haraam is better than one hundred thousand prayers elsewhere.” (Ahmad, Ibn Majah)

He ﷺ also said: “A prayer in the Masjid al-Haram is akin to a hundred thousand prayers, a prayer in my mosque to a thousand prayers, and a prayer in the Bayt al-Maqdis to five hundred prayers.” (Tabarani)

What about those unable to go? Do they miss out on the blessings? Does it reflect their station with God? The companions asked the very same question. The poor among them came to the Prophet ﷺ and said,

“Oh, Messenger of Allah, the wealthy have gone with the highest ranks and lasting bliss. They pray as we pray; they fast as we do; yet because they are wealthy, they get to perform Hajj and ‘Umrah, and go for Jihad, and they spend in charity.”

Some of us might feel the same way. Those who live in close proximity to Mecca are able to go more frequently; those with the financial means; those who have been blessed in other ways to be able to visit easily... So, how did the Prophet ﷺ reply?

He ﷺ said, “Shall I not tell you a thing upon which if you acted you would catch up with those who have surpassed you? Nobody would overtake you and you would be better than the people amongst whom you live, except those who would do the same. (If you say) SubhanAllah, Alhamdulillah and Allahu Akbar thirty three times each after every (compulsory) prayer.“ (Bukhari)

What about the specific reward for ‘Umrah? Anas bin Malik narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever prays Fajr in congregation, then sits remembering Allah until the sun has risen, then he prays two Rak’ah, then for him is the reward like that of a Hajj and Umrah.” Anassaid: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Complete, complete, complete.'” (Tirmidhi)

The Prophet ﷺ was teaching the companions an important lesson: take advantage of the doors that have been opened for you. We might forget sometimes that our faith is truly about our connection to and submission to God at all times. It is not about yearning to do what you are unable to do, but making the most of what you can do in any given moment. And in that realm, different doors are open for different people at different times. But the essence is the same: Be with Allah wherever you are. He is al-Fattah; He opens the doors, especially the doors to Him. And perhaps if you walk through the open door in front of you, He will open doors for you that you thought were closed.

You could be the most special person in the world to Allah because you helped someone at a time when it was difficult for you to do so, even if you are far from His house.

You might be yearning to go to Makkah, but your teaching people about Islam and dispelling doubts raises your station with God far above what you could have imagined.

You might wish to worship in al-Aqsa, but your advocacy for its people and all those living under oppression makes you of those with palaces near Allah in Paradise.

And what do you do with all that love and longing you have in your heart? One of the companions loved to recite Surat Al-Ikhlas. The Prophet ﷺ said to him, “Your love for it will admit you into Paradise.” (Bukhārī) May your love for the Ka’ba enter you into Paradise, too!

You might pray to be at the Rawda in Medina, a piece of Paradise on earth, yet your embodiment of the Prophet's ﷺ character is what gains you his intercession to the Paradise of the afterlife.

And how about something higher? Do you want the Prophet's ﷺ company in Paradise? So did one of the companions. Do you know what the Prophet ﷺ told him so he could gain that station? He ﷺ said: "Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration.” (Muslim) Any of us can do this, inshAllah.

Maybe your heart still aches. Praying in Mecca and Medina is still so special. But do you know what distinguishes us on the Day of Judgment?

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Verily, my nation will be called on the Day of Resurrection as brightly radiant from the traces of ablution. Whoever among you is able to extend his radiance, let him do so.” (Bukhari)

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

“My nation on that day will surely have bright faces because of prostration, and bright arms and feet because of ablution.” (Ahmad)

All of this is facilitated for us because the doors to Allah are always open, no matter where we are physically on this earth. This whole world is a masjid made for His worship.

Of course, this does not mean that we should not strive to do other acts that are not easily accessible to us. We should save to be able to go on Hajj, if we are able, and even ‘Umrah. But if it does not come easily to us, or is not something we can do frequently, we should not ignore the good that we can be doing wherever we are. We should be like the ‘good tree’ described in the Qur’an, with our hearts firmly planted in His Oneness, producing fruit wherever we are planted.

We can be physically far from the Holy mosques, but we are never far from Allah, as He tells us in the Qur'an:

وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ

"...And He is with you wherever you are...." (57:4)

And that is what is most important.

So ask yourself, what door has Allah opened for you?