Three Thousand Miles for a Wish

'Three Thousand Miles for a Wish' is a work of non-fiction, a moving memoir about one woman's journey to find herself...through performing Hajj. It is a truly gripping story that tugs at one's heart.

I commend the author, Safiya Hussain, on her bravery. Writing one's own memoir, getting back in touch with one's emotions, is challenging! One even asks 'How do I describe my own life in the written word?' or 'Where on earth do I begin?'

It is the piecing together of a number of a short life stories, each harmoniously becoming one large work of art. It is not easy revealing one's inner-struggles, most intimate moments, to the world.

It's about time a book about Hajj was at the top five most downloaded Amazon ebooks as was 'Three Thousand Miles for a Wish.'

And how could one resist a book that contains such beautiful lines like:

I stared and stared at the girl in the full length mirror, unable to move. Who is she? It had to be me, of course. Not an angel. I had changed into my ihram.

Her [a mother's] love for me was a vast ocean in comparison to the droplets of love I had received from anybody else. Had she known of my sorrows, she would have taken her heart out of her beating chest and put it in the space where mine had died, I am sure.

I had the honour of interviewing the exemplary non-fiction author, Safiya Hussain.

1. How did you decide where to begin?

Sometimes, if you are lucky, something phenomenal will happen in your life that makes you utter the words 'I have got to put pen to paper, and write about this'. That's what happened to me when I went to Mecca for the journey of Hajj. A week after I returned from Saudi Arabia I got this urge to write my story and share it with the world. I was never a writer and I never knew I could write. But when my pen touched my paper the words began to flow and flow until they created the story that is today 'Three Thousand Miles for a Wish'.

2. You mention your mother a lot in your writing. Was she your inspiration?

My mother is my rock. Her faith is incredibly strong and I aspire to be like her one day. Throughout the ups and downs of writing this book she would always say 'don't give up - God never lets a person's hardwork go unrewarded'. Without her, there would be no book.

3. Why was it important for you to have this memoir published?

Something inside me, something unexplainable, would not let me let this go. It wasn't just a desire for me to write this memoir, it was more a need. I felt I needed to share this story with the world and to give them a little bit of what I had experienced first-hand.

4. What do you hope readers will learn from your novel?

That, after despair, comes hope.

4. What was the most challenging part about writing your novel?

There were two things that made me sweat profusely:

Firstly, waking up every morning and fearing that I would lose my words. There is no science behind writing, one day I would find myself writing as though this is all I've been doing my entire life and there are other days when no words would come out. I am not sure what it is that causes these two extremes but it is scary - especially when you're in the middle of a book and realise that this could be the end!

Secondly, the thought of sharing such personal details about my life and my character with everyone. I tried not to think about these worries until I had completed the novel. When I finished writing the last word, that's when I asked myself, 'Right, am I ready to share intimate details about my life with the rest of the world?' The answer was always 'no' but every night I would fall asleep knowing that if I died, the one regret I would have was to never publish this story...to never have shared this beautiful journey of Hajj. I still feel nervous about laying my soul bare in this book, but I don't want to die with regrets.

5. What advice do you have for aspiring non-fiction writers?

Write from your heart. Don't write the way you think people want you to write. Let your heart speak out the words and they will eventually find their way to your pages.

6. What is your upcoming/next/new project?

Since I realised that I have some sort of way with words, I have blogged here and there and have plans to write three more novels. Stay tuned for those!

Download 'Three Thousand Miles for a Wish' as your latest ebook or purchase it, via AMAZON.

Follow Safiya via TWITTER and/or visit her website, http://www.safiyahussain.co.uk/

An Author's Image

Photographs taken by Mizan Ahmed, www.envythis.co.uk

Why is an author's image so important? It is significant for those who are curious about the person behind a piece of written work. But it is not ANY image that portrays the essence of an author. On the contrary, the image must look professional, natural and display a sort of 'author etiquette.'

I think Mizan Ahmed did a great job capturing my personality in these images. He gave as much attention to my candid/posed behaviour as he did to my book and signature. Therefore, an author's image is not limited to his/her attire or makeup, or even whether or not the picture is gray-scale or in-colour; it takes a great photographer to shoot a great image.

As a public figure, the author can use images for interviews, fan pages (ie. Facebook/Twitter) and personal website. It is for those readers, out there, who are curious to know the essence of an author, if unable to know him/her personally. The best advice I can give to any aspiring author who is ready for an image... 'Be yourself.'

Does the Plot Make a Good Read?

You could give birth to an amazing plot, out of the most vivid imagination and describe it verbally to anyone. For example, 'A girl was murdered in the park, her body's like all over the snow, right?' But, does that plot make for a good read? I was posed this question last night and felt a need to share my thoughts with you.

If you were to read, 'A girl was murdered in the park....' would the line have honestly gripped you, pulled at your heartstrings to a point where you want to read further? Sure! Maybe...if it's in a straight-forward, to-the-point news article.

But, would that same line have gripped you if it was written in novel-format?

Let's say that you read this one line, then you picked up another crime fiction novel and it read something along the lines of, "The pristine white snow was not the same as it once was, etched by the stains of Sabrina's blood."

I made that line up and I'm hoping that it gripped you a lot better than the original one. There's colour mentioned, the victim has a name, and words like 'pristine' and 'etched' sound a lot better to me than 'clean' and 'marked.' I could have also used the terms, 'pure' and 'smeared.'

I always say that every story is worth telling, but when posed the question of whether or not a 'good plot' makes for a 'good read,' I'd say that the challenge is how to write it. Description is key.

When it comes to crime fiction masterpieces, there's Agatha Christie, Henning Mankell, or Stieg Larsson, experts on transforming their fantasies into written format and describing the plot as picturesquely as a movie clip.

Being a fan of the Swedish TV series, 'Wallander,' which was introduced to me by my husband, who was born and raised in Sweden, we've been reading one of the greatest crime fiction novelists of our time, Henning Mankell. And if you like Mankell, you'll love Larsson's Millennium Trilogy.

Practice will never make perfect as every writer, like any artist, is a perfectionist, knowing fully well that achieving perfection is impossible. BUT, practice can certainly make for excellent writing potential.

Walk a Straight Line!

I just finished editing my first chapter. I realized the importance of consistency, walking a straight path instead of a zig-zag, or walking on a smooth road instead of a bumpy one!

Italics

CAPITAL LETTERS

" 'Quotation Marks' "

How you choose to write the name or title of something is crucial.

For example, if at one point, you write 'Friends' and you're happy with it, don't write Friends.

If at one point you write Her Feet Chime, then don't write 'Her Feet Chime' and write all novel/book titles in italics.

Writing is an art and you, as the artist, must make choices on your own personal style for your canvas...blank page/Word doc.

I'm sure you understand the importance of consistency. I know I do; hence why, I have a separate document called 'Notes' in which I write all of the important words and notes to refer back to when I murmur to myself,

Wait a minute, did I italicize that word in the first paragraph or use quotation marks around it?

The Biggest Burden-The Biggest Hope

The biggest burden in life can be 'compromise' because it forces us to conform with the circumstances.

The biggest hope in life can be 'compromise' because it forces us to seek peace.

Compromise is like a tight rope, one can be stuck in the middle of it for a long time before deciding which 'end to meet.'

It can be painstaking, heart-trending, or...alleviating, heart-warming.

The biggest challenge in life is 'compromise;' it requires mental, physical and emotional strength; it makes us powerful and hopefully, worth a reward in the end.

Bangladesh Independence

In Greenwich, London, recently, there was an incredible Multi-cultural event. Among the attendees and presenters were some relatives of mine, who I prepped for the performance. I hope you enjoy the videos below:






Also, I recommend the following book if anyone would like to know more about Bangladeshi Independence. It's an extraordinary and gripping work of fiction based on a very real event that took place in 1971.

Hajj

'Verily, with hardship there is relief' (94:6, Qur'an).

Preparation

Hajj is something one must be mentally and physically prepared for. Some say it takes one year to prepare for the journey; others say that it takes two years. However much time you need, it is important to remember that Hajj, being one of the five pillars of Islam, is not just a duty to be fulfilled for the sake of Islam or to please Allah; in fact, it is the ultimate test of your strength and patience. Sabr or patience is so heavily emphasised in Islam because it is so difficult to maintain.

We all get angry, have tantrums or argue. Humanly, it just seems impossible for us to stay calm in a difficult or challenging circumstance. But we must try and that is what Hajj teaches us to do; if you complete Hajj and you feel you’ve maintained sabr, then insh’Allah, you’re on your way to becoming a calmer and more peaceful individual, ready to handle any situation in the ‘civilised’ world.

Say ‘Goodbye’ to internet, ‘Ciao’ to TV and ‘Adios’ to mobile/cellular phones! In whatever language you choose to say ‘farewell’ to what most of us consider part of civilisation, it will be time to say ‘Salaam’ to Hajj.

Hajj is the ultimate test of your strength and patience because it consists of:

• Camping out in the wilderness: four nights of sleeping on the hard rock grounds of Mina and Muzdalifah, surviving on dried fruits and nuts, and wearing one outfit (ihram).

• No moisturising (with fragranced lotions, oils, etc.), no swearing, no backbiting nor participating in any worldly conversations, no hurting animals including ants, no cutting hair or nails, no ripping off leaves or plants, while in the state of ihram.

• Walking for miles and miles to throw pebbles at the three pillars that the devil (shaytan)

• Accepting the fact that most of the millions of Hajjas and Hajjis are not polite; they push, shove, and cut in line at the toilets/bathrooms

• Tolerating the blazing heat of the sun, thereby avoiding dehydration

• Unavoidable illness from the coughing and nose-blowing spectacular at the mosques

• Differentiating between the genuine poor and the crooks (who to give charity to)

• Communication barrier with people coming in from all over the world and even the mosque and mina camp guards, who have no idea how to speak English (so if you’re lost, then you’re on your own)

• Airport organisation, which can be considered…disorganised and a tediously long process, to say the least.

After having gone through all of these challenges, I think to myself, ‘I’ve done it!’ and can only hope that Allah accepts my holy pilgrimage and forgives me of my sins.

Now, if you ask me, ‘How was your Hajj journey?’ my answer will be, ‘Allah has made it so comfortable and easy for me.’

Then, you might curiously say, ‘But, it sounds really difficult….’ My answer will be, ‘When I look back on the journey, I can only smile because I’ve done it!’

Basically, I’m home, safe and sound, because Allah has willed me to be. If Allah had not made this journey comfortable and easy for me, then how else have I gotten to this point, writing about my experience so that it might help you!

It is also crucial that a Muslim understands the requirements of Hajj because there are many common mistakes one can make…. For example, a lot of Muslims feel that touching the Kaaba or Allah’s House and rubbing their bodies with their hands (a.k.a. bathing themselves with it) is ‘okay,’ when it is not a farz or requirement of Hajj. Our Prophet (PBUH) did not do this during the holy pilgrimage.

Another example of a common mistake is people hurting others just to touch or kiss the black stone inside the Kaaba-one should not hurt another just to do this because it is not a farz to kiss the stone; if it is too crowded to reach, then it is best to just raise up one hand in its direction from any distance and kiss that hand.

Food/Communication

Makkah and Madinah are ‘fast-food heaven’ for those of you who crave fried chicken, halal Burger King, McDonalds and KFC. But too much of this and you will end up with serious nutrition issues, so be careful.

One thing is for sure, it seemed like the Saudi Arabians love their fried chicken and chicken burgers. In fact, finding a decent meat burger/cheese burger in the Arabian take away/take-out restaurants can be a challenge because of this. And most of the time, they put fries/chips in the burgers which I found different, for lack of a better word.

I was craving a cheese burger and getting to Burger King from my hotel was a mission because I had to walk through the crowded mosque to get there. So...I ventured locally.

‘Do you have a cheese burger?’ I asked the guy behind the counter.

‘Burger? Chicken?’ he asked.

‘No, a meat burger, not chicken.’

‘Chicken burger?’

‘Do you have beef burger?’

He quizzically eyed me. Obviously, he had no idea what I was saying as he did not speak English and I did not speak Arabic.

Then, I remembered Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow), the Qur’anic verses about Ibrahim (PBUH), from where we gained the tradition of qurbani (sacrifice).

‘Do you have a baqarah burger?’

‘Ah, baqarah!’ He laughed.

I laughed too, nodding. ‘Yes, yes!’

Finally, he understood and I got the cheeseburger I had been searching for (no fries or chips inside).

Note: it is important to gear up with dried fruits, nuts and water during the three-night stay at Mina and one-night stay at Muzdalifah.

Walking

I have never walked so much before, in my life. I’ve grown thinner and I’m sure, did some heavy cardiovascular exercise during Hajj.

Simply running back and forth from the Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah during the prayer times was a workout on its own. Not to mention, I trekked miles from my camp at Mina, through wide tunnels, up-hill and in the swarm of millions of people, to throw pebbles at the pillars of the devil.

Thirsty and hungry, developing serious hip ache from sleeping on the hard ground during my three-night stay at Mina and one-night stay at Muzdalifah…I can only say, ‘Alhumdulilah.’

Hajj is a farz, one of pillars of Islam and to be completed once in one’s lifetime for those who are physically, mentally and financially able to perform it. So if you are able to do so, then just think of how fortunate you are to be physically, mentally and financially able to perform it.

I just think about the millions of Muslims who were unable to perform Hajj at the same time that I was. I think about the many that were probably rejected by the Saudi Embassy because they can only allow a certain number of people, entry, at one time. I think about how it was written in my fate to do Hajj this year, how Allah had invited me to His house, for a second time. When I was 10-years-old, I went with my parents and my little brother. This time, having reached the appropriate age/maturity-level in which Hajj became a farz for me, I went with my husband and my parents-in-law.

Tour

During my free time, I had the opportunity to tour Makkah and Madina. I’ve been to:

Makkah

• Khadijah’s (Radi Allahu Anha) grave: ‘Assalamualaika’
• The cave where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) hid from his enemies
• Masjid Al-Jinn: This is a story on its own which I will share later on in this blog entry

Madina

• Masjid Al-Quba: The first mosque; pray 2-rakats nafal
• Masjid Al-Qiblatain: Masjid of two qiblas (original qibla was Masjid Al-Aqsa and then, Masjid Al-Haram); pray 2-rakats nafal
• Ajwa dates garden where the Prophet (PBUH) used to plant his trees

Architecture

Upon entering the Masjid Al-Haram and nearing the centre where the Kaaba is located, it is as if a moving portrait. The vista is like a live pointillist painting. Millions of people’s heads can be seen, circling the black cube, Allah’s house.

Architecturally, the marble framework of the mosque and openness, providing a clear visage of the sky at all levels, it is a beauty.

Masjid Al-Nabi, also home to the graves of Muhammad (PBUH), Omar and Abu Bakr, is a technological wonder. Inside, it is colourful and golden, containing large domes that slide open to reveal the sky, after asr prayer. Outside, there are large pillars that are like umbrellas that close after asr prayer.

As if straight out of a sci-fi movie, the pillars that are open like large tulips that shade the surrounding marble floor of the mosque's exterior, closes down like folding petals. Watch them open (borrowed video link): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzLazB_Nk5w

Note that Madina has a much cooler and breezier weather than Makkah. Also, it is not required that one visit Madina's Masjid Al-Nabi as part of Hajj. However, it is recommended to convey 'salaam' to the Prophet (PBUH) at Masjid Al-Nabi.

Also, zam zam water is available for free at both mosques, 24/7!

The Encounter at Jinn Masjid

I’ve had my personal experiences with jinn in the past.

But I had no idea that an entire masjid was dedicated to them! Masjid Al-Jinn or Masjid Bai'et is not far from Masjid Al-Haram. After having read The Jinn: & Human Sickness, I’ve learned that there are good and bad jinn; that we cannot see them but some choose to reveal themselves in human or animal form. Jinn Mumin are the Muslim jinn who will be judged alongside humans on the day of judgement.

There were eight of us on the tour bus, after midnight. Masjid Al-Jinn was built specifically for the jinn who wanted to pray there during the Prophet’s (PBUH) time. Before entering this small, yet significant mosque, the imam or Muslim religious leader told us to close our eyes as he prayed, recited Ayatul Kursi, and touched each of our heads. He then told us to open our eyes and that if we should encounter jinn mumin, the females should embrace the females and males should embrace the males.

We went upstairs to the balcony of the mosque. I suddenly noticed two men and two women follow us up. I thought they were just people who wanted to join us for nafl prayer. On the balcony, we did nafl prayer and faced toward the grave of Khadijah again to convey our salaam. At the end, we all put our hands up in du’a, repeating after the imam.

‘Please let us feel the wind of the presence of the jinn mumin, at the mosque today,’ the imam said.

A sudden wind blew in through the balcony and I heard the two men and two women join us, repeating every word the imam was saying. We placed our hands on the green door as the imam prayed for the doors of the mosque to open for us.

Afterwards, we smiled at the men and women who joined us and were about to head back downstairs when the imam stopped us, saying, ‘Hug them.’

That was when I realised that my suspicions were correct; these men and women were not human; they were jinn mumin! I embraced the two women; one laughing with felicity (kissing my two cheeks) and the other, crying and patting my back. Apparently, the one crying could feel what we had prayed for and one laughing could feel joy coming into our lives soon.

The imam apparently met with them later on and they had informed him that I was the first to recognise them for what they really were….

Though the doors of the masjid opened for us, we did not enter because one of our group members was stricken by shock. She's fine.

Conclusion

Everyone's experiences during Hajj are different, but they contain similarities, therefore giving us a chance to provide general advice to future Hajjas and Hajjis.

'...Keep up prayer and enjoin the good and the forbid the evil. And bear with patience whatever befalls you. Verily! These are some of the important commandments ordered by Allah with no exemption. And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah likes not each arrogant boaster. And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of the ass...'-Surah Luqman