abtravels

Wearing Ihram Clothes

I had bought the ihram clothes or the two pieces of white cloth back in the UK and they were still wrapped and packaged in the plastic bag in my luggage. I decided to unwrap these and practice putting them on in front of the mirror. 

Despite my initial wariness about putting on the clothes and my fear of the bottom piece coming loose, it was actually quite easy to do and secure. There are many youtube videos demonstrating how to wear the clothes including tips and tricks to ensure the torso covering doesn’t come off during prayer. This is one of the main issues but if it ever happens just recover yourself, no big deal. But there is a trick where you tuck in the ends into your bottom piece to ensure it stays on securely. 

Another tip on putting on the bottom piece is spread your legs out first before wrapping around the piece. This will ensure you have much more space to walk and that the wrap won’t be so tight that taking longer strides becomes difficult. Also you can wear a simple travel belt just to tighten the waist in case you’re worried. This can be convenient as well to carry any money, your phone or in my case my blood glucose monitor and some glucose tablets which were quite important. 

I had been nervous initially as you’re self conscious that you’re not wearing anything else underneath but as it turns out, it’s quite comfortable and very simple and doesn’t cause any discomfort. So if you’re ever going Umrah and you’re worried about this, you can practice wearing the ihram clothes in your own time and it will reassure you that this is actually very comfortable and easy.

The umrah guide had messaged to say that I should be ready by 12:30, and it was now afternoon/early evening so I still had a bit of time. 

After removing the ihram clothes that I had practiced wearing I got changed into my normal clothes and was just relaxing in my hotel room/did some light exercise as since I entered Saudi Arabia, my sugar levels have been steadily on the high side, this is despite not having really eaten anything properly. I didn’t inject the total amount of corrective insulin at this point as I was going to be much more active later but I did halve the normal dose and injected this. 

It was about 10:30 when I decided to officially get ready for my Umrah. I went to the toilet, had a shower, brushed my teeth and wore the ihram clothes as I practised. Now the money belt throughout the whole experience was the most annoying and frustrating thing. 

As it was slightly loose I attempted to tighten it by adjusting the two straps to make the chain shorter. However, this seemed to have the opposite effect and made it even more loose. After about half an hour trying to work this through, I just decided to abandon trying to fix it. I would take it downstairs and see if the Umrah guide could help me fix it. 

I packed it with my dextrose tablets and glucose monitor as well as my room card but I stupidly forgot my wallet. In the midst of trying to correct the belt, I somewhat panicked and forgot my actual wallet as well as my extra drawstring bag that I had bought with me on the trip. 

Before realising this when I was downstairs waiting for the guide I prayed a special voluntary prayer called nafl. This can be performed at any point as an act of worship; there’s no set time during the day. 

I prayed nafl as it was recommended after getting ready for your journey but also I’ve found that since I’ve come to the KSA, prayer has been somewhat calming for me. I was there alone and even though I have travelled alone before, given what this trip was about and where I was there was always a bit more nervousness I think just naturally. I found prayer to be a comforting distraction as well as a calming meditation in a way.

Doing Umrah with Crohn’s

Throughout my preparation for the Umrah there was always one constant worry that I continuously had throughout the whole journey. Anyone with Crohn’s might be able to resonate a little and that’s the fear of urgently needing a toilet. 

I prepared for this by making sure I had been going to the toilet throughout the day whenever the need arose but also by drinking very little in the 4-6 hours prior to departure. This was a real worry and concern I had. 

You are absolutely permitted to use the loo whenever you need to. You just need to make sure you are clean afterwards by performing Wudu/Ablution or showering if possible/necessary. It won’t make your Umrah invalid. 

We have to remember that Umrah and Hajj should be performed by those who are medically fit and capable and if it causes you any distress, this should be dealt with as a priority to ensure your mind is purely on an act of worshipping God. Also for those that have for example a medical condition that means they would struggle to perform the Umrah or act to its complete guidance there is Rukhsah (concession). 

For example in Ramadan I am exempt from fasting as a Type 1 diabetic as it may cause excess hardship. Likewise in Umrah Crohns can cause some challenges like needing the toilet frequently or unavoidable breaking of wind, which if it happens, technically you are meant to perform Wudu. 

For someone with Crohn’s or another ailment this may prove impractical as it could potentially require frequent Wudu. So there is an exemption/concession in this circumstance. Umrah is not to cause any pilgrim distress or overwhelming hardship. 

Umrah Guide

I made my way downstairs to the hotel lobby/reception area about 12:10 to wait for the Umrah guide or Walim (my mum informed me that this is what they are called, I’m not sure if this is Bengali or Arabic). 

I was so thirsty at this point that I asked the hotel receptionist if water was available but he pointed to the shop on the other side of the road. My Umrah guide informed me he would be at the hotel at 12:30 so I still had a bit of time to go back up to my hotel room and grab a sip of water. 

As previously mentioned I stupidly forgot my wallet and drawstring bag which if you’re doing Umrah, make sure you take with you. 

It was only a minute or so after I returned that I noticed a young man in Ihram clothes walk into the hotel scoping out looking for someone I reckon. As this was 12:30 past midnight the hotel lobby was pretty empty. There were a few people on the other side of the lobby on sofas but no one wearing the ihram clothes so I was easy to spot and recognise. 

After a brief Assalamu-alaikum and confirmation of my name we stepped outside to wave down a taxi to head to Masjid Aisha / Masjid at Tan’eem. It was at this point that I remembered I left my wallet upstairs and informed the guide. He advised that since we are now in a state of ihram and about to perform our intention, it would not be appropriate to return to my room to collect the money. He kindly offered to pay for miscellaneous expenses, and I could reimburse him after.

Make sure you subscribe to this blog by filling the short form just below. In my next post that will be published soon, I will talk through my journey to Masjid Aisha as well as my first sight of the Ka’bah in real life and how it made me feel. Don’t miss this and stay tuned!!