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One of the oldest memories of my childhood is reciting Naats (poems that praise of Prophet Muhammad PBUH). In mosques: in religious gatherings.
When I was young, my mom asked me repeatedly to go to the mosque. She agreed to all my rational and irrational requests and said, "go my son, read the Quran. Recite Naat for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). There was a mosque right next to our house. Till my voice reciting Naat kept echoing in the loudspeaker, my mom kept crying.
She asked me to go to religious gatherings to celebrate Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Sometimes she would bribe me and say I would get money from there if I go. And on every Friday, she requested me saying, “go son, recite that Naat for me!”
Her favorite Naat was, “It’s a journey to Madina!”
Now 30-35 years have passed since then. Mom is no more, and today I am in Madina. Alone.
Because of reciting Naats about Madina since childhood, it feels as if I have probably been here before. I feel a strange familiarity with this place. At the time when I was reciting hymns about the streets of Madina, who would have thought that I will come here one day? And that too on a bicycle!
There are so many people here. But in every face, I am trying to find the face of my mom. If she were here, she would have definitely asked me to recite Naat here.
So today, in memory of that childhood, in memory of my mother, and in memory of the one with the Green Dome (PBUH), I am going to recite a Naat.
My journey has not ended yet.I still have to fulfill another promise. My next destination is... Makkah!
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This video would not have been possible without the help of many people. Big thanks to my friends Noman, Hassan, Affan, Khalil Nablesi, Max, Yasir, and Khalid Tunisi for their help with the shoots. Also many thanks to brother Shaker for the drone footage of Madinah Al Munawaarah and Ahmad Sindi for the Arabic translation.
8 апр 2023
