Hajj and Umrah Guide - Hajj and Umrah Made Easy

This books needs to be purchased and disseminated. Lofty claim, I admit but give me a chance to backup my claim. If you are a living, breathing human being that reads the English language, you fall into one or more of the categories below:For those of us with intention of performing Haj or Umra - The author provides a clear explanation on how to meet our obligation in these forms of worship. This book stands out as enjoyably, as opposed to being written in what seem to have become the standard text book manner that we often times see in books of this form.For those of us in the process of performing Haj or Umra - The book is also written as a type of quick reference. With color coding and notification blocks. Definitely easy to reference on the move while remaining complete in the delivery of information.For those of us who have had enough of traveling - The author has also managed to write a type of novel, where a fictional character tells us a story about his Haj adventure. It's an enjoyable story, but not a frivolous one. Every paragraph has a lesson to be learned or a new sunnah to implement. Most of which we can imbue in our daily lives regardless of whether or not we have Haj or Umra intention. Unlike Harry Potter, this is an adventure you can actually recreate. You may just be inspired to make Umra once again.For those of us in the publication process - I honestly feel that this group can benefit from this book the most. The author begins by thanking the people involved in making this book, and the number of people involved would put just about any small budget film to shame; their efforts really show. The binding is quality, so if used as a reference this book can surely take a beating. From the looks of it, this book can handle more trips to Saudi Arabia than most people. The paper stock is quality. The editing is pure genius. I did not find a single spelling or printing error, which as we all know is the norm in this genre. For people in publishing this book needs to be studied; it is the remarkable example of how to get it right.For the non-muslims - The author has seemingly, inadvertently written a book of dawah. As we know, the best dawah is living our lives according the order of Allah (swt) and the sunnah of our beloved prophet (saw). That's what this book is about. As I said earlier, it's an book of adventure in the path of religious enlightenment. A path that is very human and very relatable. Often times our dawah focused books seek to challenge and instantly convert non-muslims. Personally, I think this is a grievous mistake. This book handles dawah, in my opinion, the right way. Show the human side of Islam, show the Muslim.

Long review, but please take a minute to read:I normally don't write reviews for books but I think that this book should be reviewed. Let me start off by saying that I am the proud owner of a decent sized collection of Hajj and Umrah guides that I've collected over the years. But after seeing this book, my collection is just that, a collection and nothing more. I have been to the Holy cities numerous times and each time the experience has been a unique one. However, after getting my hands on this book and reading it back to back I can say that it equipped me with a different kind of understanding and a greater thirst to go back again! I performed Umrah, Hajj and visited Madinah Munawwara after reading this book and for the first time I actually knew what each ritual meant and why it was performed. I always looked for this in Hajj and Umrah guides but never found all the answers. Most guides give you the do's and don't do's, and some basic duas and rules. This book is much more than just a guide. It has just the right combination of narrative, humor, history, maps and pictures to satisfy any type of reader. Even our tour guide in Madinah was fascinated by the detailed maps and asked for a copy of the book!!Whether you're a novice or a rookie Haji (like myself Alhamdulillah) you'll find this book very helpful. I love the little practical tips, warnings and rules on the sides. There are also maps of all the historical sites and places you would really enjoy visiting in Makkah and Madinah. I found them to be very helpful because I didn't even know there were so many places still in existence that could be visited. The detailed maps of the inside of the Kabah are fascinating. Also, the extremely rare description and detailed maps of Masjid Nabawi are absolutely genius!! The pictures in the guide are gems because a lot of the locations are hard to find and recognize these days.That being said, I can confidently say that this book is literally the first book of its kind that I came across in my regular searches for better Hajj and Umrah guides. The search is now over. I have met my soulmate of a guide. The rituals I usually performed without much background and understanding are now a different kind of worship. This year was the first time I performed Hajj and I can easily say that if I hadn't read this book I may have left Hajj on the first or second day. I ended up reading the portions from the book to help my group members who were overwhelmed by the Hajj experience. This is the only book I've ever seen that actually answers your questions simultaneously in the here and now and prepares you for the things that you least expect to encounter. Literally.It tells you why each ritual is performed with background information and history so vivid you can easily forget about the present and get carried away into the time of Ibrahim (May peace and blessings be upon him). You will be running Safaa and Marwa with Hajar (May peace and blessings be upon her). You'll be performing tawaf with the Prophet Muhammad (May Peace and blessings be upon him). You will be looking up towards the sky, tears streaking your cheeks, while on Mount Arafat in Du'aa because you'll know why you're there. You'll see the past, present and future from a beautiful perspective that was pieced together on the sacred journey (Hajj or Umrah).I highly recommend this book to everyone, Muslim or not, this book is sure to fascinate any reader looking to find answers or simply explore the thousands of years old Islamic practice of performing this sacred pilgrimage. It beautifully paints the Islamic culture and traditions in the past and present tense. Marvelous.

Helped us prepare for hajj very well. Highly recommend.

I rarely write reviews, however, this book is exceptional and deserves a review. For those planning to go for Haj or Umra, this is a necessity. For those longing to go but cannot at the time, this brings the epic journey to life. For those who just want to know more about the journey, this book will most definitely enlighten you.The journey is highlighted in detail- from everything you would want to take to everything you need to say and do. It is very detailed and well drawn out. I cannot imagine a more illustrated book on the topic.And speaking of illustrated, let's not forget about the pictures and maps- wow! Get this book- you'll see for yourself.I can't say enough about the book, but the fact that I have 3 copies in my home because I won't share mine speaks for itself.It is also made of high quality paper with a good binding.Get this book, you won't regret it. It's a very good read and written with personality; a sense of humor. You won't get bored and you won't want to put it down as it is so intriguing. Well worth the price. Delivered promptly.