LONDON: A British Muslim who meant to carry out Hajj this 12 months has been utilizing Twitter to encourage pilgrims and assist those that have nervousness issues.
Layla Begum Ali, a NHS enterprise planning supervisor and coach, began studying about find out how to carry out Hajj in Ramadan this 12 months in preparation for the pilgrimage that Muslims should carry out not less than as soon as throughout their lifetime if they’ll.
Ali informed Arab Information that she began posting sensible Hajj suggestions and any new data she had discovered about find out how to carry out rituals and the historical past behind them on Twitter as a method of instructing aspiring pilgrims and sharing her newly gained information.
The response was overwhelming and she or he gained a big following on Twitter by individuals who discovered her suggestions motivational and provoking.
As soon as Saudi Arabia introduced that Hajj could be open to at least one million international pilgrims in April, Ali determined that she would take an “organized, productive and proactive” method to making ready for the pilgrimage.
“I used to be listening to non secular students or simply Googling YouTube movies about Hajj rituals day by day, making ready myself for Hajj.
“I began shopping for my Hajj outfits, booked my (meningitis) vaccination, and adopted the steering that was issued by Saudi Arabia. And that’s when my Hajj tweets began turning into in style.
“I didn’t notice simply how a lot I didn’t know. I spotted then that I wanted to take accountability and be taught concerning the several types of Hajj, the foundations, and the historical past. I examine how the Prophet Muhammad carried out his Hajj and the extra I discovered, the extra I tweeted.
“In a short time folks had been tagging me, commenting on my tweets, or complimenting me on my information. That’s the way it began — I used to be simply sharing what I used to be studying as I went alongside,” Ali explains.
She mentioned that she condensed the data she had discovered to suit the 280 character restrict for every tweet and used bullet factors to focus on key factors.
“I attempted to be as easy and environment friendly as doable with the bullet factors and made them catchy,” Ali mentioned.
Ali mentioned that she shares tips about wide-ranging Hajj associated points — from how British pilgrims can deal with the stifling warmth within the Kingdom at the moment of 12 months (not less than 40 levels) to the significance of shopping for a Saudi sim card on arrival, and the spiritual significance of Zamzam water.
“It grew to become a ardour. Day-after-day I used to be studying, I used to be tweeting,” Ali mentioned.
She added that folks began asking her about points that they had been fighting, resembling find out how to take care of claustrophobia and different nervousness issues throughout Hajj.
As somebody who has suffered from nervousness prior to now and has discovered find out how to take care of it, Ali says that she loves serving to folks face their fears.
She has huge expertise of aiding her area people, having labored within the housing sector, with youth, folks with particular wants, the aged, those that have psychological points, and people in care.
“I feel I’m very drawn to people who find themselves weak, need assistance, have points, and who will not be actually assured. I like teaching and serving to folks. And I feel I used to be managing folks’s anxieties with out realizing it.
“And when folks would say ‘I’m going to Hajj however I’ve claustrophobia,’ I might speak them by means of how they might handle it.
“So I used to be truly teaching folks publicly, with out realizing it. And folks began warming to me and giving me suggestions about how the ideas had been serving to.
“I discovered myself being of profit to individuals who I used to be instructing or teaching,” Ali mentioned.
The supervisor mentioned that she has discovered a brand new social neighborhood within the individuals who she interacts with on Twitter.
“All of us had a typical objective to go to Hajj this 12 months, and fulfil the fifth pillar of Islam. That was a pleasant feeling and I felt like I used to be a part of this pilgrim neighborhood,” Ali mentioned.
Though she had utilized to carry out Hajj this 12 months and was chosen from candidates to a brand new draw system that British pilgrims are utilizing for the primary time, Ali won’t be performing the pilgrimage because the length and the dates of the bundle provided didn’t go well with her commitments.
Nevertheless, she appears to be like ahead to performing Hajj subsequent 12 months. She mentioned: “I haven’t stopped interested by Hajj, it’s nonetheless on my thoughts. I really feel like I’ve simply began my journey with the intention to go, and studying about all of it. I really feel like I can be going to Hajj subsequent 12 months and can be making use of subsequent 12 months.”
“I wish to go to Hajj and thank God for the numerous lovely issues that he has given me.”
