LONDON: A British Muslim who supposed to carry out Hajj this 12 months has been utilizing Twitter to encourage pilgrims and assist those that have anxiousness problems.
Layla Begum Ali, a NHS enterprise planning supervisor and coach, began studying about methods to carry out Hajj in Ramadan this 12 months in preparation for the pilgrimage that Muslims should carry out at the least as soon as throughout their lifetime if they will.
Ali informed Arab Information that she began posting sensible Hajj ideas and any new info she had realized about methods to carry out rituals and the historical past behind them on Twitter as a manner of instructing aspiring pilgrims and sharing her newly gained data.
The response was overwhelming and she or he gained a big following on Twitter by individuals who discovered her ideas motivational and galvanizing.
As soon as Saudi Arabia introduced that Hajj can be open to 1 million overseas pilgrims in April, Ali determined that she would take an “organized, productive and proactive” method to getting ready for the pilgrimage.
“I used to be listening to non secular students or simply Googling YouTube movies about Hajj rituals day-after-day, getting 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 changing into common.
“I didn’t understand simply how a lot I didn’t know. I noticed then that I wanted to take duty and study concerning the several types of Hajj, the principles, and the historical past. I examine how the Prophet Muhammad carried out his Hajj and the extra I realized, the extra I tweeted.
“In a short time folks have been tagging me, commenting on my tweets, or complimenting me on my data. 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 realized to suit the 280 character restrict for every tweet and used bullet factors to spotlight key factors.
“I attempted to be as easy and environment friendly as attainable 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 (at the least 40 levels) to the significance of shopping for a Saudi sim card on arrival, and the non secular significance of Zamzam water.
“It turned a ardour. Every single day I used to be studying, I used to be tweeting,” Ali mentioned.
She added that folks began asking her about points that they have been battling, resembling methods to take care of claustrophobia and different anxiousness problems throughout Hajj.
As somebody who has suffered from anxiousness prior to now and has realized methods to take care of it, Ali says that she loves serving to folks face their fears.
She has huge expertise of helping her local 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 believe I’m very drawn to people who find themselves susceptible, need assistance, have points, and who should not actually assured. I like teaching and serving to folks. And I believe 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 discuss them via how they may handle it.
“So I used to be really teaching folks publicly, with out realizing it. And folks began warming to me and giving me suggestions about how the guidelines have 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 group within the individuals who she interacts with on Twitter.
“All of us had a typical purpose 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 group,” 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 is not going to be performing the pilgrimage because the period and the dates of the package deal supplied didn’t go well with her commitments.
Nevertheless, she seems to be ahead to performing Hajj subsequent 12 months. She mentioned: “I haven’t stopped excited about 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 shall be going to Hajj subsequent 12 months and shall 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.”
