Dua Manifestation Story

I had some profound reflections during the last ten nights of Ramadan.

On Friday, April 5th, it was the 27th night of Ramadan. More than 2.5 million worshippers were expected to gather in Masjid Haramein. My sister and I wanted to get inside the masjid because we didn't want to pray Maghrib and Isha on the roads.

We wanted to somehow get inside the masjid, but we had already had a long and exhausting day. My sister, her daughter, and my mother, who uses a wheelchair, went to the mosque around 10:30 am to secure a spot for Jummah. Alhamdulillah, we were able to get inside, but we couldn't stay together because there was a separate section for wheelchairs. My sister and mother stayed in a different area, while I stayed with my niece closer to the Kaaba. Every 40 minutes, security guards yelled at us to clear the space, so we were constantly moving from one spot to another like gypsies. We planned to stay through the night of the 27th so we could be inside the Haramain

But it was extremely difficult for my mother to stay in the wheelchair for that long, so my sister decided to take her back to the hotel. She called me as well, but I refused to leave because if I went, I would lose my spot. Eventually, I decided to go with her after requesting that she return in time so we could be inside the masjid for Maghrib. She agreed, so we went back. Her youngest son wasn’t feeling well; he had a fever and was recovering. She arranged their iftar and medication and then handed over his care to my mother before we left. By the time we left, it was already late, around 5:30 pm, but we still had an hour until iftar.

They had already started blocking the roads, and my brother-in-law and my other nephew were unable to accompany us because only men in ihram were allowed. As my sister and I walked through the crowd to the masjid, it was difficult for us to look them in the eye and leave while the security guards allowed us to pass but refused to let them accompany us.
Even though we had 45 minutes until iftar, in Makkah, on a Friday during one of the last ten nights of Ramadan, and especially on the 27th night, worshippers would plan to arrive hours in advance. As I walked toward the masjid, I didn't know what we would eat for iftar or how we would make it through the night prayers without food.
I wanted to make dua to Allah to make it a fulfilling night of worship so we could secure space inside the masjid and pray peacefully. However, my situation prevented me from focusing on the dua. My internal dialogue was,
'What? You're late, yet you still expect to find a space inside the masjid. Just consider your current situation. You're walking to Masjid Al Haram only 45 minutes before iftar, and that too on one of the busiest days of the year, when more than 2 million worshippers are expected. Let’s not forget it’s an odd night, a Friday and the 27th!”

I knew we were at fault for leaving late, but what else could we do? I felt like a free bird, and without the responsibility of caring for my family (since they didn't accompany me to Makkah), I was able to get ready in minutes. But my sister didn't have the same flexibility, so I couldn't blame her either. What happened next was unexpected and miraculous. Even though I was at fault, I still made dua to Allah to bless us with an opportunity to pray peacefully inside the masjid.

I didn't feel shy about sharing our shortcomings. My self-talk turned into a conversation with Allah:
'Allah, we are here, and we wanted to come to Your house and peacefully break our fast. I don't even know what we are going to eat for iftar, but we wanted to be inside to pray Maghrib, Isha, and Taraweeh. Allah, we were late in coming here. My nephew wasn't feeling well, and my sister had to spend time with him to make sure he ate, took his medication, and arranged other things. Allah, we were tired after walking to the hotel and wanted to lie down and sleep, but we knew we wouldn't be able to get back to the masjid if we did. So, we rushed back after taking care of our commitments. Oh, Allah, we are at fault, but Your mercy encompasses our shortcomings.'
"I also kept reciting this dua along with my conversation with Allah as we rushed towards the masjid."

لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبْحَٰنَكَ إِنِّى كُنتُ مِنَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
Transliteration: La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni kuntu minaz-zalimin.
English Meaning: There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been the wrongdoer.

We made it to the courtyard of the masjid, but it was jam-packed with no available spots. Finding a spot, especially a peaceful one, seemed impossible, but I continued to make dua. I had a bottle of Zamzam water and a few dates with me. Although food wasn't my primary concern, it was still at the back of my mind. What were we going to eat, and how could we sustain ourselves with just water and dates until after Taraweeh?
As we scrambled for a spot, I asked my sister if I should message a brother we knew through a family member, a local who might be able to help us out by getting some food for us. I did message him, and I waited there, providing him with our location.

Finally, I got to meet him. I know little Urdu, and he doesn't know any English. The messages I had been sending him were translated by our contact in the US. Just by looking at us, he knew we were desperate to find a place before iftar. He told us to wait there and not go anywhere else, and he promised he would be back.

As my sister and I stood there, the clock ticked down to 25 minutes until Iftar. I didn't know why he asked us to wait there, and I thought that if we kept moving with the crowd, we might find a spot before Iftar. My mind struggled to accept the possibility of us sitting peacefully for Iftar, but I pushed those thoughts away and tried to focus on dua.

It was indeed a blessed time: a Friday, during the last ten nights of Ramadan, just before iftar. I was pushing through all the challenging circumstances and focusing on dua—believing in what Allah could make possible. Within minutes, the brother returned and asked us to follow him. We didn't know where he was leading us, but we followed him without hesitation. He took us to a crowded floor and then guided us towards the back.

Voilà! What a feast for the eyes! An empty hall stretched as far as I could see. It was quiet, cool, and serene, with only a few women present. I could hardly believe that we were given spots there to pray. As we were about to spread our prayer mat, the brother asked us to wait and then laid out a green carpet for us, so we could pray comfortably.

I was deeply moved by how Allah answers our prayers, even in our most vulnerable moments. Tears filled my eyes, and I was too overwhelmed to speak. I simply performed sajdah, thanking Allah for arranging everything for us in what seemed like an impossible situation.

Sometimes, when we make mistakes, we see the immediate effects of our actions right in front of us. We know we are at fault and think that we must endure the consequences. However, we often forget that there is always a way out through dua, even when we are to blame for the situation. We just need to submit ourselves to Allah, acknowledging our mistakes, even when we are entirely at fault.
Our errors and shortcomings should not deter us from reaching out to Allah. That was exactly what happened to me. I questioned whether I should ask Allah for a miracle in an impossible situation.

I buried those thoughts and still made dua. Allah manifested my dua by giving us a green carpet welcome. And it didn't stop there!

In a few minutes, the brother brought me four cups of pink lemon juice, and just before iftar, he presented us with a hot pack of chicken and lamb mandi. We felt honored by the hospitality and special treatment we were receiving. My sister felt uncomfortable by this and we decided to share our lemon juice, mandi, joy, and gratitude with all those praying.

Moral of the story:
Our mistakes and shortcomings should never stop us from reaching out to Allah.
We shouldn't stop making dua because we think its impossible to happen. Dua can change destiny.
We shouldn't be the ones to decide the results. Even if we are at fault, we should return to Allah, submit ourselves, surrender, and seek a way out. Inshallah, with His mercy and the sincerity of our intentions, actions, and dua, the outcome will change.