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I have been to the following: Americas: Bahamas Belize Brazil Canada Honduras Mexico USA Europe: England France Greece Turkey Africa: South Africa Asia: Indonesia Iraq Iran Malaysia Pakistan Philippines Saudi Arabia Singapore Syria United Arab Emirates What countries have you visited or resided in. Best/Favorite one?

Salaam all, I would like to travel to Iran from the US for pilgrimage and possibly tourism independently (not in a group but just a few family members) . I am getting conflicting information about the process. My understanding is I need someone (travel agent) in Iran to get approval for my family and me. Then I send that information to Washington. Is that correct? Can anyone provide assistance? Was salaam

Salams I’m inviting members to share brief travel stories along with select pics about the wonderful places they have visited and the things they experienced there. The reason for starting a new thread is that I’d like to focus on individual experience, personal observations, and examples of cultural exchange and shock etc as opposed to the more general to-do and to-see lists which, in the age of the internet, anyone can look up online about any place on Earth. Reports of pilgrimages or religious travel are welcome but this is by no means the main or exclusive focus of the thread. I was in transit at Oakland airport (OAK) when I saw this appear on a digital screen with a background of an unknown snow-covered mountaintop. “We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us.” It struck a chord. I’ll start with some observations from my Umrah trip. Until then here's something to think about:

salam everyone my eid is on saturday. i currently live in sydney and it takes me an hour and a half to get to wollongong. am i valid to fast? i follow sistani and i know according to him, you cannot fast when travelling far.

Salaam, I am planning a trip for this summer after I graduate; I want to go to sites that are holy to Shia. I plan to go to Tehran first, then to the Shrine of Imam Reza, followed by visiting Qom. I do wish to visit Iraq next, as the southern area of the country where Kerbalah and Najaf are, is generally safe. I would like to end my trip in Medina to visit the shrine of Imam Hassan. I would eventually like to go to Damascus, but unfortunately the turmoil in Syria is far too much at this moment, so that will be for another trip. Thoughts and advice? Did I leave anything out? (US Citizen btw)

Assalamualaikum, I will be traveling to the Middle East in a couple weeks in shaa Allah, and I have a bunch of questions regarding prayer. Keep in mind I am a relatively new convert, so please be patient with me. 1) I read that all prayers during travel are 2 rakat. What counts as "travel"? I will be traveling for around 14 days, going in between cities, staying a couple nights in each and going around either to nearby cities or exploring the city I am staying in each day. Is "travel" simply the plane rides and bus rides, or the whole trip, since I am not staying in the same place the whole time? 2) Part of my trip will be in Jerusalem, and I plan to pray at Al Aqsa in shaa Allah. I was warned by a Palestinian friend of mine, however, that it is very dangerous if I pray like a Shia there and I should do taqiyyah and perform my prayers like a Sunni. Given recent events, it is even more dangerous to be praying noticeable differently at Al Aqsa, as people might suspect me to be a Zionist actor and become violent. Do I have to make up prayers later that are performed in taqiyyah? 3) Just in general, what are the rulings on praying salat at a Sunni mosque with Sunnis? The nearest Shia mosque to me is 3 hours away, and I cannot drive. The nearest Sunni mosque is 15 minutes by bus. If I prayed Jummah there, would I follow the imam or do it the way we do it? Would I stand in line with all of the others, or just quietly do my own thing in the back? Background note, I am a woman, so since congregational Jummah prayers are not obligatory upon me, I have not been going to the mosque. 4) If I am in a situation where I am unable to find pure water or dust for wudu, should I pray anyway, or would they not count? Is impure water better than nothing? 5) What's up with sutrahs? Do we use those anymore, or does a prayer rug essentially outline the space necessary for salah? JazakAllah khair and thank you for your patience with me.

Hi . I'm currently studying in Kuala Lumpur. I plan to return to my home back in Pakistan in a few days . I'll be staying there for over a month .i will be in travel for 12 hours . Is is okay if I don't fast for that day ?

I have a simple question. I am away from my home ( in different) state working in company. I am going home for 5 days (which although is 1000kms away). Do I need to keep fast for these 5 days at home or not? (Since I have heard that coming back to home you have to keep fast). Please confirm it and let me know.

(bismillah) Assalamualikum. My husband and I are new to Shia Islam, and we have some questions about fasting. I have looked around this forum at similar posts and only grown more confused, so if someone could please spell out the answers clearly, that would be wonderful. 1. I will be traveling in the Middle East for 10 days this Ramadan. Is it okay if I do not fast those 10 days (and make up the fasts later)? 2. For the rest of Ramadan and beyond, I will be working in New York City. My daily commute is 2 hours by train each way, plus some time on the subway. I read something about 30km being the limit for traveling while fasting, and if that limit is exceeded, fasts become invalid. Is that true? Do I really have to not fast because of my long commute? What are the rules for fasting while traveling? 3. My husband is an Uber driver. His work hours are 10pm-7am. He is constantly driving for all of the shift. Would his fasts be invalid? What should he do if that is the case? We can't just not work for the entirety of Ramadan. 4. Before I became Shia, I had converted to a different denomination of Islam from atheism a few years before, and I could never fast all of Ramadan because my body got too sick to function. After a few weeks I would give up on fasting and instead donate a lot of food to the local soup kitchen. Is that permissible in Shia Islam? Should we just donate food in place of fasting because we have to be traveling constantly during Ramadan? 5. How do prayers work on a plane? I've never had to deal with praying while changing time zones before. Jazakallah khair in advance!

I'm living with my sister's family from the past two months and will be visiting my uncle for 3 days who lives 90 kms from her(during which I know that I can't fast as my roza will be qasr).my question is that when I come back my stay at my sister's will be only for 2 days n then I'll be flying back home. Can I fast on these 2 days?

I am looking for different travel packages/groups for Hajj pilgrimage iA. Please post any options you are aware of with details about the logistics, groups, sect, etc.

Hello I'd like to know if there are any laws concerning to travelling, I heard that the quran can't be carried from one place to another, if that is true, one should buy it in the place of destination? as muslims should relate mostly with muslims, maybe the place where a muslim go is another muslim home, and there will be a quran, thus there wouldn't be need of carry one. But what if a muslim go to a hotel? I read that women shouldn't travel alone too; but I want to know if there are other laws for travelling or if someone knows a web page that answer this properly. For example, what if my flight last 12 hours in a plane, how a muslim would pray? maybe in this case wouldn't pray at the specific times. Thank you if any can answer this.

S/a, I had gone on a business trip/family vacation for a few days. I had my wife and 4 kids with me. Before my travel, I had firmly reinforced my intentions of praying all my prayers on time. This has previously been a weakness for me (praying during travel), but since my spirituality has increased over the last time I traveled, I thought I would fare well. Unfortunately, I failed! :-( My first day was okay, but the remainder 6 days were not! I have been trying to search the reasons for me failing so easily and trying to see what I can do for the future so I do not repeat this poor behavior. So far, I feel the following factors contributed to my failure: quiet place to pray (I was in a VERY busy city and it seemed like there was people everywhere) clean place to pray (issues of najis/unclean areas) "inconvenience" of doing wuddhu - both with dress attire and having to do wuddhu in public areas fear of persecution in this political climate (go figure how much I depend on God!) responsibility of 4 kids being extremely tired and exhausted at end of day (to at least do qadha) being outside the comfort of home (or place I am familiar with) etc Can anyone suggest what I can do to make my connection with God be as strong during my periods of travel? Thanks. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Ironically, I found this (below) in my email on my arrival (it has started helping me and hope it helps others too): Quranic Reflections 6:16. Āyat 66:8 – Turning to Allah (swt) يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا Yā ayyuhalladhīna āmanū tubū ilallāhi tawbatan nasūha. O you who believe, turn to Allah a sincere turning (Sūratut Tahrīm, No. 66, Āyat 8) This verse is an invitation to turn back to God after having turned away from Him. For all those who have become distracted from God, have disobeyed Him, and have not made Him the focus of their lives, God calls them back to Him. He asks them to repent for the distance they have created between themselves and their Lord. It should be a sincere repentance based on awe of Allah (swt) and a disappointment with the self. The word nasūhā implies sincerity as well as a firm determination. Its purity prevents a person from returning to the pollution of sin. Turning back to Allah has to have the following qualities: a) Feeling remorse with the heart at having turned away b) Apologizing and seeking forgiveness with the tongue c) Stopping sins and all that turns one away from God d) Intending to continue quality (c), above. When the world is full of distractions and the human being is so weak, it is very easy to turn away from God. This does not only mean committing sins. Sometimes it is possible that a believer is not disobedient. But he is apathetic in his obedience. His connection with Allah is weak despite performing his wājibāt (the required obligations). This distance from God weakens his resolve and creates emptiness in life which he seeks to fill with other things. Allah tells him to turn back to him, sincerely and strongly. Such a turning back is valuable and can transform his life. It is incredible that the human being in all his weakness and smallness turns away from His creator. God in all His greatness and majesty calls him back. Why? After having created him, having blessed him with so much, giving him guidance so he can turn to Him, God still is patient with Him. He does not give up on him and invites him to come to Him. Imam Ali (a) says: Be obedient to Allah and love His remembrance. Picture to yourself that you are running away while He is approaching you. He is calling you to His forgiveness and concealing your faults with his kindness while you are fleeing from him towards others. (Nahjul Balāgha, Sermon 220) In Du‘ā al Iftitāh, recited in the nights of Holy Ramadān, we say: [O Allah] I have not seen a more generous master, patient with a wretched slave, than You are with me. My Lord, You call me and I turn away from You, You show affection to me and I show hatred towards You, You display Your love for me and I do not respond, as though I am above You. But this does not prevent You from having mercy on me, being good to me, and favoring me, through Your Generosity and Nobility Such is the Merciful God we worship. As we enter the season of worship during the months of Rajab, Sha’ban and holy Ramadhan, turn back to God with sincerity and determination. Recite this verse to remind yourself of God’s invitation and accept the call to turn to Him. Life will become much more meaningful and enlightened.

AOA, I'll be going on ziyaraat soon, to Iraq. I'll be visiting Karbala and Najaf. However I may also visit Samaraa, so I wanted to ask, especially from anyone whos been there recently, is it safe? I mean with ISIS and all, and since Samaraa is north of Baghdad and quite close to ISIS controlled areas. Also, is a road trip from Karbalaa to Samaraa safe? Thanks.

Salaam brothers and sisters, this thread is about your travels including past travels. I have traveled only once. And that was when I traveled to India back in late 2007 and that was for only 2 weddings. My parents are from India so I am technically Indian but I was born in Canada so I am Canadian. Now recently, my father planned to take me to Mecca for umrah, and to India twice and to Iraq for ziyarat. It's going to be a great trip, it has been 9 years since I last traveled.

Salam all, I am looking for information regarding going to ziyarat to Iraq and Iran this summer. Unfortunately, it does not seem that much information is online regarding how to plan for such a trip - what to bring, how to get there, where to live, etc. Do people only go through travel agencies these days? If so, what's a good travel agency in NY? I've only found one online which looks somewhat reliable. Jazak'Allah!

I was reading things online and I am confused about travelling rules and fasting during the month of Ramadhan. Last Monday, I left my house at 10:30am (after fajr) to reach my parents' house around 1:15pm (after zhur), which is about 145 km (90 miles) away from my house. I left my parents' house Tuesday afternoon at 5pm to reach my house at about 7pm. I fasted on both Monday and Tuesday. When I'm at my parents' house, I always offer full prayers. Were my fasts valid or do I have to make them up? What is the limit (km/mi) for it to be considered a travel? Am I supposed to offer shortened prayers when i go to my parents'? Jazakallah Khairan for your answers! (wasalam)

Salam Alaykom brothers and sisters I am going to travel a distance of 102 km one way and 102 km back on the same day. Going in the morning and coming back by 20:00-21:00 (I live in sweden and we dont break our fast before around 22:30. Is my fasting invalid or? Please help Wassalam

Salam alejkum, Basically I will be going on holiday after ramadan has started, I will be travelling to a country within Europe so the time difference will only be an hour and the journey itself will be 12 hours. I was wondering whether my fast would be valid if I fasted during travelling as I would be more than able to do so. JazakAllah.

ÓáÇã Úáíßã I am travelling to Egypt this summer, and I looking for places that are not normal tourist spots. I will be seeing the pyramids, mosques, and markets; but I want to know some of the places to see that most travelers don't get to see. jazak Allah

Assalam alaykom! I am trying to gather some information regarding Umrah logistics when travelling from the USA. I have already gone for Hajj, alHamdolillah and am trying to arrange for a short trip to Makkah only for Umrah. For Hajj, of course, you have to go in a group so all logistics are arranged through them. But for Umrah, I would like to go individually (meaning, not with a caravan / group) and stay at a hotel that is right in front of the haram. (My parents recently stayed at Al Safwah - Royal Orchid? and it was super convenient for them.) Does anyone here have any experience travelling for Umrah on their own and can give any advice? I am a frequent traveller within the US, and so booking hotels, airfare etc is a piece of cake for me. It's the out of country part that has me a bit scared. :) Specifically, I am looking for the following information: 1) I know I have to get Umrah visa through a traveler agent. I went for hajj with Mohajerin, but cannot find any contact info (a U.S. phone #) to ask about their Umrah visa services. Any recommendations for a reliable agent who can get me visas? 2) How much should I expect to pay for processing fees for the Umrah visa (which is free) and what should I expect the travel agent to include in their services assuming I purchase airfare and book my own hotels? (P.S. Will be flying into Jeddah from Dubai to go to Makkah.) 3) What website or other method do you recommend I use to book hotel accomodations? My stay will be for 4-5 days in Mecca only, after which I will fly out of Saudi Arabia from Jeddah. I am thinking of staying at either Hilton Towers or Safwah Royal Orchid (sp?) as they are both really, really, really close to the Haram, but please feel free to recommend another hotel. The hotel must be within 0-3 minutes of walking distance (lol). 4) I am slightly confused about the Meqat situation: Flying in from Jeddah, is my Meqat Masjid Johfa even for Umrah? (My Marja is Ayatollah Sistani.) If Johfa is not my Meqat, then what is? (I am travelling from the US to Jeddah via Dubai) 5) What is the best way to reach the Meqat and then to Makkah and how much should I expect to pay for the fare? Please keep in mind I will be travelling with a disabled adult, so I'm looking for medium-fast to fastest route while not hurting my bank account TOO much. If you've read through this entire post, may Allah bless you and if you're posting a reply to me with helpful information or even with contact info of someone whom I can talk to, may Allah bless you 100x more!!!

Wassalam! I just came to canada yesterday, about 9:00 pm. I did not wake up for iftar so i also missed the fajr prayer too... I needed to do ghusl but I still have not done it, can I still fast or do I have to wait for the next day :(? PLEASE HELP! I really hope I can fast ! Blessing to all of you the people of true Islam!