Reflections from Tarim

Bismillah…..Here begins ‘Return to the Sacred’

It’s been some time since I last wrote here. Life has carried me through seasons of deep stillness and sacred change ones I could never have scripted, but that unfolded with divine mercy and meaning.

Since my last post, I have crossed many thresholds: I have birthed, healed, travelled, and returned most recently to the sacred valley of Tarim Hadramout, Yemen. A place so dear to my heart, a city unlike any other on earth.

I first set foot in Tarim, Yemen eight years ago. From the moment I arrived, I felt as though I had returned home. No other city had ever touched my heart in that way. Except Madinah, the radiant city of our Beloved ﷺ. There was a familiarity in Tarim’s air, a sweetness in its silence, a peace that wrapped itself around my soul.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “The people of Yemen have come to you and they are more gentle and soft-hearted. Belief is Yemeni, and wisdom is Yemeni.”

When I left in 2017, a part of me stayed behind. I have longed to return ever since, often whispering du‘as to be called back when the time was right. And subhanAllah Allah’s timing is always perfect. Years later, I found myself standing once again in that sacred valley, holding in my heart an even deeper sense of gratitude and awe.

And so began my second chapter in Tarim. This second chapter in Tarim has unfolded differently; softer, slower, more rooted. This time, I am not just a visitor, but one who belongs. Witnessing that Allah truly is the best of planners. My heart now dreams of staying longer, raising my children in a place that feels like being wrapped in divine protection.

Alhamdulillah for being blessed to stay in a place where I never feel like a stranger. In Tarim, I don’t need to seek gatherings of khayr……they find me. It’s a place that embraces your whole being, where people love you not for what you have, but simply because you are a creation of Allah.

Tarim reminds me that the sacred is not somewhere far it is wherever Allah is remembered with love. Here, hearts are soft. The streets echo with remembrance. The fragrance of sincerity lingers in the air.

This season of my life: Motherhood, travel, birth, and return feels like the quiet between two heartbeats. A silence between who I was and who I am becoming. Perhaps that is what Return to the Sacred is all about: remembering that every detour, delay, and distance is part of being gently led back to Him.

If you are in a season of waiting or wondering, I pray these reflections remind you that Allah’s timing is mercy and even when we feel far, He is near.

Thank you for reading. If this reflection resonated with you, I’d love for you to stay connected and follow along for more heartfelt writings on faith, simplicity, and sacred living.

Peace be with you