Do you have a favorite place you have visited? Where is it?

My all time favourite place I’ve ever visited where my heart felt at home is Tarim, Yemen. I’ve travelled overseas many times across different continents yet I could not find a place like Tarim and the only other place that stole my heart was Madina, the city of the Beloved ﷺ.

They call Tarim Madinat al-Noor, the City of Light and the first time I walked through its narrow, sun-drenched streets, I understood why.

Tarim’s light isn’t the kind that merely touches the eyes; it is the kind that seeps into the heart. Gentle, golden, and alive. It glows not from lanterns or walls, but from the people themselves, whose hearts are softened by remembrance, whose faces are illumined by dhikr, and whose souls are trained in humility and love.

Every dawn here feels like a renewal. The adhān echoes through the valley, birds rise from clay rooftops, and the call to prayer carries a serenity that cannot be found anywhere else. You sense it in the rhythm of life, in the sacred balance between work, worship, and the stillness that only presence can bring.

Why Tarim is Known as the City of Light

For centuries, Tarim has been a beacon of sacred knowledge and spiritual refinement. Scholars describe it as “a garden of scholars, saints, and seekers.” It is said that more than 360 mosques stand within its valley, each one a lamp of remembrance and a guardian of the prophetic tradition.

The light of Tarim is the light of ‘ilm (sacred knowledge) and dhikr (remembrance of Allah), an illumination that never dims. Generations of scholars, imams, and lovers of the Divine have lived and taught here, and their sincerity continues to light hearts across the world.

It is narrated that Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA) made du‘a for this valley. “That its water be blessed, that it remain inhabited, and that righteous people continue to emerge from it just as crops grow from the earth”. 

Tarim is the only place I’ve visited where cold sweet refreshing water is FREE everywhere. 

The Light Within

To walk in Tarim is to witness light upon light, not the light of electricity or grandeur, but of hearts illuminated by faith. It is a reminder that true nur is not found in brightness but in barakah, not in outward beauty but in inward radiance.

Here, the buildings may be humble, yet their shadows fall softly on centuries of worship. The people may be quiet, yet their silence hums with remembrance.

There is no separation between the sacred and the simple. Every courtyard, every calloused hand, and every crumb shared in the name of Allah feels touched by barakah. Tarim is not a city that merely impresses; it transforms.

Perhaps that is why every soul that visits feels something stir, as if some hidden part of you recognizes the light and whispers, “I’ve been here before.”

Closing Reflection

Tarim’s light is not confined to its valley; it is carried by the hearts that remember, the seekers who learn, and the travelers who return changed.

The Prophet ﷺ said,
“A person is with those whom he loves.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

Tarim, in truth, is not merely a place but it is a state of heart. You see it in those who have walked its paths and then returned home carrying a piece of its light within them. The people connected to Tarim, who love it deeply, seem to shine with a quiet radiance that can be felt from afar. A light of remembrance, humility, and love that speaks of where their hearts have been.

May we all find our own Tarim, wherever we are. That inner sanctuary where our hearts are lit again.

Thank you for reading. This is part of my ‘Reflections from Tarim series’. A journey through faith, stillness, and the sacred spaces that bring us home.

Until next time…

Peace be with you.