In a world marked by conflict and loss, few acts carry the transformative power of giving a child, especially an orphan, the chance to experience Umrah to the Sacred House of Allah تبارك وتعالى. Our “Sacred Dreams: Umrah for Gaza’s Orphans” initiative does exactly that: it offers young Palestinian orphans, displaced by war and now living in Jordan, a spiritually uplifting journey to Makkah. This isn’t just a trip, it’s a lifeline of hope, healing, and divine connection. Let’s walk through what this sacred journey means.
Why Umrah Matters
For Muslims, Umrah is more than a set of rituals; it’s a profound act of devotion, humility, and renewal. For children who have lost parents, homes, and stability to the horrors of war, Umrah becomes a sacred retreat, a space where grief meets mercy, and trauma meets transcendence.
The Sacred Dreams initiative fully funds every aspect of the pilgrimage: flights, visas, accommodation, meals, and guidance for these orphans. They have known only rubble, displacement, and sorrow, and for many, this is their first time traveling outside a refugee camp, their first airplane ride, and their first glimpse of the Kaaba.
And thanks to donors like you, 100% of every contribution goes directly to the orphans’ journey. Administrative costs are covered separately through Gift Aid and other channels, so your generosity has maximum impact.
Walking the Sacred Path: What Umrah Looks Like for Them
Picture this: a 9-year-old boy from Gaza, his name barely whispered in the refugee camp where he lives. His father was martyred in an airstrike. His mother died weeks later from injuries and exhaustion. He sleeps on a thin mattress beside his younger sister, clutching a tattered photo of his parents. He hasn’t smiled in months.
Then, one day, he’s told: “You’re going to Makkah.”
He doesn’t understand at first. Makkah? The place he’s only seen in grainy videos on a neighbor’s phone? The place his mother used to describe as “Allah’s House تبارك وتعالى”? He nods silently, eyes wide with disbelief.
Now, let’s walk with him, step by step, through the Umrah that will change his life forever.
1. Ihram – Stripping Away the Weight of the World
Before dawn, he takes a bath, his first real bath in weeks. The water is warm, and for a moment, he forgets the cold nights in the camp. He puts on the simple white ihram, two unstitched cloths that erase all distinctions of wealth, status, or sorrow. At this moment, he is not “the orphan from Gaza.” He is just a servant of Allah تبارك وتعالى.
He whispers the Talbiyah, his voice cracking:
“Labbayka Allahumma Labbayk… (Here I am, O Allah, here I am).”
Tears stream down his cheeks. No one has asked him to be brave today. No one expects him to “be strong.” Here, in this sacred state, his grief is welcome. His pain is seen.
2. Entering Makkah – Crossing the Threshold of Hope
As the bus winds through the hills toward Makkah, he presses his face to the window. The city glows under soft golden lights. His hands tremble. He hasn’t traveled farther than the camp’s perimeter in three years. Now, he’s entering the holiest city on Earth.
He doesn’t speak. He just watches, eyes wide, breath held, as the minarets of Masjid Al-Haram come into view. For the first time since his parents died, he feels something stir inside him: hope.
3. Entering Al-Masjid Al-Haram – The First Glimpse of the Kaaba
He enters through the tall gates and then, he sees it. The Kaaba. Its black cloth looking majestic, surrounded by thousands of worshippers, yet somehow radiating a stillness that cuts through the noise of his trauma. He freezes. His knees weaken. A volunteer gently holds his shoulder as tears stream down his face; quiet, heavy tears that have been trapped inside him for years.
4. Tawaf – Circling the House of the Most Merciful
He enters the mataaf (the tawaf area) and begins the seven circuits, small hand clutching the hem of his ihram. Each time he passes the Black Stone, he reaches out to point, whispering “Allahu Akbar”, reminding him that Allah تبارك وتعالى is greater…
Greater than the war that displaced him. Greater than the grief he feels. Greater than his longing for his parents.
5. Sa’i – In the Footsteps of a Loving Mother
Between Safa and Marwah, he walks slowly at first. But when he reaches the valley, the place where Hajar ran in desperation for her son Ismail, he remembers his own mother running through smoke, carrying him as buildings collapsed.
He begins to run. With memory. With love.
At Marwah, he stops, breathless. He looks up at the Kaaba and he makes du’a for every orphan, every child still trapped in Gaza, every parent lost too soon.
6. Hair Cut – The Start of a New Beginning
At the end, a gentle barber shaves his head. Strands of black hair fall to the floor, each one carrying a piece of his pain. He touches his bare scalp and smiles. A real, quiet smile.
He’s not the same boy who left Jordan. He’s lighter. Seen. Held.
And as he looks in the mirror, he whispers: “I’m still here, Mama. And I’ll make you proud.”
More Than Ritual: The Emotional & Psychological Impact
For orphans who’ve witnessed violence, lost loved ones, and lived in uncertainty, Umrah offers something therapy alone cannot: a direct encounter with the Most Merciful.
The children return to Jordan not just with photos and souvenirs, but with renewed faith, resilience, and joy.
How You Can Be Part of This Sacred Mission
We aim to sponsor 10 orphans on this sacred journey, covering their travel, accommodation, meals, and other essential costs. Every donation, no matter how small, brings us closer to making this dream a reality.
- £50 can provide meals during their journey.
- £100 can cover transportation costs.
- £300 can sponsor half the journey.
- £600 can fully sponsor one orphan’s Umrah.
Join us in giving these children a moment of peace, a sanctuary of hope, and a chance to feel the warmth of the ummah’s care.
As-Salaam will embark on this blessed journey in January 2026.
A Legacy of Mercy
By supporting Sacred Dreams: Umrah for Gaza’s Orphans, you’re not just funding a trip: you’re directly caring for some of the most vulnerable children in the world.
This year, be the reason a child cries tears of joy at the Kaaba. Be the answer to their silent prayers. Be part of a legacy that turns trauma into triumph, and loss into light.
Help us send an orphan to Umrah. Because every orphan deserves a sacred dream. And with your help, theirs can come true.