It was the day of my father's Janazah (funeral). I remember vividly staring at the white shroud he was covered in. Two simple sheets, white and clean. I thought to myself how sad it was that these two sheets are the only material possession that will go with him to his grave. And then the realisation came. My heart sank as I remembered my dad never did Hajj.
So many things raced through my mind. He had the means and could have performed Hajj many times. I remember scholars saying that it was a major sin to miss Hajj if you can afford it. He always said "In Sha' Allah" and "One day..." But that day never came. My heart was trembling at the thought of my dad being in his grave, answering for his life and being asked about his Hajj. What could I do? What could I give? What could I say or donate or do?
In that moment when I saw my dad in his funeral shroud, I wanted to give everything I could for my dad to have done Hajj. I turned immediately to my uncle by my side and asked him about it. "Hajj Badal" he said. Pressed against my ear, while pinching my dad's white shroud between his fingertips. It was so noisy in the prayer hall, I could just about make out his words as he repeated them and tried to explain.
As soon as we got home from the burial, I raced to the computer to research those two words: Hajj Badal. My fear turned to relief as I found out that I could actually do Hajj on behalf of my dad. But I had never done Hajj myself before. I didn't have a clue. What if I got it wrong? And even if I knew how to do it, it was too expensive for me to go from the UK right then. The funeral costs were high and it would just take too long to save up the money. All I wanted was to pay off my father's debt right now, more than ever.
And praise be to Allah, that's when I found the Radiant Drops' Hajj Badal service. The team there explained everything from beginning to end. They answered every question that I had. They gave me the faith and reassurance I needed to make the intention and arrange for someone to complete Hajj Badal for my father. It was at an affordable price, far cheaper than going on my own. I received a certificate on completion and thought to myself: "Al-Hamdu Lillah, I pray that Allah accepts it."