Reading time: 2 minutes

Once, a humble janitor was asked how he had been blessed to embark on twenty Hajj pilgrimages.

He could only recall one incident that stayed with him, an event that unfolded during his early years.

Having saved diligently for an entire year, he had forsaken all but the bare necessities to gather enough for his first pilgrimage to Makkah.

As he boarded the bus, his heart brimmed with anticipation, his dreams finally within reach.

However, still miles from his destination, his attention was captured by a distressing sight—an elderly woman struggling with every step, leaning heavily on a cane while dragging her luggage.

The pain clearly displayed on her face.

Moved by a deep sense of duty and compassion and reflecting on his strength and youth, he thought,

"How can I, a young man, remain seated while a mother among us endures such hardship?"

He says his heart refused to be dissuaded by this circumstance, and suddenly before he knew what he was doing, he stood up and persuaded the bus driver to stop.

Approaching the woman, he said, "Oh my dear mother, I ask you by Allah, take my seat on the bus and let me walk in your place."

The woman's eyes welled with tears and she immediately made sajdah on the road.

She stood up, the relief visible over her face, and she gratefully accepted his offer.

As she climbed onto the bus, she turned back, tears still falling, and bestowed a prayer upon him:

"My dear son, I pray that Allah never prevents you from making Hajj again."

The janitor's life took a remarkable turn after that day.

Every year, as if by divine arrangement, someone would appear at his door, at the mosque, or in their town, inviting him to lead their Hajj group, asking for his company, or even offering sponsorship for his pilgrimage.

Reflecting on his twenty pilgrimages, he humbly acknowledged, "Allah knows best, but not once have I returned through my own ability."

The heart, far more than just a physical organ, is a vessel of deep spiritual significance.

It is the seat of human consciousness and the center of our moral compass.

When we allow our hearts to guide us under the light of revelation and prophetic wisdom, we navigate the world not just with physical sight but with the profound insight that only a connected heart can offer.

When faced with moments of choice, remember that Allah is inspiring us, testing us, and ultimately guiding us to the truth.

Through our actions, particularly those led by the heart, we gain access to our true path, Allah’s pleasure, and begin to witness the subtle workings of the Divine in our lives.