In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

 

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

 

You need not feel guilty or aggrieved over this situation. Although you had the best of intentions to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in spiritual retreat in the Haram, you were prevented from doing it for circumstances beyond your control. Allah assures us in the Qur’an that a person is not burdened with duties that are beyond his or her means or ability.

 

Furthermore, Allah is All-Merciful; and thanks to His infinite mercy, he rewards a person for his or her intentions. That is the lesson that the Prophet, peace be upon him, shared with his companions during the arduous expedition of Tabuk.

 

For as he was gathered with his Companions who had accompanied him on that critical venture, he told them: We have left behind us many who would have wanted to be with us and yet they could not make it because of unavoidable circumstances such as sickness, etc. However, because of their intention, they stand to share the rewards with us!

 

Therefore, you ought to console yourself that your spiritual blessings and rewards are guaranteed for you – if you have had the intention to spend time in the Haram in worship.

 

And you should also remind yourself that your duties of nurturing and caring for your children are as essential – if not more – as your worship in the Haram. In fact, I would even venture to state that while the former is obligatory, the latter is only optional and voluntary. So, you need not despair as you did not deprive yourself of the rewards for your intention.

 

Almighty Allah knows best.