Anyone who’s flown with a budget airline knows the moment. You’re at the gate, they’re checking hand luggage, and suddenly you’re very aware of every unnecessary thing you packed.
It’s a surprisingly good picture of life.
The best provision
When Allah speaks about the journey of Hajj, He gives some very down-to-earth advice:
“And take provision for the journey, but the best provision is mindfulness of Allah.” (Qur’an 2:197)
Ibn Abbas explained that some people used to set out for Hajj with nothing, saying they were relying on Allah, and then ended up asking others for food on the way. The verse corrects that. Pack properly. Then it lifts the conversation higher. There’s another journey too, and the provision for that one is taqwa.
What we carry that we don’t need
Most of us aren’t short of things. If anything, the problem runs the other way. Wardrobes full of clothes we don’t wear. Gadgets in drawers. Money sitting in an account, not doing much except making us feel safe.
None of that is haram. But it’s heavy in its own way. It takes up room in the heart. We worry about it, maintain it, upgrade it.
The Prophet ﷺ described a person saying “my wealth, my wealth,” and then asked what they actually owned of it. Only what they ate and used up, what they wore and wore out, or what they gave in charity and sent ahead. (Sahih Muslim 2958)
Three categories. Two are already gone. Only one is still yours.
A weekend clear-out with a difference
Here’s a challenge for the rest of Safar. Pick a weekend and go through your home properly. Not a quick tidy. A traveller’s clear-out.
- Clothes you haven’t worn in a year? Pass them on to someone who will.
- Things you’re keeping “just in case”? Ask yourself honestly, in case of what.
- Anything you sell, set the money aside as sadaqah.
Then do the same with your bank statement. Look at the subscriptions and the things you pay for every month without thinking. Is there room in there for a regular gift that actually changes someone’s life?
The cost of one subscription you barely use could help put food on a family’s table through our food appeal. A little more could support an older person who has nobody else, through our elderly support work.
Lighter bags, heavier scales
There’s a lovely irony in all this. The lighter you travel in this world, the heavier your scales become in the next. Every unnecessary thing you let go of, every pound you give away, is weight moved out of your luggage and into your account with Allah.
So go on. Travel light. You’ll be glad you did when you reach the gate.