Lihanna Borhan of International Islamic University Malaysia with her student Muhsinah in Makkah.

Many Muslims come to Makkah time and again to rejuvenate their faith and seek peace of mind.

Lihanna Borhan, assistant professor of psychology at the International Islamic University in Malaysia (IIUM), is one of these people.

This is the third time she is in Makkah and she plans to come back again.

“For me, it is self-purification and spiritual gratification,” Borhan told Arab News. “I last visited six years ago to perform the Haj pilgrimage. Between this time, many things have happened in my life and I wanted to come back to refresh and strengthen my faith. I feel great satisfaction and enjoyment when I spend my vacation in the vicinity of the Holy Kaaba,” she said.

“To be frank, I was a bit anxious, like many other pilgrims, due to the danger posed by the deadly MERS coronavirus. I took safety precautions against the disease and left the rest to God. I know that a lot of Malaysians have canceled their Umrah trips because of the MERS scare.”

Borhan said her Umrah trip has been hassle-free. “I have not confronted any difficulty during this trip. We had worried only about the visas,” she said, commending Saudi authorities for their services to pilgrims. A large number of people have come for Umrah this time. “We see a Haj crowd here and this is wonderful.”

Borhan, who is accompanied by her husband, Mohammed Rozi, an architect, and mother-in-law, said people come to Makkah with different things in mind and return with unforgettable experiences.

“They will have a new experience every time. This is the beauty of Haj and Umrah. My mother-in-law came to Makkah after the death of her husband, so for her, this is part of her grieving process. By coming here, she gets inexplicable mental satisfaction. We get a feeling that God has not forsaken us.”

Borhan added: “When we come to Makkah, we feel that we are in the best place of the world. Some people think that they are not pious enough to come to this holy place, while others think people are going on holiday. It all depends on the intention.”

Borhan was happy to meet one of her IIUM students in the holy city.