And so we got on the plane to Iceland on the 16th of December, full of excitement. I had booked a Northern Lights tour for the night we arrived, and couldn't wait to get to our destination. But alas, there was a terrible snowstorm over Iceland, and nightmarish turbulence just as we were about to land. The aircraft swung left and right, up and down, like a roller coaster! People were scared, but I strangely was enjoying it because it did indeed feel like a roller coaster ride! After about 10 minutes of violent shaking, we suddenly felt the aircraft thrust upwards back into the upper atmosphere, away from the ice laden clouds and winds. Then the pilot came on air and said that Keflavik airport had been shut due to ice on the runway, and that the cross winds were too high for landing anyway (he said the limit for plane was 30 knots, but the winds were blowing at 45 knots!). And so, the plane turned back all the way to Edinburgh, with a total journey time of five and half hours! Many, if not everybody, were disappointed, but not too disappointed as we understood that the pilot only had the safety of the passengers in mind, and he made the best decision one could make. It wasn't his fault that the airport closed or the snowstorm decided to blow to glory just as we were supposed to land. Easyjet, the airline we flew with, provided everyone with a room at the Hilton hotel close to Edinburgh airport, and rescheduled the flight for the next morning at 10 am. Adif and I decided to just get the bus home and come back again tomorrow morning. We were tempted to just stay the night at the hotel, but nothing beats the comfort of home. We took bus 35 which takes a long route back to where I stay, stopping many times. And to make things worse, it was 5 pm, rush hour jam time! Due to the jerking movement of the bus as it stopped at every stop along the way, Adif's nausea, which began during the turbulence, became worse. He pleaded with me to just get off the bus, about a quarter of the way into the journey. I obliged, as he did look terrible and desperate. We sat for a while, and walked home which took us about an hour. To be honest, I was quite surprised myself at how well I tolerated the inconvenience. I usually get annoyed quite quickly at the minutest of things, but again, this was nobody's fault, and getting angry wasn't going to solve any problems. Adif of course was very grateful for my being accommodating, but that's what anyone would've done I suppose. You can't just leave your friend behind unless you have a heart of stone.
Upon reaching home, I got an email from the tour company saying they had to cancel the Northern Lights tour due to poor weather and that we could reschedule another tour the following day, which was nice to know. So I rescheduled the tour for the next day.
We took the flight the next morning and landed in Keflavik airport despite a mild snowstorm, thankfully. We got to the hotel, went out for dinner walking in thick snow, took a few photos in front of Hallgrimskirkja church (which is a fantastic piece of architecture by the way), and went home as it was too cold to just walk around, not to mention dark as well(sunset was at 3.30pm). At the hotel, we were excitedly preparing for the Northern Lights tour, but alas, the tour was once again cancelled due to poor weather. I was very very disappointed at this point, as this was our only night in Iceland. I had only booked 2 nights, but only one night was left because we couldn't land the previous day. So we just sat in the room, and spoke to each other, catching up on things. And it was this conversation we had, that was probably the pinnacle of the trip, as Allah would have it. We spoke about many things, heartfelt and deep, the outcome of which was an agreement between the two of us for Adif to come to Edinburgh on weekends just so he can learn to recite the Quran from me. It was then that it became crystal clear, why Allah had willed for there to be a snowstorm that would cause the tour to be cancelled. It was this conversation! All praise is due to Allah, the Most Powerful, Most Wise. The main objective of the trip from our perspective, or mine at least, was to see the Northern Lights, but Allah had something far more important planned which unraveled in a most unexpected yet intriguing and meaningful way. May Allah bless Adif in his endeavor to study the Deen, to be a better Muslim. A hadith comes to mind:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah makes the way to Jannah easy for him who treads the path in search of knowledge."
[Muslim]
The following morning, we went on a tour to Thingvellir National Park, Geyser land, and Gulfoss, all of which had breathtaking scenery. At the end the day, we got onto the bus to the airport for our flight at 9 pm. All along the journey, I looked intently at the clear night sky, hoping to see the Aurora for the last time, but there was none to be seen. When we got on the plane, the pilot made an even more depressing announcement, that despite the clear skies, he didn't see any Aurora on his way into Keflavik airport. But I was still hopeful. He did say though that Auroras are unpredictable and might make an appearance as we fly out. If it did appear, it would be seen on the left on the aircraft. I was seated on the left side of the plane, but on an aisle sit. But as Allah the Magnificent would have it, the three seats behind me were completely empty. Adif spotted the seats and we both moved to the back. Once again, I intently looked out the window as the flight took off, hoping and praying to see the Aurora. And suddenly, there it was in the distance. I cannot even explain to you how excited I was the moment I saw it. I was so happy jumping away in my seat when I saw the green shimmer of lights, dancing gracefully in the sky. So excited I was while telling Adif I could see it, that the passengers around us even from the other side of the aisle tried to look. It was a most majestic sight to behold. I let Adif see, then pushed him away (lol!) and just stared out of the window, mesmerised by the lights. After a couple of minutes, the pilot announced over the speakers, that the Aurora could be seen on the left of the plane, and everyone turned to look at the enchanting lights. But then, that was not all. He then told us to look down below to see a deep orange glow of lava flowing from a volcano that had just erupted, which we all saw, a bonus from Allah! What a spectacular end to the journey, Subhanallah. Although I only saw the Aurora briefly, it was enough to cure the yearning in my heart to see it. I wished to have been able to stare at it for longer, but perhaps that is for another time insya Allah.
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| this is not my photo.... just a photo from google |
Many unexpected things occurred, but all for a good reason. And Allah rewarded us plentifully for our patience in not being annoyed or angry at the weather for ruining our plans. Indeed, patience always brings forth goodness not only in this world, but also in the Hereafter. All praise is due to Allah for this maginificent and beautiful trip.
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