The Spark Of An Idea
After I chose to study for a PGCE qualification and become a teacher, my experience in product design continued in the background. Product design and development were never too far away from my mind. Ideas often come at random times, and you’re often never ready for them. The idea for Hajj Safe came to me in 1009, when I received a phone call from a friend telling me that something happened to him when he was on the Hajj pilgrimage.
He was in Mecca performing Hajj when all of a sudden he found that his bag had been cut and that all his belongings were lost. I was astounded at this situation and immediately began to wonder if there was a solution to this problem that many people face when travelling through busy areas. This was the initial spark that began an 8-month journey to find a solution.
Designing The Product
I remember this as the first moment when my faith and background in product design converged. For the first time, I was designing a product specifically for the Muslim market. I began to create a product that would help safeguard important possessions, especially for travelling to Mecca, or when out on the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage.
When I looked at the market, I found there were already some products for this purpose, but they were all very poorly made with cheap materials. I wanted to create something simple and high-quality in response to this.
The idea was an anti-theft belt that holds a person’s items, with many security features like a zipper stopper, a wire reinforced within the strap that you can’t cut with a normal pair of scissors, and a very durable composition. This was the beginning of a project I’d launch in 2011, and has continued to see success until this day.
Taking My Product On Hajj
Going to do Hajj was a profound experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. No event has led me to become more enthusiastic and passionate about prayer, and my faith. In 2010, I went to Hajj with my wife, taking a prototype of the Hajj Safe with me, putting it on the day I went and removing it the day I returned. Taking this product on my journey was an incredible way to test its effectiveness, and I found that the product was extremely useful.
This, combined with the transformative experience of Hajj, created a time in my life that I will always remember. It was physically demanding, an experience solely focused on prayer and devotion: walking through the heat and sleeping in tents out in the desert. I had prayed my whole life in the direction of the Kaaba, but now I was finally going there, following in the footsteps of the prophets. Embarking on Hajj is like becoming renewed, moving through trials and tribulations, and re-emerging as if you are a newborn baby.
When I got back to the UK I knew that Hajj Safe was an incredible product and that I had something that could truly help people with this experience that had given me so much. Although Hajj was successful, it became a very seasonal product and even though it was not profitable enough to go full-time, I kept it going because I wanted to stay connected to that wonderful religious experience.
Why Hajj Means So Much To Me
Hajj changes people, before and after they go. One of the things I tell people when they buy the product is to make dua for us under the Kaaba when they’re out on their journey. Over the years I’ve received so many pictures and stories of people doing this, and I am filled with so much gratitude to see it.
They say that nobody goes on Hajj unless directly invited by God - so I wanted to serve the guests of God because this is one of the highest honours a person can have. For me, this is the true meaning of success and one of the reasons Hajj Safe is such an important brand for me.