This book holds my experiences and impressions of the most holy of places-Hermain and the houses of Allah around the world. This is an accumulation of 'happenings' over decades and is a story of 'heart awakened' in quest of achieving 'Qalab Saleem'. I wish and pray this volume to be 'Zaad-e-Rah' for my eternal journey. What keeps one occupied as one imbibes the blessings of Allah SWT in these most sacred precincts? One offers Salat to communicate directly with Allah, recites the Holy Quran and ponders over the ultimate wisdom, enjoys and marvels at the blessings of Ramazan and thinks about the journey of life, seeking guidance for 'ascending' to attain the promise'. This book revolves around this theme. It has a section devoted to Salat, exploring it from different angles with an emphasis on enhancing its returns by mindfulness. The section on Ramzan celebrates its miracles-the way that it transforms lives and attracts people to Allah and His houses. The Quran as a source of eternal guidance is explored, and how one may derive additional benefits from it by diving deep into it. The ultimate aim of all these activities is to ascend and win the promise the chapters 'Ascending' and 'The Promise' explore different avenues to achieve them. 'Empathy beckons' highlights the soul of all noble endeavors and guides towards love and respect for all.