Our trip started with a joyful atmosphere, but adventurous tribulations were also timeless actors that add a real flavor to the test of our mission. For example, it is too easy to get to the border between Qatar and K.S.A roughly one hour drive, but to leave from it soon is one of your miscalculated figures, this is because, you are subjected to an intense scrutiny exposure by the Saudi border security guards. In addition to the document verifications, your finger prints are collected, eyes scanned and your personal possessions are sniffed by police dogs for security reasons__ this hassle took us around 10 long hours. We pursued our trip to Medina after the check-in time, snaked through the main Arabian sand desert for roughly 16 long hours we’ve got to Medina.
Here is the holy city of Medina, the local time is around 3 pm, the city is quite seclude, no more traffic whizzing around, pollution or any other kind of disturbances. Very high thick mountainous landscape seems to be naturally fenced in one/two side(s) of the city; some of the roads are nicknamed with the names of the companions of the prophet (s.a.w). The people of the city (I do not know a concurrent attribute to tell), but the best of mankind on earth, soft-hearted and very helpful by nature. We reached to Quba mosque in the heart of Medina, where we have offered two raga’as of sunah-prayers and performed obligatory Asir prayers along with a huge congregation from different parts of the world. As per the pearls of our prophet (s.a.w); “whoever purifies himself in his house, then comes to the mosque of Quba and prays there, he will have the reward of ‘Umra’” Narated by Ibn Maajah. All our trip tiredness and repercussions were in fact soothed after these prayers.
After Quba mosque, we were guided to our hotel at the brink of the holy mosque of our prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). After short refreshments, there was a moment which none of us could wait__ to pay a visit to the holy mosque of the prophet (s.a.w). When you step into the mosque__ the mosque is absolutely thrilling, expressly depicting about its uniqueness, either the kind of the history that buries beneath the walls of the mosque or the architectural quality as well. By the grace of Allaah (S.W.T) we have offered isha prayers in the mosque at that night, and in the subsequent day we paid a visit to the graves of the prophet in the mosque compound along with two of the khalifas (Abu Baker Sidique and Omer Bin Khatab r.a), the real sculpture of the mosque (known as rawdat al-janah) of the prophet (s.a.w) within which you should offer two rag’as of sunah prayers is just adjacent to the graves of the prophet (s.a.w) and the two other khalifas (r.a), exactly where the house of Aisha (one of the wives of the prophet (s.a.w) was. Many more of his Sahabas “companions of the prophet s.a.w” are in a much bigger cemetery (known as bagi’e) beside the mosque, like Osman Bin Afan (r.a). being beside these graves you would find yourself emotionally covered by the immense feeling of not the image of the graves but the contents of the graves. You could see some of the visitors are struggling to suppress their tears from running down on their cheeks. At the main entrance of the cemetery there was an elderly Islamic-scholar on a peek of a short wall briefly guiding the visitors the Islamic way to pay a visit to a Muslim graves and the kind of intercessory-payers (du’a) should be recited over__ preventing the Muslim visitors from committing to any kind of shirk (polytheism), as some misguided Muslim brothers seek blessings from graves of the good people.
After the isha-prayers of the next day, we got into our buses again to continue to our trip to Mecca (the holy city where umra had to be duly performed). Before getting to Makah ‘niyat’ (intention) is a prerequisite for umra performance from specified locations (known as meqat) in different directions of Mecca, but ours was at the outskirts of medina. At ‘meqat’ too many shower-booths are readily made available to the people on Umra (mu’tamirin in Arabic), where they would clean and purify their whole bodies like cutting finger-nails, removing unwanted hairs and performing ablutions. Everyone would come out wearing only a pair of soft white sheets, called as Ihram-clothing. At this moment everyone is set to be 100% pure. The top sheet is draped over the torso and the bottom is secured by a large white-belt; plus a pair of sandals made with no threads. Women can wear any cloth but within the boundaries of Hijjab. This is to show that everyone (regardless, scholar, king, president… just name it) is equal in the sight of Allaah (S.W.T). A small window for fatwa (Islamic advisory opinion) is also in the middle of these shower-booth-compartments from which you could seek a complete guidance and expel all your doubts on to the best possible ways you would get your umra-mission done.
Mecca:
Now, heading to the holy city of Mecca, roughly 350 km away from Medina; it is a nighttime where your vision to observe things fades-away without your control except the dazzling busy highways between the two cities. In the early morning we reached to the city check point, where the traffic would flow in two different routs “one to the city at large and the other to the Haram-mosque” shown in a pig sign-boards over the check-point. Taking ours is to the hotel in the Haram boundaries, where we would secure our rooms and of course unload our possessions. Here no refreshment like shower had to be done, because it’s already been done at the ‘Meqat’ (the intention place). We have taken special bulk jam-packed buses designated only for Hajj and Umra with bus-tickets provided by our agency.
Mecca is a city naturally trapped in extremely high rocky Mountains. The buses for the Haram would go through very long tunnels some of the longest tunnels I have ever seen. Stepping into the Haram compound, everyone he/she is inside out, humble and voiceless mood, fully covered by the almightiness of Allaah (S.W.T) and His signs in this holy place. Your first sight at Ka’ba (the black stone) is absolutely amazing, catching and bringing all your senses to a point which I cannot express in words. Some of the people would purse into tears, some suppress and physically changed. Coming down to the Ka’ba we would start the circumambulations (dawaf in Arabic) which count seven uninterrupted rounds. Each round starts from the right angle of the Ka’ab and counts as one as you reach to your starting angle. During the circumambulations you would recite some supplications (du’aas) applicable within specific areas you’re moving and for your own in others. What is remarkable here is that circumambulations are going on 24/7, 365 days of the year without a single stopping__ except the obligatory prayers where all the people in the procession would be stopped by the mosque security personals to offer the five obligatory prayers. Your umra performance would be sealed with shaving or shortening your head-hair as per the umra-principles after dawaf, the journeys between Safa & Marwa (400 yards apart) etc, and from now on you are permissible (halaal). Offering prayers for the dead Muslim brothers and sisters (a form of intercession) is common for both the Harams in Mecca and Medina after every prayer, which would take you so close to hereafter and that everyone is indeed mortal. On the other hand, praying behind the famous Imams (leaders) of the two Haram-mosques like (sheikh Hudhaifi, Shuraim and Sudaisi) would mean like one of your weirdest dreams ever came true.
What is funny about Mecca is that, as the city is cosmopolitan__ your name doesn’t bother at all simply because you are called as Muhammad (name of the prophet s.a.w) as no one has the patience or time to ask about your name what so ever. Food and soft dirks are mainly served takeaways as millions would flood into the nearby restaurants and cafeterias, but would you feel more comfortably to have your meal? To answer takes a time. Apart from street food and beverages, zamzam-water and the unique dates of Mecca is made available in almost every corner in the Haram-mosque by the government, inhabitants and the mu’tamirin. I do not know much about the miracles in zamzam-water, but what I have personally witness about this holy water is that__ the more you take the more you would never feel like to urinate, heavy or full up what so ever. You would never know where this water gone in your body and why you need to take more and more always. I really convinced myself that this is a kind of the water’s hidden miracles. One of my friends once joked; if this water would cause us to urinate, where would these millions go for toilets “is this one of the hidden miracles?” I do not know.
As the matter of fact, the unforgettable tales in these two holy cities is far beyond something which could be contained within a single discourse, but good enough to make a serial or a book. What took me to frame about what we have seen in these holy cities is not only to address about the amazing facts there in them, but also to encourage my Muslim brothers and sisters worldwide to make their first trip out of their world to these cities and perform either umrah or hajj as they have the means, and those who do not have the means to achieve ends should at least intend to go once before their death.
May Allaah (S.W.T) accept all our heartily prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, shower His mercy unto us all and secure a place for us and Muslims at large in the apex of His heavens.
Aamiin, aamiin, aamiin.
Here is the holy city of Medina, the local time is around 3 pm, the city is quite seclude, no more traffic whizzing around, pollution or any other kind of disturbances. Very high thick mountainous landscape seems to be naturally fenced in one/two side(s) of the city; some of the roads are nicknamed with the names of the companions of the prophet (s.a.w). The people of the city (I do not know a concurrent attribute to tell), but the best of mankind on earth, soft-hearted and very helpful by nature. We reached to Quba mosque in the heart of Medina, where we have offered two raga’as of sunah-prayers and performed obligatory Asir prayers along with a huge congregation from different parts of the world. As per the pearls of our prophet (s.a.w); “whoever purifies himself in his house, then comes to the mosque of Quba and prays there, he will have the reward of ‘Umra’” Narated by Ibn Maajah. All our trip tiredness and repercussions were in fact soothed after these prayers.
After Quba mosque, we were guided to our hotel at the brink of the holy mosque of our prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). After short refreshments, there was a moment which none of us could wait__ to pay a visit to the holy mosque of the prophet (s.a.w). When you step into the mosque__ the mosque is absolutely thrilling, expressly depicting about its uniqueness, either the kind of the history that buries beneath the walls of the mosque or the architectural quality as well. By the grace of Allaah (S.W.T) we have offered isha prayers in the mosque at that night, and in the subsequent day we paid a visit to the graves of the prophet in the mosque compound along with two of the khalifas (Abu Baker Sidique and Omer Bin Khatab r.a), the real sculpture of the mosque (known as rawdat al-janah) of the prophet (s.a.w) within which you should offer two rag’as of sunah prayers is just adjacent to the graves of the prophet (s.a.w) and the two other khalifas (r.a), exactly where the house of Aisha (one of the wives of the prophet (s.a.w) was. Many more of his Sahabas “companions of the prophet s.a.w” are in a much bigger cemetery (known as bagi’e) beside the mosque, like Osman Bin Afan (r.a). being beside these graves you would find yourself emotionally covered by the immense feeling of not the image of the graves but the contents of the graves. You could see some of the visitors are struggling to suppress their tears from running down on their cheeks. At the main entrance of the cemetery there was an elderly Islamic-scholar on a peek of a short wall briefly guiding the visitors the Islamic way to pay a visit to a Muslim graves and the kind of intercessory-payers (du’a) should be recited over__ preventing the Muslim visitors from committing to any kind of shirk (polytheism), as some misguided Muslim brothers seek blessings from graves of the good people.
After the isha-prayers of the next day, we got into our buses again to continue to our trip to Mecca (the holy city where umra had to be duly performed). Before getting to Makah ‘niyat’ (intention) is a prerequisite for umra performance from specified locations (known as meqat) in different directions of Mecca, but ours was at the outskirts of medina. At ‘meqat’ too many shower-booths are readily made available to the people on Umra (mu’tamirin in Arabic), where they would clean and purify their whole bodies like cutting finger-nails, removing unwanted hairs and performing ablutions. Everyone would come out wearing only a pair of soft white sheets, called as Ihram-clothing. At this moment everyone is set to be 100% pure. The top sheet is draped over the torso and the bottom is secured by a large white-belt; plus a pair of sandals made with no threads. Women can wear any cloth but within the boundaries of Hijjab. This is to show that everyone (regardless, scholar, king, president… just name it) is equal in the sight of Allaah (S.W.T). A small window for fatwa (Islamic advisory opinion) is also in the middle of these shower-booth-compartments from which you could seek a complete guidance and expel all your doubts on to the best possible ways you would get your umra-mission done.
Mecca:
Now, heading to the holy city of Mecca, roughly 350 km away from Medina; it is a nighttime where your vision to observe things fades-away without your control except the dazzling busy highways between the two cities. In the early morning we reached to the city check point, where the traffic would flow in two different routs “one to the city at large and the other to the Haram-mosque” shown in a pig sign-boards over the check-point. Taking ours is to the hotel in the Haram boundaries, where we would secure our rooms and of course unload our possessions. Here no refreshment like shower had to be done, because it’s already been done at the ‘Meqat’ (the intention place). We have taken special bulk jam-packed buses designated only for Hajj and Umra with bus-tickets provided by our agency.
Mecca is a city naturally trapped in extremely high rocky Mountains. The buses for the Haram would go through very long tunnels some of the longest tunnels I have ever seen. Stepping into the Haram compound, everyone he/she is inside out, humble and voiceless mood, fully covered by the almightiness of Allaah (S.W.T) and His signs in this holy place. Your first sight at Ka’ba (the black stone) is absolutely amazing, catching and bringing all your senses to a point which I cannot express in words. Some of the people would purse into tears, some suppress and physically changed. Coming down to the Ka’ba we would start the circumambulations (dawaf in Arabic) which count seven uninterrupted rounds. Each round starts from the right angle of the Ka’ab and counts as one as you reach to your starting angle. During the circumambulations you would recite some supplications (du’aas) applicable within specific areas you’re moving and for your own in others. What is remarkable here is that circumambulations are going on 24/7, 365 days of the year without a single stopping__ except the obligatory prayers where all the people in the procession would be stopped by the mosque security personals to offer the five obligatory prayers. Your umra performance would be sealed with shaving or shortening your head-hair as per the umra-principles after dawaf, the journeys between Safa & Marwa (400 yards apart) etc, and from now on you are permissible (halaal). Offering prayers for the dead Muslim brothers and sisters (a form of intercession) is common for both the Harams in Mecca and Medina after every prayer, which would take you so close to hereafter and that everyone is indeed mortal. On the other hand, praying behind the famous Imams (leaders) of the two Haram-mosques like (sheikh Hudhaifi, Shuraim and Sudaisi) would mean like one of your weirdest dreams ever came true.
What is funny about Mecca is that, as the city is cosmopolitan__ your name doesn’t bother at all simply because you are called as Muhammad (name of the prophet s.a.w) as no one has the patience or time to ask about your name what so ever. Food and soft dirks are mainly served takeaways as millions would flood into the nearby restaurants and cafeterias, but would you feel more comfortably to have your meal? To answer takes a time. Apart from street food and beverages, zamzam-water and the unique dates of Mecca is made available in almost every corner in the Haram-mosque by the government, inhabitants and the mu’tamirin. I do not know much about the miracles in zamzam-water, but what I have personally witness about this holy water is that__ the more you take the more you would never feel like to urinate, heavy or full up what so ever. You would never know where this water gone in your body and why you need to take more and more always. I really convinced myself that this is a kind of the water’s hidden miracles. One of my friends once joked; if this water would cause us to urinate, where would these millions go for toilets “is this one of the hidden miracles?” I do not know.
As the matter of fact, the unforgettable tales in these two holy cities is far beyond something which could be contained within a single discourse, but good enough to make a serial or a book. What took me to frame about what we have seen in these holy cities is not only to address about the amazing facts there in them, but also to encourage my Muslim brothers and sisters worldwide to make their first trip out of their world to these cities and perform either umrah or hajj as they have the means, and those who do not have the means to achieve ends should at least intend to go once before their death.
May Allaah (S.W.T) accept all our heartily prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, shower His mercy unto us all and secure a place for us and Muslims at large in the apex of His heavens.
Aamiin, aamiin, aamiin.
Khadar A. Hanan
E mail: khadarhanan@gmail.com
Doha, Qatar
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