Hajj 1437H - A beautiful journey...Part 4 - Madinah

Part 4 - Madinah

I always like Madinah... the city is well planned and people living there is much calmer...

Ten years ago when I first visited Madinah... the hotel buildings around Masjid Nabawi were new... but now... the sign of ageing can be clearly seen... the roads have not resurfaced for quite sometime... but there is a new rule regarding masjid nabawi... previously, the masjid is closed after Isya prayers but now the masjid opens 24 hours... good for the pilgrims...

Normally Tabung Haji will allocate about 8 to 9 days stay in Madinah... this is to allow the pilgrims to perform at least 40 congregation prayers in the Mosque...

No specific obligations one has to perform in Madinah... the reason why pilgrims come to Madinah is to visit Masjid Nabawi... where the Prophet's and his companions graves lie... all Muslims want to say their salaam to the Prophet and his companions...

One thing special about Masjid Nabawi is that there is a place called Raudhah in the mosque... Raudhah is a place between Prophet's house and the pulpit where he gave his sermon... it is narrated that Raudhah is among the garden of heaven.. that is why many pilgrims really want to preform prayers there... but getting in there is no easy task... many people queue up to get in there...in the old days... we rushed to get in there and once you are in Raudhah nobody wants to leave.... but now there is a system... pilgrims are only allowed to stay around 20 minutes in Raudhah

before the police ask you to leave... all in all... one has to wait about 40 minutes to 1 hour before entering into Raudhah... but the same cannot be said to the ladies.... but now they got better chances at entering into Raudhah...

Programs arranged by Rayhar for Madinah is normal... visit to jabal Uhud... where the important battle took place, visit to the mosque with 2 qiblats and tamar market...etc etc... apart from that the pilgrims arranged for their own programs... mostly eating Mandy rice...mutton especially...

I really valued my stay in Madinah... since not many people go the mosque after 9 am... I will go there especially trying to get in Raudhah... my friend Haji Saiful is an expert at entering Raudhah... I think he went into Raudhah 4 times a day... just his rezeki... I managed to get my fair share of performing solat in Raudhah...Alhamdulliah...

The rest of the time...apart from the obligatory prayers, I will go to the Masjid to perform dhuha prayers and recite al-Quran in the morning and after Isyak prayers... one thing special about Masjid Nabawi... there are many scholars...and after obligatory prayers... they will teach the pilgrims to recite proper Fatehah...

As the time time in Madinah is rather short... only 9 days... the time passes very fast...we don't have much to pack as most of our luggage was sent back to Malaysia before we left Makkah to Madinah... Saudi Air is rather strict on the luggage weight...only 30kg per luggage...

A day before departure, all our checked in luggage were collected leaving only hand luggage... just enough clothing for 1 day...

Finally... as scheduled... the day for us to leave Madinah arrived... I went to the Mosque again in the morning to say goodbye to the Prophet and as always... made a dua that I will be invited again to this pleasant place... my heart is always at ease when I am in Makkah or Madinah...

That is all that I can dearly remember... which I will remember for a long long time...

My truly wish is that my Hajj is accepted by Allah...insyaAllah...

Shahar
Taman Melawati
Feb 2018