Silent Is GOLD: .::. FINALLY MADE IT TO HOLY CITY- PART 2 .::.

.::. FINALLY MADE IT TO HOLY CITY- PART 2 .::.

Posted by AdikRose at 10:18 AM

02 April 2009
Day-4: Madinah al-Munawwarah/Makkah Al-Mukkaramah

After the subuh prayer, we don our ihram and went for ziarah wida’ to bid goodbye to Rasulullah with a promise that we will come to visit again, Insya-Allah...
Departed Madinah for Makkah at 09:00 am together with Ustaz Najamuddin.
Stopped to miqat at Bir Ali. Performed the sunnat-al-ihram, recited the dua' and talbiah.

Labaikallah hum malakbaik, labaikalla Shari kalab kalabbaik...

We stopped halfway to have lunch .The lunch was typically Arabic, where 4 of us shared one big plate consisting of what looked like fried rice, chicken, fish and vegetables. It was quite delicious. Maybe, it was because we were very hungry then :-).

We continue our journey after that and most of us fell asleep in the bus.

fried rice, chicken, fish and vegetables..my lunch

Random city shot picture on the way from madinah to makkah

Miqat Umrah, below pic my kid wearing ihram

02 April 2009
Day-4: Madinah al-Munawwarah/Makkah Al-Mukkaramah

We reached hotel at about 02:30 pm. We collect our bags from ground floor and went to our room to freshen up before performing our umrah. We gather in front of the hotel and our mutawwif led us to Masjidil Haram to perform our Umrah.

Its sooo massive! (I found out later the Masjid, not counting the streets and other outside areas where people also pray at times, as a capacity of over 850,000!!!) Walking in before I knew it I was right there in front of Ka’aba. It was so odd/incredible/wow to be right there. It was a lot bigger, particularly taller than I expected.

I remember when I was there; there was so much I wanted to say. So many things to describe. But I’m having trouble trying to describe it correctly now as well as I can’t recall everything I wanted to say at the time.

We reached Masjidil Haram about an hour before azan asar. So we managed to complete

our Tawaf by asar time. We performed tawaf - circurling the Kaabah 7 times. After Asar prayer, we continued with Saie. Going back and forth from the hill of Safa to Marwah 7 times. The distance between Safa and Marwah was about 400 metres each way, so we actually walked on the cemented floor with only socks on for about 2.8km in order to complete the sa'ee. After that, to end the umrah, we perfomed tahallul - the cutting of at least 3 strands of hair. This time Sa'i was really a challenge for me. I probably was too

tired with all the traveling and walking.

Our 1st umrah was completed before time for magrib prayer.
Alhamdulillah... I thank Allah for allowing me to fulfil my promise to bring my

two kids to this Baitul-Haram.

We slept early that night. Below are some pictures.

Everyone is equal. Prince and pauper wearing the same Ihram.

Inside hearts cry at the first sighting of the kaabah, over whelmed with the emotion and enormity of the achievement, of finally making it to the Holy City.

Finished tawaf

Sa'i between Hill of Safa and Marwah

The sa’i is a combined walk and jog/run performed 7 times between the hills of Safa and Marwah after the completion of tawaf, 2 rakaat Sunnah prayer and drinking Zam zam water from the spring in Masjidil Haram.