10 Tips to Endure your Spiritual Voyage to Haramain

Some people may be heading for the spiritual journey of a lifetime soon. So I just wanted to take a moment and give a few quick tips for those who will be traveling soon to perform the beautiful journey.  One should have an idea about what kind of challenges they’d be facing. And what can help them make this journey fruitful.

1. Learn some basic Arabic phrases. Not everyone have a good grasp on English. Sign-boards are in Arabic and it may become difficult for you to understand them. A few words or phrases will be helpful.
   
   
2. Start hydrating yourself so that your bladder is used to of that a lot of water, because hydrating yourself during Umrah means going to the bathroom every hour. And start walking daily to built up the stamina.
   
   
3. Take enough clothes so you don’t have to hand wash them constantly. Keep some cash in Riyals with you for: Fidyah , Sadaqah, to buy dates and Zamzam and for general use and food.
   
   
4. Emotions are no doubt are very high when you are going for the first time and somehow you tend to accept everything anyone tells you to do. Since everyone wants to make the best of their journey, you un-intentionally give it a try. But you have to be very careful because small things can sometimes render your bigger deeds useless. Instead, ask the knowledgeable people around.
   
   
5. Upon arriving at Jeddah Airport get a Saudi sim. It is for around 50 riyals. It is a must for your safety if you get lost in the crowd.
   
   
6. Avoid standing in the middle for any reason or just to offer prayers, instead choose corners, so you can pray calmly. Unfortunately, this is a very common practice over there. People stand in the middle of Tawaf to take selfies without even knowing that they have become a reason for holding off the Tawaf of other people.
   
   
   
   
   
7. AL-BAIK is mandatory and is an exceptional case, but try to avoid junk food as much as you can. Don’t stuff yourself when you plan to walk a lot.
   
   
8. Don’t push or abuse others. Avoid crowded places, if you find yourself stuck in between a lot of people try going back or ask for help if possible. Take your time while visiting Rawdah, Be kind, and give space to others instead of fighting for it.
   
   
9. There are two kinds of Qurans available in Haram, a green and a blue one. If you don’t know how to read the Quran without some of the ‘Harakats’ over the alphabets, then read blue colored Quran which is easier to read.
   
   
10. DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT try to recover anything from the ground if you lose it. Not even that gold ring you cannot afford to lose. Not even think of it!!! Stampede is common in crowded places. Nothing is more important than your own life, everything else is replaceable.

9 Things you didn’t know about Prophet’s Mosque

Masjid Al-Nabawi, the Mosque of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is very dear and near to the hearts of every Muslim. It is one of the three oldest mosques in the world; its walls are richly intertwined with history and secrets. Let’s take a look at 9 things you didn’t know about the Prophet’s mosque.

Ariel view of the Prophet's Mosque, Madina Al Munawarh

1. Qaswa the Prophet’s Camel

Masjid Al Nabwi was built by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in 622 after his arrived in Medina. Riding on a camel named Qaswa he arrived at the place where the Prophet’s mosque was built. The owner of the land were Sahal and Suhayl

2. Qibla Direction

Masjid al-Qiblatain is not the only mosque to have had two Qibla directions.  Masjid Al Nabwi too was faced towards Masjid Al-Qubba. After the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was instructed to change the direction of Qibla from Qubba to Mecca, Masjid Al-Nabawi was reoriented to face Mecca as well.

Masjid Al Qiblatain

3. The first place to have Power Supply in Arabian Peninsula

The Prophet’s mosque used to be lit with one oil lamp, but during the era of Sultan Abdul Majid, it became the first place in the Arabian Peninsula to have a power supply. The first electric bulb was installed in the on Shabaan 25, 1326 Hijri.

4. Guardians of the Prophet Mosque

The Aghawat of Nabawi (the guardians) has been taking care of the Prophet mosque for almost 800 years. They hold the keys to the Rawda’h and the Mimbar. Presently, only five guardians are left from thousands, they are among the last generation of Aghawat of Nabwi.

5. The reserved grave for Hazrat Isa (A.S)

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) close companions, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) and Hazrat Umar (RA), are also buried there. It has an empty grave, which is believed to be reserved as the grave of Hazrat Isa (Jesus).

6. The Dome

The first dome was of wood and was built in 1279 by Mamluk Sultan. In the 15th century, the dome then made with bricks and was painted white and then a purplish blue. It was painted green in 1837.

An artistic image of how the dome would have looked in purplish blue.

7. Huffaz workers

Sultan ‘Abd al-Majid remodeled the entire mosque in the 19th century. Sultan prepared an entire generation of Huffaz and trained them to become the best of craftsmen. These craftsmen were instructed to be in the state of wudh’u and recite the Quran while they worked on the mosque’s extension.

8. Special Pillars

Certain pillars in the Prophet’s Mosque have special significance, and its locations are marked by secret signs. Known as the Ustuwaanah, such as where Abu Lubabah tied himself seeking Tawbah, where the Prophet (PBUH) meets delegations, and where the Hazrat Jibra’eel (A.S) used to enter to visit the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

9. Two Mihrabs

There are two mihrabs in the Prophet’s mosque, one was built by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the other was built by Hazrat Usman (ra) and act as the functional mihrab in the Prophet’s mosque.

Travel agents of Pakistan appeal Saudi Government to reduce visa fees

The Travel Agents Association of Pakistan A group which represent the whole travel agents of Pakistan has appealed the Saudi government to review the hike in visa fees of Umrah.

Effective from 1st Muharram 1438, Umrah & Hajj visa fees is raised to SR 2000, many hopeful pilgrims have submitted complaints since then. Haramain group  on facebook is running a survey here.

The  association said that Pakistan is the 2nd largest population of Muslims in the world and over a million Pakistanis travel to Saudi Arabia to Perform Hajj and Umrah. The visa fee hike is a direct impact on Pakistanis willing to take the pilgrimage.

Share your opinion by commenting below.

Source Dailytimes.com.pk

The Yearly Kaaba' wash - 15th Muharram 1437

As a yearly ritual, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, Makkah, Emir Prince Khaled Al-Faisal along with President Haramain Sheikh Abdul Rehman Al-Sudais washed the Holy Kaaba today at 17th October 2016. The Kaaba is given ghusal twice in a year; once in the beginning of the Islamic year and second on the 1st of Shaban.

The interior walls of Kaaba were cleaned with a white cloth dipped in rose, ‘Aab-e-zam zam’ and musk perfumes. Zamzam water mixed with rose perfume was splashed on the floor and was wiped with bare hands and palm leaves. And around 45 liters of Zamzam water is utilized for the Kaaba Wash.

The Kiswa (the cloth covering the Kaaba) around the Black Stone corner and the boundaries of the Meezab Rahmah (the golden spout from where rainwater from the roof of the Kaaba falls) was adorned with golden borders this time. 

Security guards after paying 4 hours of duty during yearly Kaba wash were seen availing the opportunity to kiss black stone (Hajra.e.aswa) and pray at Multazim.

Free Wi-fi service in Makkah Grand Mosque courtyards

Pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque in Makkah can take advantage of free Wi-Fi service in the courtyards of the mosque.

To connect to the free wifi service, connect to Haram Wifi from your connections. The speed of the internet may wary depending upon the crowd.

This is part of a series of technological services being introduced by the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques for the benefit of the pilgrims.

New Kiswa adorns Kaaba

Visitors to the Grand Mosque in Makkah are admiring the new Kiswa (the cloth that covers the Kaaba) which replaced the old one on Monday. The new Kiswa has a line of golden embroidery added for the first time to embellish the Kaaba’s Yemeni corner.

The Kaaba has four corners: the northern one known as the “Iraqi corner,” the western as the “the Levantine corner,” the southern as the “the Yemeni corner,” and the Black Stone is placed in the eastern corner.

Some of the upper calligraphy of the Kiswa has been changed as well.

Instead of having the words, “O the Living, the Eternal One” to describe Allah, it now has “Allah is the greatest.”

The Kiswa is made of pure silk with gold threads made at the cost of more than SR22 million ($5.8 million). It is manufactured in a special factory in Makkah which is manned by 240 technicians, weavers and administrators.

The Kiswa is 658 sq meters. It is made up of 47 pieces which are joined together to cover all the corners of the Kaaba.

The Kaaba is dressed in its new Kiswa on the Day of Arafat every year when the Grand Mosque is usually empty because all the pilgrims are gathered in Arafat.