Makkah and Medinah – Umrah Trip

Earlier this month I went to Saudi Arabia with my Mom and Sister for Umrah (unfortunately my Dad couldn’t go because he had to stay home and take care of my Grandmother). My parents went for Hajj last year and after they told me about it I really wanted to go. We arrived in Makkah and went straight to the hotel. It was from the hotel room window where I first got to see Kaaba. I’m not entirely sure why but although I was very excited to see it a part of me felt kind of nervous and apprehensive about it as well.

We quickly put our luggage away and went to Masjid al-Haram. 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 infront of Kaaba. 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.

It was incredible to be right infront of it. To pray infront of it. For Fajr and a few other prayers I was within the first 8 or so rows right infront of it. I was amazed about the number of people there. When praying up close to see the line curve as you look left and right. When further back it seems as the line when standing for prayers is endless on either side of you. And not only was the number of people amazing but how they were from all over the world. All sorts of middle-eastern, south-asian, east-asian (there were tons of chinese, malaysian, japanese etc), african, and although easily the smallest group I did see some white people as well.

With the 5 prayers, doing Umrah everyday, some sightseeing and the heat (and it was really hot) it was incredibly tiring. We didn’t sleep very much at all. And doing Umrah was tiring.

Your feet really start to hurt and get dry walking on hard ground so much.

During Namaaz and Tawaf and Saae I prayed so much. While at Masjid al-Haram now that I think of it, my thoughts never really strayed too much. I mean yes my thoughts wandered from time to time but from what I remember they wandered from praying to what to pray for. Which isn’t wandering too far. I had so much time to pray for so many things I think I remembered pretty much everyone at one point or another. And I did pray in general for anyone I might have forgotten as well. I prayed for a lot of important and big things and with so much time there and constantly praying I prayed for some of the smallest things as well. Which I realized while I was doing it but it came to mind so why not hehe.

I loved out outside the Masjid families were all just sitting around eating and kids were playing games. It was like they were on a picnic. Of course everyone was respectful of where they were but they were relaxed and enjoying where they were. And kids from all over the world…all on those roller shoes and playing hehe. It was really nice.

The first 2 days in Makkah it wasn’t too crowded. I was able to easily walk up to Kaaba and touch it. And go pray in the Hateem area. I wasn’t able to get to Al-Hajar al-Aswad, the black stone on the corner of Kaaba that was still pretty crowded and there was a lot of pushing going on there. Though somehow on the 3rd day when it started to get even more crowded my sister managed to get in and kiss it. She said people were pushing from both sides of her once she got there but they were oddly pushing her more into it than away.

My uncle told me a story about when he and my Nani were there for Hajj a few years ago. He was pushing my Nani in a wheelchair while doing Tawaf and it was so crowded and there was so much pushing that while they were in the crowd even though he wasn’t pushing (or pulling) they moving Horizontally! So much so that the rubber covering on the wheelchair wheels came off. Fortunately neither of them were hurt in the pushing and they were able to get out of the crowd, fix the wheelchair and everything turned out fine.

On the 3rd day in Makkah my Uncle and his family came from Riyadh. It was so great to see them! I hadn’t seen them in about 12 years or so. We only got to spend about 1.5 days with them but still it was nice to spend some time with them.

After Makkah we went to Medinah. The Hotel was right outside Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (which was also massive, 600,000 capacity). I don’t have any pictures of the inside (I could write about more about that and some other things that reminds me of, but in such a great experience I’ll stick to the positives). But the inside was amazing! The ceilings, chandeliers, the artwork, the pillars, everything was simply amazing. And you could see where the old masjid and the new masjid areas meet but both are extremely well done. That was a great thing in Makkah too, you could see the new parts as well as the old sections. Oh and at first I didn’t like how there were hotels right next to the compound but then I found out its all on leased land and the government will take it back to further expand the Masjids as required. So then I didn’t mind so much.

Oh and in Makkah I went to this one restaurant that had great great lamp chops! I went there 3 days in a row!

Back to Medinah, the temperature there was slightly cooler (barely, it was still low and mid 30s) but there was more walking directly in the Sun. I think it was the hot temperature outside and then the cold temperature in the hotel that caused me to get sick so I didn’t do too much in Medinah. Though I did go on a tour and see everything on 1 day. Like the Masjid in which direction for Qibla changed in mid-namaaz.

Overall the trip was just an amazing amazing experience. I learned a lot, I saw a ton, and it was just incredible feeling to be there. InshaAllah I (and everyone else) will get to go again for Hajj some day and just be able to go there again, many times.

If I had to choose which I liked better between Makkah and Medinah…well Medinah is much more relaxed. But I’d definitely choose Makkah. Theres a feeling of intensity there. Like I can say InshaAllah anywhere at anytime, but when I said it there it just felt so much more powerful and a stronger sense of it would happen.

K, thats all for now. Below are some pictures. Not at all in order but oh well.

My cousin Aneequa and I.

The tents in the Muzdalifah where people stay during Hajj.

The tents in the Muzdalifah where people stay during Hajj

Random city shot in Makkah.

Picture from my hotel room in Medinah.

The door of Kaaba.

Inside Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, the resting place of Prophet Muhammed.

Al-Hajar al-Aswad, the black stone on the corner of Kaaba.

A new hotel being built outside of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah

Masjid al-Haram in Makkah

Masjid al-Haram in Makkah

Outside Masjid al-Haram in Makkah facing the hotel I was staying at.

Masjid al-Haram in Makkah

Kids playing outside Masjid al-Haram in Makkah

Masjid al-Haram in Makkah

Masjid al-Haram in Makkah

Myself wearing Ihram.

My cousin Aneequa.

Random city shot in Makkah. Mountains!

Inside of a Date Factory, I got these almond stuffed Dates there...sooo good

A date factory in Medinah.

Kaaba

Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medinah

Gabalay Rahmat outside of Makkah

Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medinah

Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medinah

Kaaba & Masjid al-Haram in Makkah (capacity of over 850,000 not including the streets, etc outside where people also start to pray).

Masjid al-Haram in Makkah (repeating b/c I really like this pic).

Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medinah

Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medinah

Another masjid in Medinah

Medinah

Medinah

Random Makkah City Shot

Random Makkah City Shot

Random city shot in Makkah

Random Makkah City Shot

Random Makkah city shot

Random Makkah city shot

Theres a few more pictures that you can see HERE.

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