I’d have never thought I’d be writing a travel post, much less about one of the holiest places on earth (Makkah). This post is long overdue and I’m glad I finally got to post it.
For those who didn’t know/couldn’t guess from my instastories, I went on a trip to Saudi Arabia and I got to see so many awing views. I also got to visit the two most cherished places on earth by Muslims: Al-Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah and Al-Masjid An-Nabawi in Al-Madinah.
NOTE: This post is a THOROUGHLY UNDERSTATED summary of my experience in Makkah.
My last visit was about 5 years ago and I was still pretty much a grumpy little 13-year-old. Getting another opportunity, I promised myself I was going to bask in the gloriousness of being able to visit these places. Makkah, if you didn’t know, is the city where the Holy Ka’bah is and is a very sacred place of worship for Muslims. My journey to Makkah was a long road trip of over 12 hours. It included several stops and a notable one was the stop at Meeqat. From my observations, People going to perform Umrah stop over here to refresh, pray and change into the appropriate attires( two pieces of fabric,each for both sections of the body for men, nothing specific for women).
The Umrah includes making Tawaaf (walking round the Ka’bah) round the Kaabah and Sa’y (walking between As-Safaa and Al-Marwah).
Apart from the breathstopping view of THE HOLY KA’BAH, there were so many practices that showed just how much Muslims love, respect and cherish this place. It’s ALWAYS overcrowded but the beauty in that was seeing people of different race, culture, ethnicity, etc come together to bow to ONE Creator.
We stayed for two days and two nights (in a really nice but badly-illuminated hotel room). I was able to perform Umrah and pray all my daily Salah at the Majid, which was a real privilege. My sister even beat me to the idea of recording one of the Imaam’s recitals of the Quran.
I got to take quite a number of pictures because I have no idea when next I’d get such priviledges. Now, it’s forever etched in my memory (and my camera roll).
Some Pictures Of the Mosque:
I had endless thoughts to share but it ended up being too scrambled. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did. To my Muslim readers, may Allah SWT grant us all the opportunities to perform Umrah AND Hajj.
I’ll be posting a sequel to this trip which was a trip to Al-Madinah and the Prophet’s (SAW) mosque. Make sure to check it out too.
Did you enjoy this post? Have you ever been to Makkah? What was your experience like? Let me know in the comments below!!
