A traveller's reflection: 2011 10th Umrah: Madinah Al-Munawarah

"Life does not have to be perfect to be wonderful..."

Madinah al-Munawarah
Elaf al-Taiyibah Hotel
(15 - 17 April 2011)

Friday - 15 April 2011
Amman – Madinah

From the Syrian border our POTO group went direct for a Morrocan lunch at Tawaheen Al-Hawa situated in a suburb of Amman. After retrieving the rest of our luggage, we headed to Amman International Airport to catch the 7.15 pm onward flight to Jeddah.

The flight to Jeddah took 2 hours. After immigration and customs clearance, we were greeted by Ustaz Halim. He was our local guide and Mutawwif throughout our visit in Madinah and Makkah.

Saturday - 16 April 2011
Madinah

We boarded the bus for a 5-hour journey to Madinah with one stop at Yaman Restaurant for supper. We reached Madinah and checked-in the Elaf At-Taiyibah Hotel just in time for solat Subuh at Masjid Nabawi.

(Hotel Elaf Al-Taiyibah at the background)

After breakfast we had time to rest in the room until prayer times. After solat Asar, lead by Ustaz Halim, the group went to visit historical places around Masjid Nabawi.

(Entrance to Maqam Rasulullah)

After solat Isya', the ladies were lead by an Ustazah to visit Maqam Rasullullah and Maqam Saidina Abu Bakar and Saidina Othman. At the Raudah, the gardens of Jannah, we recited the selawat and conveyed the salam from family members and friends and performed our solat sunat and recited our doas.

(Inside Masjid Nabawi)

Sunday - 17 April 2011
Madinah

After a hearty breakfast we gathered at the lobby at 7.00 am for the ziarah around Madinah city and visited Masjid Quba’ the first mosque of the muslims, Masjid Qiblatain - the mosque where the qiblat was changed from Baitul-Muqaddis to Kaabah and passed by Masjid Tujuh.

(Masjid Quba')

(Masjid Qiblatain)

We visited Jabal Uhud and Maqam Saidina Hamzah and the Shuhada’ and recited doa for them. On the way back we stopped at Tamar Souk to buy dates and nuts.