A traveller's reflection: Umrah Day 11: Madinah Optional Tour

“Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be...” - Wayne Dyer

(Taiyibah Cave, up close at Jabal Uhud)

Day 11: 29/08/24 (Thursday)
Route: Madinah Optional Tour
Hotel: Madinah Emaar Elite Hotel

At 7.00 am we gathered at the lobby and boarded a 25-seater coaster. This morning we had the opportunity to visit rare historical places in Madinah to learn and appreciate the great struggle of Rasulullah and his companions during the early days of Islam. This optional tour cost SR100/pax. At Jabal Uhud, for the first time we visited historical sites around the mountain.

(A coaster for the optional trip)

(Ready to explore Madinah historical sites)

(Mount Uhud in the background)

1. Al-Ijabah Mosque also known as Bani Muawiyah Mosque or Al-Mubahalah Mosque, is a mosque in Madinah, which was built during the time of Prophet Muhammad on a land owned by Muawiyah bin Malik. When prophet Muhammad returned from Al-Aliyah, he passed the Bani Muawiyah Mosque, entered there and prayed for two rakaats, and his companions also followed him. He prayed for a long time, then turned toward the companions and spoke about three wishes he requested to God, in which two of them, saving people from famine and flooding were fulfilled, but the last wish regarding the ending of strife among the people was not fulfilled. According to the chain of narrations from Malik and Abdullah bin Jabir, Ibnu Umar said that war, slander and strife would continue until the Day of Judgement.

2. Gua Taiyibah is naturally formed cave, on the side of Mount Uhud facing Masjid Nabawi is where the Prophet Muhammad took refuge and rested his head during the battle of Uhud.

(A narrow entrance of Taiyibah Cave)

(Touching the rocks at Jabbal Uhud)

(Many other smaller caves, unexplored)

3. Masjid al-Fas'h or Masjid Uhud was the place where the prophet prayed solat jamak Zohor/Asar in a sitting position after the battle of Uhud. Massjid al-Fas'h is a small mosque beneath the Mount Uhud, under the Taiyibah Cave. The mosque is already destroyed and there are only few remnants of the wall and the mihrab which is still visible. The building is now surrounded by an iron fence to guard its sustainability.

(Reconstruction in progress)

(The original location of the mihrab)

4. Al-Muaarith is a fort near Tayyibah Cave at the foot of the Uhud hill where Prophet Muhammad was hidden and treated during the battle of Uhud.

(Remnants of the old fort)

5. Bani Haritsah Mosque or Masjid Al-Mustarah, is a mosque located in Madinah at Sayyid asy-Syuhada' street. The naming comes from an account of Prophet Muhammad taking a rest in this place once, on the way home returning from the Battle of Uhud. The word "Mustarah" means the place for resting.

6. Masjid Musabbih@bani Anif is the place where Prophet Muhammad and his companions prayed when they arrived from Makkah during the Hijrah. It was given this name because it is located in the village of Bani Anif, a Bali people who lived between Bani Amr bin Awf in Quba and Al-Osbah. This mosque is on the right side of the Hijra Route leading to Madinah, southwest of Quba Mosque. The mosque's current structure is an unroofed stone structure; it has been restored like other historical mosques. The mosque's original site was visible on high ground, and about two meters of its walls remained before renovation. It was built of basalt stone, with trace of the Mihrab visible in it, and its entrance was built on the north side.

(The old mosque has been restored)

(The unroofed mosque of Bani Anif)

(The original wall of the mosque)

(A few al-quran placed in the wall)

7. Telaga Iziq is located to the west of the Quba Mosque. It was at this well that the people of the tribes of Al-Aws and Khazraj and others came out to greet the Prophet Muhammad and his companions.

8. Masjid Ajimmatu Syaikhan also known as Masjid Al-Dar 'a or Masjid Baju Besi was where the Prophet prayed and inspected the Uhud army line before the battle of Uhud. war.

(Also known as Masjid Baju Besi)

(The interior of Masjid Ajimmatu Syaikhan)

9. The Ghars Well is located close to Quba Mosque and The Garden of Salman Al Farsi. The Ghars Well was one of the well perferred by Prophet Muhammad due to its freshness and was said to have drank water and performed ablution from the well. It is reported by Ali ibn Abu Talib that the Prophet said: “When I die, wash me with water from al-Ghars Well.” - Ibn Majah.

(The well preferred by the Prophet Muhammad)

(An old picture of Bir Ghars)

10. Telaga Salman Al Farisi also known as The Well of Al-Faqir derives its name from the word 'tafqeer' which refers to an area dug-up for planting palm seedlings. It is also known as the Well of Al-Mithab or the Well of Salman Al-Farsi. It is situated around the 'Al-Aliya' orchards of Madinah and traces its history back to the period before the advent of Islam and is linked to the life of the Prophet Muhammad where Salman Al-Farsi, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, used to work. The Prophet Muhammad planted palm trees beside the well in order to free Salman from slavery, and it was here where a prophetic miracle occurred; as all the trees bore fruit the following year, significantly earlier than expected. The well has been preserved throughout history and has been subject to meticulous care and preservation.

(The entrance to the well)

(Remnants of the Salman al-Farisi well)

(Also known as the well of Al-Faqir)

11. Bi'r Khatim also known as Telaga cincin where the ring given by the Prophet Muhammad to Saidina Abu Bakar fell. The wellis also known as Bi'r Aris. This well is located near the Quba' Mosque. The Prophet's ring is not just a decorative ring but the Prophet's official seal.

(The well is sealed and marked)

(Visitors at Masjid Quba)

12. Telaga Hajim is a well in Madinah that was once drunk by Prophet Muhammad. Quality and cheap dates are also sold here.

12. Al Jum'ah Mosque is a mosque in Medina, in the Hejazi region. It is said that the Prophet Muhammad and his companions performed Salatul-Jumu'ah for the first time, during their hijrah from Makkah to Madinah.

(The Al-Jum'ah mosque from across the road)

13. Hejaz Railway Station is a train station that was built during the Ottoman caliphate to bring pilgrims from as far as Palestine to the city of Madinah. It was a part of the Ottoman railway network and the original goal was to extend the line from the Haydarpaşa Terminal in Kadıköy, Istanbul beyond Damascus to the Islamic holy city of Makkah. However, construction was interrupted due to the outbreak of World War I, and it reached only to Madinah, 400 km short of Makkah. The completed Damascus to Medina section was 1,300 km.

(Hejaz Railway Station)

14. Jannat al Baqie Anbariya Gate, located next to The Anbariya Mosque was built in 1908 by the Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II. The mosque was a part of the Hejaz Railway project next to al-Muazzim Railway Station, which houses the Hejaz Railway Museum.

(The Anbariya Mosque)

After the visits, on the way back to the hotel we detoured to have fruit juice drinks at Flawraty restaurant. By 11.00 am we were back at the hotel in time for Zohor prayers.

(Ice-blended fruit juice to quench the thirst)

(Pomegranate and lemon juice)

At 4.30 pm there was an online briefing on our unfortunate 24-hours delayed departure. Alhamdulillah, we were able to remain in the same room for another day in Madinah.