Umrah 2012

Emdad Rahman:  We travelled to Saudi for Umrah and for ten whole days and nights were able to savour the sheer brilliance of Makkah as well as the magnificence that the golden city of Madinah has to offer.

The weather was very hot but bearable. The Umrah excursions, circumambulating the Ka’abah and marching between Safa and Marwa, provided us with not only a physical challenge but also a thorough and much needed spiritual boost.

We also toured the three mountain peaks in Makkah – Jabal Noor, Thawr and Rahmah.  Jabal Noor was the sanctum of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the place of His devotions and meditations and the sacred spot where the Holy Quran began to be revealed.  The Cave is situated on mount Al-Noor on the way to Mina near Makkah and its peak is visible from a great distance.  Muhammad (peace be upon him) visited frequently, when during a night in the month of Ramadan the first five verses of the Surah Al-Alaque were revealed to him.

Jabal Thawr is the cave that provided sanctuary for the Prophet (peace be upon him), and his companion Abu Bakr (RA).  Jabal Rahmah is the Mount of mercy – this is the place where Adam and Eve met after leaving heaven.

Other highlights included visiting Mina, and the kids quad biking at Jabal Rahmah. The Makkah clock tower was a striking sight but most definitely a distracting and overbearing influence which totally dominated the skyline.

The crowds were sparse and at most times we were able to roam freely.  This was an amazing experience which I pray we can repeat next year.  Our stay in Golden Madinah was short and we hope to stay a few days extra next time round.

My travel providers were superb throughout and a big thank you goes out to Rajon and Liblu from Brick Lane-based Madinah Travels for making our stay as pleasant as possible.