Rain and Thunderstorm in Al-Masjid an-Nabawi

Rain and Thunderstorm in Medina Munawwarah

 Medina is a city in western Saudi Arabia. In the city center, the vast Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) is a major Islamic pilgrimage site. Its striking Green Dome rises above the tombs of the Prophet Muhammad and early Islamic leaders Abu Bakr and Umar. 

The Masjid al-Qiblatain (Qiblatain Mosque) is known as the site where the Prophet Muhammad received the command to change the direction of prayer to Mecca.

 

Madinah Munawwarah The City of Prophet Mohammed

It may not boast of the majesty of the Swiss Alps or the beauty of the Niagara Falls or the glamour of Paris or the green pastures of the British countryside or the flaky croissants and aromatic cappuccino in small cafés on a cobblestone street in Italy, but your heart yearns for it. You are drawn to it; you miss it with a passion, to be there under its blanket of peace and serenity that you experience so profoundly nowhere else.

It should be the destination of choice for our local travels and the place we plan to go to whenever we get a short break from school and work.

Madinah Munawwarah The City of Prophet Mohammed

It is Al-Madinah, the city which took Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in, which gave him refuge and respite, welcomed him, and sheltered him. It is upon that blessed city’s ground his feet trod, he lived, sweat, toiled, fought, built, worshiped, prayed, where he breathed his last, and where he was buried.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was forced to leave Makkah, to flee the persecution that he and his followers were suffering from.

Before Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) migrated to Al-Madinah, it was called Yathrib, and it had been known for a disease that outsiders coming into the city contracted, accompanied by high fever.

When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the majority of his companions migrated to Madinah, many of them fell ill. Abu Bakr, the Prophet’s closest friend, and Bilal fell severely ill. They were physically sick, and they were also homesick.

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw how sick some of his friends had become and how much they missed Makkah, he made supplication to Allah.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked Allah; he said, “O Allah, make Al-Madinah as beloved to us as you made Makkah beloved or more than that. Make it conducive to health, and bless us in its sa’ and mudd’ (units of weight and measurement) and transfer its fever to Juhfa.” [Sahih Bukhari]

“O Allah! Bestow on Al-Madinah twice the blessings You bestowed on Makkah,” Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) prayed. [Sahih Bukhari]

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked Allah to grant His blessings and favors upon Madinah and its inhabitants.

He (peace be upon him), said, “O Allah, Ibrahim was Your servant, Your friend, and Your apostle; and I am Your servant and Your apostle. Ibrahim made supplication to you for the showering of blessings upon Makkah, and I am making supplication to You for Madinah just as he made supplication to You for Makkah, and the like of it in addition.” [Muslim]

From then on, the love for Al-Madinah grew in the heart of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and in the hearts of the believers, until this day.

How can we not love Al-Madinah and the Prophet (peace be upon him) loved it? How can we not yearn for Al-Madinah and it is the place from which the luminous message of Islam spread? How can we not long to visit Al-Madinah and the Prophet’s body is buried in its soil?

When you visit the grave of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), extend your greetings to him and say, “Peace be upon you Messenger of Allah. I bear witness that you have conveyed the Message, fulfilled the trust, and offered sincere advice.”

The first mosque in Islam to be built was built in Al-Madinah. First, Qubaa Mosque was built and then the Mosque of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Going to Al-Madinah is more than just a get-away; it is a true spiritual retreat. The reward for praying in the Prophet’s masjid is multiplied 1,000 times more than in any other mosque, with the exception of the Grand Mosque in Makkah. A prayer in the Grand Mosque in Makkah is better than 100,000 prayers. Imagine the rewards of staying a couple days in Al-Madinah and praying in the masjid every day.

Be sure to make a stop in Qubaa Mosque to pray there. The reward for praying a single prayer in that mosque is equal to the reward for performing umrah.

Visitors to Al-Madinah know well enough not to leave the city without buying from its dates, which it is famous for. The dates in Al-Madinah have special blessings in them, especially the small blackajwa dates.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not set out on a journey except for three Mosques i.e. Al-Masjid-AI-Haram, the Mosque of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) , and the Mosque of Al-Aqsa, (Mosque of Jerusalem)."

Your visit to Al-Madinah cannot be complete until you visit Mount Uhud, which stands north of Al-Madinah. Mount Uhud is the site of the second battle between the Muslims and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) against the disbelievers from Makkah.

Mount Uhud

Referring to Mount Uhud, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “This mountain loves us and we love it.” [Muslim]

The people living in Al-Madinah were promised safety and security. It is a sacred place, and a severe punishment awaits anyone who terrorizes Al-Madinah and its people. By the will of Allah, He will protect the people of Al-Madinah against those who plot to harm them. Al-Madinah is the home of the believers and the pious.

Ibn `Umar never offered the Duha prayer except on two occasions: (1) Whenever he reached Mecca; and he always used to reach Mecca in the forenoon. He would perform Tawaf round the Ka`ba and then offer two rak`at at the rear of Maqam Ibrahim. (2) Whenever he visited Quba, for he used to visit it every Saturday. When he entered the Mosque, he disliked to leave it without offering a prayer. Ibn `Umar narrated that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to visit the Mosque of Quba (sometime) walking and (sometime) riding. And he (i.e. Ibn `Umar) used to say, "I do only what my companions used to do and I don't forbid anybody to pray at any time during the day or night except that one should not intend to pray at sunrise or sunset." Sahih al-Bukhari 1191, 1192

Narrated `Abdullah bin Zaid Al-Mazini: Allah's Messenger said, "Between my house and the pulpit there is a garden of the gardens of Paradise." Sahih al-Bukhari 1195

“Whoever caused the people of Al-Madinah to fear by oppressing them, Allah will cause him to fear and Allah’s curse will be upon him,” the Prophet (peace be upon him) said. [Majma’uz-Zawa’id]

In fact, even the anti-Christ will be incapable of entering Al-Madinah and bringing his evil to that noble city. In Makkah and Al-Madinah, the Muslims are safe from this tremendous tribulation.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “There will be no town which Ad-Dajjal (the anti-Christ) will not enter except Makkah and Al-Madinah. There will be no entrance (road) but the angels will be standing in rows guarding it against him, and then Al-Madinah will shake with its inhabitants thrice and Allah will expel all the nonbelievers and the hypocrites from it.” [Bukhari]

Truly privileged are those living in Al-Madinah and have settled down there and will live their final days there. To the residents of Al-Madinah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave glad tidings.

He (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever was able to die in Al-Madinah, then let him do so, because whoever died in Al-Madinah, I will be an intercessor for him on the Day of Resurrection.” [Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi]

It was narrated that Sahl ibn Haneef said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever goes out until he comes to this mosque – meaning the Mosque of Quba’ – and prays there, that will be equivalent to ‘Umrah.” Narrated by Ahmad, 3/437; al-Nasaa’i, 699; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1180, 1181.

In Sahih Muslim it is narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go to the mosque of Quba’ every Saturday, walking or riding, and he would pray two rak’ahs there. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1191; Muslim, 1399

I long to visit Al-Madinah. It is referred to as Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah; meaning the Illuminating City. It is also called the City of the Prophet, the City of Light, and Tayba and Taba, which mean pure and pleasant. I long to walk down its streets at night, eat from its dates, pray at the masjid at the crack of dawn, and sit there reading the Qur’an until sunrise. Madinah Munawwarah The City of Prophet Mohammed

Source: http://saudigazette.com.sa/life/faith/yearning-al-madinah/

Madinah Second Best Airport in Middle East

Madinah Airport ranked 2nd best in the Middle East

Airports Council International (ACI) has ranked Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah the second best airport in the Middle East for the second quarter of 2016.

The airport ranked second among 10 airports in the region and earned a score of 4.65 points out of five points in total passenger satisfaction with the quality of services provided by international airports.

In the category of airports with a capacity of 5 to 15 million passengers, which includes 80 airports worldwide, Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport came in 11th place. It ranked 38th place among the top 267 airports worldwide.

Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Fadel, director general of the airport, said, “The ranking provides global confirmation that Al-Taiyibah Airport Operating Company, the airport’s operator, applies the highest quality and excellence standards in the administration of passenger services, as well as the keenness of airport staff to provide the best services based on international standards.”

He said the operating company works to meet the needs of passengers at different airport facilities, as per the leadership’s directives to provide and continuously develop top quality air transportation services in the kingdom.

He also praised the support of the General Administration for Civil Aviation (GACA) to the development and growth of civil aviation in the kingdom.

He said the airport received substantially high results evaluation categories, especially safety standards and performance. He noted that the Kingdom is among the safest for aviation in the world and is seeing a continuous rise in air transportation and aviation service providers.

Sofyan Abdulsalam, director general of Al-Tayibah Company, said he was pleased with the results of the ranking.Madinah Second Best Airport in Middle East 

The ACI is the only global trade representative of the world’s airports, representing more than 1,850 airports, or 85 percent of total airports worldwide.

It also plays a role in the promotion of professional excellence in airport management operations as it applies an airport quality program that services as a global platform for measuring passengers’ satisfaction with services provided during travel.Madinah Second Best Airport in Middle East 

Source: http://www.arabnews.com/node/1043096/saudi-arabia

Madinah Second Best Airport in Middle East

Bani Waqif Fort Historic Place in Madinah

THE Bani Waqif Fort located 500 meters southeast of Quba Mosque is one of the historic landmarks in Madinah. It’s just four kilometers away from the Prophet’s Mosque and could be developed into a park and a tourist site.

Residents of Quba district of Madinah have accused the authorities of negligence toward the historic fort where the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had once prayed.

“The fort does not have a proper access road nor any signboard for people to locate the place,” said Nasser Al-Ahmadi, who urged the authorities to take immediate measures to rehabilitate the structure.

Researcher Mohammed Ghali Al-Tarjumi said Bani Waqif belonged to the famous Aus tribe, which provided all assistance when the Prophet migrated to Madinah.

“The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) had prayed in their fort, which is located south of the Quba Mosque,” Al-Tarjumi told Okaz/Saudi Gazette.

The fort is located between houses and farms in Asba district. “It underwent renovation during the time of the Ottomans, who used it as a military garrison,” he said.

Al-Tarjumi said a number of historians have mentioned the fort in their works, including Al-Abbasi and Al-Samhoudi. “At present the fort is neglected and illiterate people have been causing harm to the fort over the past years exploiting the absence of monitoring,” he explained.

He said some people were throwing construction waste in the fort.

“There are several forts in Madinah. Bani Waqif Fort has one of the best and beautiful parks in the region with enchanting date palms and other trees. Standing on this fort, visitors can watch the famous Eir mountain in Madinah,” he added.

Meanwhile, the head of the department of public relations and information at SCTH said the organization has registered Bani Waqif Fort as one of the national heritage sites.

“We intend to preserve this place with the support of an expert team as part of SCTH’s efforts to preserve and develop all Islamic heritage sites in the Madinah region,” he said in a statement. Bani Waqif Fort Historic Place in Madinah

World’s Biggest Cooling Stations at Two Holy Mosques

With a record number of Haj and Umrah pilgrims visiting the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah, this year’s Ramadan and Haj seasons saw unprecedented success that proved Saudi Arabia’s unparalleled capabilities for the service of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims — the Guests of Allah. For some 5.8 million Umrah visas were issued, 5.5 million Umrah pilgrims arrived into the Kingdom, along with a total 1.8 million Haj pilgrims.

Al Salem Johnson Controls “YORK” is proud of its leading role in providing prominent landmarks at the two Holy Cities with cooling and maintenance services. The company owns the world’s largest cooling station at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, as well as a one of the world’s largest cooling plants at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, and providing comprehensive maintenance services to the two Holy Mosques, in addition to Zamzam water-cooling station.

It also plays a great role in cooling and providing maintenance services to some of the Two Holy Cities’ prominent hotel chains that accommodate countless Umrah performers and pilgrims around the year, including the Clock Tower and Makkah Hilton, as well as cooling and maintaining Muzdalifah Hospital.

The company’s 1,200-workforce of qualified engineers and technicians is the Middle East’s largest after sales and maintenance team, helping the company remain a major contributor to the success of the Haj and Umrah seasons, during which the company redoubles its efforts, resources and manpower to ensure speedy responses to any emergencies that might arise anywhere at any time. Quick, effective, and innovative solutions ensure that pilgrims can perform their rites safely in the comfort of a cool, breezy environment.

During this year’s Haj season, Al Salem Johnson Controls “YORK” maintenance and service teams saw all of their projects through with minimal delays, and lowest possible costs. The teams guaranteed an uninterrupted flow of a staggering 200,000 refrigeration tons in various HVAC&R service contracts in and around the mosque. Another achievement recorded was the operation of 1OM Centrifugal chiller in the New Ajyad Plant.

“Al Salem Johnson Controls is proud to have a leading role in cooling, air conditioning, and maintaining the two Holy Mosques, Zamzam water cooling station, and other major locations year-round,” said Dr. Mohannad Alshaikh, chief executive officer of Al Salem Johnson Controls. “We take great pride in being a key cooling and service provider to ensure the comfort and safety of the Holy Cities’ visitors during Haj & Umrah seasons. Our technical team is the largest in the Middle East, and is more than capable of responding to emergencies in record time.”World’s Biggest Cooling Stations at Two Holy Mosques

With Jeddah being the gateway to the Holy Sites, the company’s aftermarket team has been achieving phenomenal success over the past 6 years in serving the Haj Terminal with an excellent emergency action plan, whilst maintaining continuous operation of a 15,000TR chilled water plant, including a 12-megawatt back up power reserve for contingencies.

World’s Biggest Cooling Stations at Two Holy Mosques

6.3m Umrah Pilgrims in Last 9 months

Some 6.3 million Umrah passengers passed through King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah during the past nine months, according to a statistical report released by the airport authorities.

Thursday marked the last day of pilgrims’ departure, noted the report received by Saudi Gazette.

Airport General Manager Abdullah Al-Rimi said that some 7,000 employees of various government departments served Umrah pilgrims this season.6.3m Umrah Pilgrims in Last 9 months

At the Haj terminal there were 14 halls that served pilgrims, 26 plane parkings, 10 portable bridges, 18 gates, 143 immigration counters, 12 counters for Haj committees, 224 counters for united agents offices, and 254 counters for travel and tourism representatives.

The airport also has two fist class and VIP lounges as well as a 123-room hotel. Restaurants and commercial services are spread on an area of 9.4 square meters. The airport also has 20 waiting lounges, 40 prayer halls and 32 toilet areas.

Meanwhile, well-informed sources said the Ministry of Haj and Umrah halted the issuance of Umrah visas indefinitely for the season since the 16th of Ramadan. The sources said that the Umrah season this year saw an increase of 6.99 percent from last year with 6,393,464 visas issued, an increase of 444,252 visas, while the number of pilgrims stood at 5,949,212 Umrah pilgrims.

According to statistics, Egypt came first with 1,303,067 Umrah visas, up 17 percent from the last Umrah season; Pakistan with 991,337 Umrah visas and Indonesia in third place with 699,612 Umrah visas.

The number of pilgrims coming from Turkey increased this year by 18,875 compared to last year, with total number of visas issued to Turkish pilgrims amounting to 473,672, making the country fourth on the list of countries in terms of the number of Umrah pilgrims.

Jordan came in fifth place with a total estimated visas of 434,479, while India this season added 77,077 Umrah pilgrims over last season, totaling about 409,639 Umrah visas.6.3m Umrah Pilgrims in Last 9 months

Algeria came seventh on the list with 371,949 Umrah visas, but second only to Pakistan in terms of the increase in the numbers of pilgrims, where the increase amounted to 28.51 percent. 

The data showed that Malaysia obtained 26,005 Umrah visas, an increase of 10 percent, and in ninth position came the United Arab Emirates with 187,289 Umrah visas, an increase of 12,919 pilgrims.

Iraq recorded a drop in the number of Umrah pilgrims by about 10.22 percent compared to last season, with 168,406 Umrah visas issued. 

The remaining countries recorded a drop of 26.91 percent in the number of Umrah visas issued.

6.3m Umrah Pilgrims in Last 9 months

Images of Mount Uhud in Madinah

About Mount Uhud in Madinah

The mountains in the area of Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah witnessed significant events in Islamic history. Among these mountains is Mount Uhud, which was the scene of the famous Battle of Uhud. Mount Uhud is a mountain north of Medina, Saudi Arabia. It is 1,077 m (3,533 ft) high. It was the site of the second battle between Muslim and Meccan forces.

Mount Uhud, in front of which the second battle in Islam (the Battle of Uhud) took place in 3 AH. Of this mountain the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) declared, “This mountain loves us and we love it.” 

Mount Uhud is located 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) north of Madinah. Uhud has an attractive look. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) felt relieved on seeing it, and the people of Madinah also loved it very much.

Mount Uhud extends from east to west with a slight slope towards the north. It is 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) in length and from 2 to 3 kilometers (1.2 to 1.9 miles) in breadth. Most of its stones are of red granite, and some parts of it are almost dark green and black. It contains some natural cavities (called maharis) where rain water is collected. The rain water remains throughout the year, for these cavities are not exposed to the rays of the sun. Close to Mount Uhud there are some small mounts, like Thawr and `Aynayn. Mount Thawris located northwest of Uhud, while `Aynayn is situated to its southwest.

Mount Uhud is also called the Archers' Mount because it was the field where the steadfast archers in the Battle of Uhud were killed.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) marched out with the Muslims to confront them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took up his position below the hill. He (peace and blessings be upon him) arrayed the army in fighting formations, and fifty archers were posted on Mount `Aynayn under the leadership of `Abdullah ibn Jubayr to guard the army from any attack from the rear. They had strict orders not to leave their post, whatever the outcome of the battle.

The two armies engaged in fighting. The Muslims seemed to have won victory over the Makkans, who fell back in disorder after paying a heavy toll. The Muslims started gathering the booty. Thinking that the fight was over, the majority of the Muslim archers left their posts to gather the spoils, disregarding the orders of their leader to stay in their positions.

On seeing the archers leaving their posts, Khalid ibn Al-Walid, who had not yet embraced Islam, seized the opportunity and gathered a group of the Quraysh fighters, killed the rest of the archers, and launched a furious attack from the rear. The Muslims were taken so much by surprise that they did not know what to do. In the general melee their ranks got disorganized. Seventy of the Prophet's Companions, including Hamza ibn `Abdul Muttalib, the Prophet's uncle (may Allah be pleased with them), were killed.

After the battle was over, the martyrs were buried in the field of the battle. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would visit their graves and pray for them.

`Abbas ibn Sahl reported from Abu Humayd who said: We went out along with Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in the expedition of Tabuk. We proceeded until we reached the Valley of Al-Qura and Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "I am going forth, so he among you who wants to move fast with me may do so; and he who likes to go slowly may do so." We proceeded until Madinah was within our sight, and he said, "This is Uhud, the mountain which loves us and which we love."

Qatadah reported from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Uhud is a mountain which loves us and which we love."

Source : http://www.ummah.com/