In Medina

Trip Start Jun 19, 2006

Trip End Jun 29, 2006

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Where I stayed

Dallah at Taubah

(Medina hotels)

Flag of Saudi Arabia Medina, Medina, Saudi Arabia
Tuesday, June 20, 2006

We arrived in Medina at almost 4 am, close to the time to perform shubuh (very early morning) prayer. We stayed in Dallah At Taubah hotel (if i'm not mistaken) for 3 days. The first day was when we arrived. We spent the day to unpack and pray in Nabawi Mosque, but unfortunately for me, I was having my period, so I can't go and pray. I was sooo sad, all I could do is listened to stories told by my parents, my parents & sister inlaw, and my (new) husband. But then, the muthawif told my mum that there's a medicine that can stop my period for a few days, so that I would be able to go and pray. After my mum & my parents inlaw (they're doctors) approved, he bought that medicine for me. My period stopped the day after.

The second day, we went on a city tour. First we went to Quba Mosque, which is the first mosque built by prophet Mohammed. The mosque is beautiful, and have huge doors, each for men and women. Unfortunately, because I still have my period at that time, I could only wait outside, while adoring the scene. All my family went inside, but not all together, they take turns to accompany me outside the mosque. From here, we went to mount Uhud, where Uhud war took place. This war happened when prophet Mohammed is still alive. We didn't hike the mountain because we only have short amount of time but still have a lot of place to go to. From mount Uhud, we went to see Qiblatain Mosque. This is the mosque who has two Qibla. Qibla is the direction where muslims face when we pray (we call it salat). Before Kaabah become our Qibla, the original Qibla was Al-Aqsha Mosque in Jerusalem. This is the place when that changes happened. You could still see the two signs of Qibla until now.

For me, the miracle happened at the third day of our stay in Medina. My period is done, and I could go pray in Nabawi Mosque for Dzuhur (noon) pray.. yay.. And soon I found out, that my family stories about the greatness of this mosque is nothing compare to when I see it for myself. Inside it, the air is cool and calming, it was as if the positive energy is overflowing in this mosque. I can't find words to describe it. I just don't want to leave this mosque, something is calling me to stay just a little bit longer. Oh.. How I longed to go there again, cause believe it or not, I always miss this mosque and the city. In this mosque there are so many water container filled with zamzam water. Zamzam water taste like no water in this world, and for some, they believe that this water can heal any sickness and bring good to our body. FYI, zamzam water is the miracle water that appear when Hajar, Abraham's first wife, search high and low for water between Shofa and Marwa Hill (in Mecca) to give to her son, Ismail. This zamzam water is called miracle water because since it appear, it never dries out, always and always runs until now. And so, the Saudi Arabia government arrange it so zam zam water can runs all the way to Medina.

After Dzuhur pray, we got ready for the umra ritual. The men wore 2 piece of white cloth called ihram. They wrap this clothes around their body so it wont fall off and it has to cover the vital part of their body which is from the waist down, but they can't sew the clothes, and they can't wear a sewn clothes. The women wore clothes that have to cover our body from head to toe, except for face and hands. After we ready, we went to Bir Ali Mosque to prepare miqat, which is some kind of stations where we prepare to do umra. We pray here, and said our niyat to do umra. From here, we went to Mecca.