Mekah and Madinah Always On My Mind Part 1

Assalamulaikum wbt.

As y'all know, today being Saturday, is "supposed" to be an off day for us, school students, however, my little sister was invited to be a facilitator of a two-day camp (Friday to Saturday) at her former school, and today, my mom was supposed to go meet all our teachers to get our report cards signed. Did she go? Nooooooooo, coz she got a headache, due to lack of sleep. And my dad had to send my big sister to receive her medal, soooo, we'll probably get a round of verbal abuse from the teachers on Monday. SIGH!

Our friend, Shareen is crashing at our home tonight, coz she and my lil'sis both went to the camp, and her parents have gone to Johor Baharu for the weekend. Now, both of them are sleeping like a log, probably due to extreme exhaustion. My dad wanted to treat us out for dinner, but my mom could not manage to wake the two up, even though how hard she tried. They only woke up to pray Maghrib and Isya' like two zombies, then drop down, all sleepy head and everything. They didn't even change their clothes. Luckily, I was not invited. Coz then, my Saturday would be finished.

After I wrote about the night of Sya'ban, I kinda couldn't stop thinking about my trip to the holy cities of Mekah and Madinah. I went there last year. It was a sad year for us, coz my mom was supposed to bring my little brother along, however, he passed away too soon, in October 2010, less than a month short of his 9th birthday. 2010 was the saddest year of our life. For y'all out there, I'd like to tell you, please, please, please love your family no matter what. Money means nothing if your family is gone. Things are not worth anything, even friends and your job, and your studies, should come second compared to your own family. I'd do anything to bring back my brother. To think that I will not see him again, until the end of time, is too painful, but that's the reality. I don't even dream of him anymore. And that's too painful too. He used to come into my dreams in the first year of his death. But now, nobody dreams of him, except my grandpa, who is very close to him. My mom would ask the same question everyday to everyone " Did you dream of Amat last night?". I'm sad to disappoint her, but I just don't anymore. My mom  has also stopped dreaming about him. I think that every night when my mom goes to sleep, she'd pray that she would dream of my little brother, but that just didn't happen anymore.


Well, these painful memories made me think about Mekah and Madinah more often because, I feel like it's God's way to compensate for our loss, and to alleviate the pain and suffering that we endured the previous year. It was a wonderful trip for us. It made me happy, because I made many new friends, young and old, and my sisters and I, together with our friends would make the time to explore the shopping malls near our hotel, it kinda made me forget about little brother. And things seem brighter a bit after we came back from Umrah that year. Umrah is also special coz we do beneficial things like praying, read the quran, give sadaqah, help the elderly, fast, visit Islamic historical sites, pay our respect to Prophet Muhammad saw, etc. It made me feel that my time is well spent. Unlike when I go for holidays at other destinations, sometimes I feel it's a waste of time, and money of course.

I've taken lots of photos there, below are just a few of them. I'd like to advise y'all out there to go for Umrah as soon as you can.I'm lucky because God has invited me. I can imagine my little brother's joy to be there if he was still alive, but God loves him even more.To all of you out there who are reading my blog, please love yourself, your family, your life, thank God for everything that He sets upon you, be it pleasure or pain, because we don't know what His plans are for us.Do good to everyone, keep away from people who are toxic and tend to hurt you, even if those people are your family, but pray for them, because they may be sick at heart.


Lotsa love
Daniel Zaydi.

Masjid An-Nabawi, photo taken from my hotel room.The little dark green dome in the middle of the photo is where Prophet Muhammad's tomb is situated. Everyone must pay respect to Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. when he/she visits Madinah.People would cry, like a mother crying over her missing child, even though we have never met or seen the Prophet in person. We feel a very deep attachment and love towards him. It's a feeling that you can't explain. You just feel it.

After Dhuha, the umbrellas will be opened to shade the square.When the mosque is full, people will pray here.

The old architecture is still preserved at Masjid An-Nabawi. The cleaning staff in the cordoned-off area work 24 hours to keep the place sparkling.

The temperature in Madinah when we went there was around 16 degrees Celcius. Cold enough for me, and it would drop further in the evening. 

My sisters with the Jabal Uhud in the background. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said,"Jabal Uhud is a Mountain from heaven". The concrete wall is where the martyrs tombs are located. 70 sahabah were martyred in the battle of Uhud. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. suffered injuries and had to take refuge in a cave at Jabal Uhud. My mom who has entered the cave said, the cave emits a very sweet scent even though the Saudi Government does not care for the place. It is littered with goats poo.

At Jabal Magnet, where a very big magnetic field is found. Switch off the engine of the bus, and it moves by itself, dragged towards the magnetic field. The name Allah can be seen on the hills in the background. The place is deserted, and a project to build a road has been abandoned after the magnetic field was discovered. The place is simply stunning. You'd feel out of this world, more like you're on the moon.

With Uncle Amirul and his daughter, Amira. My parents' good friend.Even the tree is absolutely awesome.

Simply out of this world.

The ambience at night. The attraction of Masjid An-Nabawi is overwhelming.

TO BE CONTINUED....