Construction…..
An after Asr wander around the eastern side of Masjid Nabawi today. Sub titled "spot the crane/s" in each photo!
During the week the site is teeming with labourers, but being Juma’ah, they are having their well earned one day of rest.
Looking back towards the previous photos, taken from the raised viewing balcony of Jannatul Baqi. After Asr is the only time they allow women here. Jabal Uhud in the background.
To the left of the above, showing how close the extension site is to Haram. The narrow walkway, behind the barrier, becomes so congested with the number of pilgrims now in Madinah.
The crowd of Iranian women outside the fence of Jannatul Baqi. Commandos dressed in their fatigues were just behind me, bashing their batons on the walls yelling for us all to leave the area.
Looking inside the fence where the men were doing Ziarah.
Turning to the right overlooking the Dome of Felicity, SubhanAllah! The intense afternoon sun was to the right, affecting the exposure.
A lonely beach umbrella in the middle of the courtyard renovations!
Walking further south, just past the Shariah Court is this massive underground preparation for the large Dar ul Qiblah; I have previously posted a photo of this along with the artist’s drawing of the final building, which is being offered as a time share investment.
And furhter south a construction of another sort!
Aliat Al-Madinah is the name of a slightly raised area just north of the Hijrah route walked by our Blessed Rasulullah SallAllahu alaihi wasallam and Abu Bakr As-Sidiq RadhiAllah anhu as they approached their first stop, today’s Masjid Quba, prior to entering Yathrib. Up until quite recently it was the largest densely planted area with date palms. At the time of our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam it formed a natural barrier against intruders. It is no longer; it’s name being all that is retained!
Aliat Al-Madinah (2) is now a shopping mall which upon completion will be the largest shopping mall in Madinah comprising an area of 300,000 m2. The mall consists of a hypermarket, 14 anchor stores, food court area, fun zone area and 200 retail shops for a total built up area of around 100,000 m2. The parking area that surrounds the mall fits more than 3400 cars. This mall is expected to become one of the landmarks of the holy city of Madinah that is visited every year by millions of people from all over the world.
I am lost for words. We drove by this "latest" addition to our City of Enlightenment the other evening. The traffic jam was unbelievable, the crowds were magnetized to the disco strobe lights, projecting slide images on the outside facade, and search lights beaming all over the city….your Du’a needed, Insha’Allah.
And this is an update on yet more construction planned for Makkah.
May Allah Ta’ala guide and save us all, Ameen.
All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam. May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.
Ismail very much enjoyed counting all those cranes.Very sad regarding the Palm plantation near Quba.Where are our hearts and heads ?Unreal from here ,unreal from there !
Wassalam,
Umm Yusuf
Comment by Umm Yusuf — May 5, 2007 @ 5:40 am
Assalamu alaikum dear Umm Yusuf,
Every which way on the horizon around Haram one sees cranes. Intriguing to watch them, such skill and fearlessness from the operators. Shopping malls…
“…this world’s life is naught but means of deception.”
(Al-Hadid, 57:20)
May Allah Ta’ala lead us all on the Straight Path, and strengthen our resolve against Shaytan and his machinations, Ameen.
Wassalamu alaikum
almiskeenah
Comment by almiskeenah — May 5, 2007 @ 8:50 pm
Assalamualaikum, Ameen to your duas… Subanallah!! I don’t even know what to say regarding the development of the new ‘landmark’ in the blessed city. About 6 years ago I was in Mecca for the last 10 days of Ramadhan. I met some wonderful brothers for whom that had been their first visit ever, the thing that dismayed one of them the most was the ‘commercialisation’ and ‘modernization’ of everything. This brother was a Convert/Revert and had held an almost magical/mystical view of the sacred lands in his mind… and this is was his reaction 6 yrs ago! May Allah azawajal protect and forgive us all…
Comment by ikramuddin — May 5, 2007 @ 9:37 pm
Assalamualaikum sister… seems like my last 2 posts got lost in cyber space:) Khair inshallah. I’m at a loss for words regarding the new ‘landmark’ that is being developed in the blessed city… May Allah azawajal forgive and protect us all, ameen. About 6 years I ago I was in Mecca for the last 10 days of Ramadhan, during that time I met many beautiful brothers who were also from abroad. One brother was a convert/revert and his observations are ringing in my head at right now. That had been his first trip to the Haramain and he had been lamenting the ‘modernization’ and ‘commercialisation’ of things… in his mind he’d had a mythical almost magical view of the Sacred cities and seeing how things were destroyed that… from then till now… may Allah Ta’ala have Mercy on us all, ameen.
Comment by ikramuddin — May 5, 2007 @ 11:57 pm
Shaytan Mechinations, isn’t that the name of the Disco soon to be in the shopping mall, where once date palms lived that fed the first Muslims? Ah, it breaks my heart.
Ya Haqq!
Comment by Irving — May 6, 2007 @ 5:20 am
Assalamu alaikum,
dear “ALL”….I am working on a post in answer to these comments and expanding on this topic, so Insha’Allah, it will appear later.
Brother Ikramuddin…have no idea what gremlins were floating about cyberspace to cause you comments to be mixed up, Alhumdulillah, “all’s well that ends well”
Wassalamu alaikum
almiskeenah
Comment by almiskeenah — May 6, 2007 @ 5:13 pm
as salamu alaykum
….this is so depressing. We must be able to do something?
As comfort, I always recall the words of Sh. AbdaAllah al Kadi who said last year, ‘It is not the buildings themselves that contain the brakah, but the place itself’. This was of course, mentioned regarding the demolition of historical sites, but i suppose one can remind oneself that no matter what they do to our holy sites, the baraka still remains. I find it depressing nonetheless! I found Makka last year very claustrophobic.
Allahu musta’an!!
Comment by maida — May 6, 2007 @ 9:03 pm
Assalamu alaikum dear sister Maida,
I feel that these so called developments are all part of the testing we are facing, all Willed by Allah Ta’ala, otherwise they would not be appearing on the horizons…and thus part of the “sieving” process we are subjected to….may we pass these tests in order to reach the highest stations in Jannah, Ameen Ameen Ameen. So true the words of Shaykh Abdallah Al-Kadi…no matter what may be constructed or demolished, the Ummah will forever be drawn to these Holy Places until nothing exists, and nothing or nobody will ever we able to strip them of their spiritual heritage for those who look beyond the externals.
Wassalamu alaikum
almiskeenah
Comment by almiskeenah — May 7, 2007 @ 9:52 pm