ALMISKEENAH

An Umrah folowed by another Umrah atones for that which is between the two Umrahs, said our Beloved Prophet SallAllahu alaihi wasallam as narrated by Abu Hurairah. (Bukhari and Muslim)  

SubhanAllah, the contrast between this Umrah and that in Ramdhan was vast. The dense crowds have dissipated. This past weekend marked the closure of the Umrah season, with all external pilgrims having to depart for their respective homelands. The next few weeks usually means a lull in attendance in the Haramain, a quiet interlude before the influx of Hujjaj due to happen soon, Insha’Allah. Many within the Kingdom usually take advantage of this relatively peaceful and gentle time to perform Umrah. Instead of being part of the human wave surging around the Sacred House and follwing the frantic footsteps of our Lady Hajar for water, one can amble; the survival mode button does not have to be activated! Alhumdulillah. May all Umrahs be written as accepted, and all sins in between be deleted for all who have been blessed with responding to the call to the Resplendent Ka’abah. Ameen. And may all desirous of being invited soon receive the invitation to this sanctity, stretching their hand at each passing of the Black Stone, to that of the Lord of the House. "O Allah! I believe in You, confirming the truth of Your Book, faithful to the covenant made unto You, dutiful in following Your Prophet’s way."

Due to the off peak time we were blessed with a room in a hotel we prefer when possible, directly opposite Haram, and just across the road from the more trendy Intercontinental. (See previous post detailing location)  Looking from the window towards the massive, some say ‘prestigious’ Abraj al-Bait in the background to the right, with a section of the Royal Palace to the left. The faithful a mere sprinkle in the courtyard at midnight, the eve of Juma’ah.

The room looked directly over this clock tower….the ‘prestigious’ Burj, tower for the zillions of pigeons, which kept me fascinated by their antics the few times I was in the room. (More in another post, Insha’Allah)

Almost time for Tahajjud Adhan.

Minarets after Fajr yaumul Juma’ah. 

A row of barber shops opposite Marwa. Such entertainment; brothers ’spruiking’ for customers for shaving, resorting to every possible means of enticement. They were having such fun and full of energy for this time after Fajr.

Dawn….time for a nap for one tired pilgrim. 

These photos show the progress of the new Safa-Marwa extension. Insha’Allah it is planned to be completed for the Hajj crowds, easing the congestion it has become with the ever incresing numbers. 

The Royal Palace atop of what once was Jabal Abu Qubais. Almost the entire courtyard is now occupied by the construction equipment and materials.  

Work continues 24/7. Whilst performing Sai’ you could look into this new area. Hundreds were working at so many differnt jobs, welders without any form of protection dealing with the tons and tons of steel foundations, building steel frames for support pillars, others positioned precariously from wooden scaffolding, some mixing concrete,all without protective head gear. May the sacrifices and hardships these brothers make for the well being of the Ummah earn them the highest of rewards, Ameen.

The truck supporting this huge crane was submerged into the sand.  

To be continued, Insha’Allah. 

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.