Scenes from Masjid Nabawi

The first night daughter,her family, and I arrived at Madina, Saudi Arabia, we said our prayers at Masjid Nabawi, and then rested at a nearby hotel. This hotel was at a short walking distance from the Masjid. It was easy to get there to say our prayers on time.

Night time

The next day when daughter, and I got to the Masjid to say our Tahajud prayer (this is before the early morning (Fajr) prayer, it was raining cats, and dogs. Most women couldn’t get inside the mosque, so were forced to pray outside in the biting cold, wind, and rain.

Our plight was the same. My only worry was getting pneumonia, but couldn’t do anything to get inside. The inside was full to the brim with women. No space anywhere. The women praying area is a different one from the men area.

Fajr prayer

We returned to the hotel, all drenched, and shivering. we changed into dry clothes, and had breakfast. We had two, three hours rest before venturing out again. My daughter pushed my wheelchair through out our stay. May Allah Bless her with a long, happy life, and grant her peace here, and in the hereafter. Ameen.

Masjid Nabawi

Dramatic

My (late) husband R, and I were on Haj (Pilgrimage to Mecca, and Madina, Saudi Arabia). In our group, which was an Army Delegation there were nineteen men, and seven women. One of the officers had brought his mother along with him too. She was the only elderly lady among us, but had more stamina than the rest of us. Twelve officers had come without their spouses.

In both the cities Mecca and Madina, our hotel accommodation was just across the mosques. In later years there has been great expansions. Now you can’t walk to them. Now hotel buses take you, or you move in a  taxi to reach there, specially in Mecca.

The room in Madina where we first stayed, before the beginning of Haj days, was shared by women. The men had two bigger rooms to themselves.

There were matteresses on the floor. We used our own sheets and pillows. My matteress was exactly in front of the door. When we weren’t praying in the mosque, we would be lying or sitting in our room. 

One woman’s husband would poke his head inside the room at odd hours (when you were least expecting it), and catch us in various poses of lying, or sitting. The correct thing was to knock at the door, and call his wife. None of the other men did this except for this man.

I would be lying in front of the door, and the first person he looked at was me. For me the situation was highly intolerable. After suffering silently for a few days, I decided to mention it in front of his wife. I spoke hesitatingly, “Can you ask Brother (all men are considered brothers) that he should knock, and call you to the door?”

The woman flew into a rage, “What do you think he comes to look at you?” I wasn’t expecting her dramatic response. I was mortified. With red cheeks I couldn’t utter a word. I took to covering  myself with top sheet from head to toe, while we were in Madina. Luckily in Mecca I stayed with another group of women, and had no such problem.

 I kept the above episode from my husband till we came back home. I didn’t want my husband to feel angry during Haj, over what I suffered.

…….

DAILY PROMPT

Dramatic

Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt. 

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/dramatic/

Going Back Centuries

This happened to me some years back when I found myself in a different century mentally. I was watching a movie The Message starring Anthony Quinn. As per the dictates of Islam there no image of the Prophet but you can feel the presence.

A scene was being shown in which the people are anxiously waiting for the arrival of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to the city of Madina. Before that the Prophet hides in a cave with a trusted friend to escape from getting killed by the unbelievers of Mecca.

A spider makes his web over the entrance to the cave. The unbelievers are misled by the spider’s web and leave. From there the Prophet makes it safely to Madina.

I found myself really craning my neck to look into the distance for his arrival. My heart was thudding. I had totally forgotten that I knew the outcome, and the story. As the people shouted that they could see him, tears of relief and joy slid down my cheeks.

My world had suddenly gone centuries back.

DAILY PROMPT

Worlds Colliding

Take two main characters from two different books (either fiction or nonfiction) and introduce them to, or have them meet, each other. What would happen next?

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/worlds-colliding/

Stone Faces



My daughter sent me this photo sometime back. You will come across it, when you travel to Madina in Saudi Arabia by road.

The stones look like giant faces turned skywards. Did someone arranged them this way, or is it a work of nature? I think it is the later.

Still if one is having fanciful thoughts:  someone must have used magic to turn some living humans into those faces, turned to the sky—- looking upwards——-confused at what happened to them.

What do you think?

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/twenty-five/

Twenty-Five

There are 26 letters in the English language, and we need every single one of them. Want proof? Choose a letter and write a blog post without using it. (Feeling really brave? Make it a vowel!)

I Thought

Use It or Lose It
by Michelle W.
Write about anything you’d like, but make sure the post includes this sentence:

“I thought we’d never come back from that one.”

Photo of Masjid al-Haram, Mecca taken by son-in-law FJ.

My (late) husband R, and I were at the end of Haj (pilgrimage to Mecca). We were staying in a hotel, a few steps away from Masjid Al-Haram. It surrounds the Kaaba to which Muslims turn their faces while praying.

I had fallen sick at the end of Haj. I was suffering from fever, and a bad cough. R had arranged for new tickets, and brought our dates forward for leaving. If he hadn’t done that, we would had to stay for more than a month.

We had the same routine as was in Madina. We met for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We spent more time at the Kaaba, or resting in between prayers.

There were many places for getting food, and choices of cuisines from different countries. We had fun trying new places. R had placed the order, and we were standing, and waiting for our food.

There was a six by four open space with no guarding rail to the kitchen below. It was a drop of fourteen feet. Someone passed close to where I stood. Inadvertently I stepped back, so that he wouldn’t collide with me. I never realized that I would be falling. I would have a broken neck, or broken limbs by falling backwards.

Thank God! R had sharp reflexes. He pulled me back. He was badly shaken. We never went there for the rest of our stay. I thought we’d never come back from that one again.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/use-it-or-lose-it/

Favorite

Do or Die
You have three hundred words to justify the existence of your favorite person, place, or thing. Failure to convince will result in it vanishing without a trace. Go!

In the photograph I have shown my bracelet, and a necklace. I bought them when I went for Haj. Haj is a pilgrimage to Mecca, enjoined upon Muslims for once in a lifetime. People who can afford it, do several Hajs.

During our ten days stay in Madina, I bought the jewelry. I would get up at three in the morning. Say Tahajjud prayers in Masjid Nabvi (Mosque of the Prophet). I would remain there till the Muezzin called for FAJR (morning) prayers. Say my prayers, and then meet my husband for a cup of tea, and breakfast.

The hotel was within walking distance from the mosque. My (late) husband R, and I were in separate rooms for men, and women. We were seven ladies to one room, and shared a bathroom.

R, and I had arranged with each other a meeting place, and fixed timings. Both of us would meet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, otherwise we were on our own, and weren’t dependent upon each other. Any shopping we did together were after Dhuhr (noon) prayers.

I love my these pieces of jewelry. I am glad I bought them when I did, because now they are antique, and not available in the market.

Masjid Nabvi. Photo by FJ (my son-in-law).

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/do-or-die/

Break the Silence

When was the last time you really wanted (or needed) to say something, but kept quiet? Write a post about what you should’ve said.

The Prophet Muhammad’s resting place. Masjid Nabwi, Madina, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by FJ)

Thank you Ben for the prompt, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this.

About three days earlier I came upon a post. I have this question to ask: Why are you misquoting God’s book?

Are you not lying?

What I don’t understand: Why are people so afraid of Islam, that they resort to mudslinging the Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him), and God’s book Quran?

They change the meaning to their own contorted version and lies.

Why do you blame Islam and the Quran, when you come across those who follow the path of darkness, and are friends of Satan?
I don’t think any religion teaches evilness.

Why do you drag Islam, the Quran, the Prophet and all innocent Muslims when an evil person does something?
Your intention should be to draw attention to the crime not to degrade all Muslims.

Why not simply say the name or names of those who commit a crime?

When are you going to stop?

Is there a limit?

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/break-the-silence/
Break the Silence