Sand storm at Medinah airport which subsided after we reached the terminal bulding
Left for Medinah on 30th April 2007 rather than the scheduled 29th April as flight SV821 was delayed for 12 hours due to some technical fault at Jakarta Airport. Saudi Air housed us at Pan Pac KLIA for the night. Wifey and the kids left me alone (mmm...not really - let me with with my 13 aunts and uncles whom I had to co-ordinate for the 6.45am boarding) at the hotel with plenty of hugs and kisses to last them for the next 13 days.
Initially, I wanted to follow them back and asked wifey to drop me off the folowing morning but decided against it as it would involve a lot of re-scheduling.
Arrived King Fahd International in Dammam (north east of KSA) about 11.10 local time to drop off Indonesian workers/maids and finally reached Prince Mohd Bin Abd Aziz Airport, Medinah at roughly quarter to 2 in the afternoon.
We had to go through a sand storm prior to landing and imagine the 747 swayed right to left for a good 30 minutes before it landed which left some of the passengers whose seats were towards the tail of the plane airsick!
Checked in at Dallah Taibah Hotel just across of Medinah Hilton and quickly visited the Prophet soon after all the luggages were settled which was an hour before Maghrib prayers.
I have never been able to describe my ziarahs to Medinah well and to write what I experienced will do injustice to this holy place. Hence I will not attempt to write about it. Honestly, the feeling is indescribable, one has to experinece it oneself. In one short sentence - It was a spiritually uplifting trip!
Our stay in Medinah was only two nights.....bidding farewell to the Prophet was an emotional one for me
Zam zam water dispensers placed all around the mosque
Raudhah area
Queuing up to make salam to the Prophet
The mini domes at the Prophet's mosque (masjid Al-Nabawi)
Quba' Mosque
One of the two dates orchards, Quba' orchard (the other one being Awali Orchard) blessed by our Prophet
Young dates
Jabal Uhud area
The hill which the Prophet stationed the bowmen during Uhud war
The largest Quran printing factory in the world privately financed by the King of KSA
The Quran printing area
