Makkah is a very historical city with great religious importance for Muslims. Muslims travel to Makkah every year in millions to perform the holy rituals of Hajj and Umrah. Through cheap umrah packages; they come here; stay here; offer their religious duties and then also go around for shopping. Since Islam originated from Makkah, there are plenty of places to visit for Ziyarath.
Here are the Important Places in Makkah to visit.
Masjid-al-Haram; the Grand Mosque.
Masjid-al-Haram also referred to as the Grand Mosque is the holiest mosque in the world. Here’s why; The Holy Kaabah, Zamzam Well, Hajar-e-Aswad (the Black Stone); Hills of Safah and Marwah; Maqam-e-Ibrahim; Hateem (Hijr Ismail) – everything is present inside of it. That’s why it is also known as ‘the House of Allah Almighty’. With 25-30 million pilgrims arriving here all around the year for Umrah and Hajj, it remains the most-visited masjid on earth. Interestingly, the Tawaf around Holy Kaabah never stops, not even for a single second.
Mina.
5 Kilometres east of Makkah; Mina is commonly known as the ‘Tent city’. There are almost 100,000 air-conditioned tents covered with Teflon. As part of Hajj rituals, pilgrims flock and stay here on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah and then again on the 10th to the 13th of Dhul Hijjah. The Jamarat Bridge also remains located in the valley of Mina where “Rami (Stoning of Devil)” takes place; another Hajj Ritual.
The Cave Hira and Cave Thawr.
Hira cave is present on Jabal-al-Noor. Hazrat Muhammad (SAWW) received his (PBUH) first-ever revelation of the Holy Quran from Allah Almighty here. In fact, he (SAWW) used to go there and spend days praying alone even before the prophethood.
Cave Thawr is present on Jabal-al-Thawr. Here, Hazrat Muhammad (SAWW) along with Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA) took refuge while migrating to Madinah.
Factory of Kiswah.
Kiswah is the cloth-covering of the Holy Kaabah. It is also known as ‘Gilaaf-e-Kaabah’. Annually the Kiswah of Kaabah is replaced with a new one on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah. The old one, in small pieces, gets presented as a gift to Muslim Countries and Muslim Dignitaries. It is made from pure silk and gold; at a cost of 4-5 Million GBP. You can visit the Factory of Kiswah and see the professionals at work.
Masjid Bilal.
The 1st Muezzin (the person who calls a prayer) of Islam, Bilal-ibn-Rabah (RA) used to live here. Later on, the residence was converted to a Masjid and is known as Masjid-e-Bilal.
Jabal-e-Rahmat; The Mountain of Mercy.
In the valley of Arafat, Jabal-e-Rahmat is present. Here Hazrat Muhammad (SAWW) delivered the Farwell Sermon. Pilgrims Gather here on the 9th of Dhul Hijjah and stay as part of Hajj rituals. Masjid-e-Nimrah is also present here; it only opens once a year for the Salah of Zuhr and Asr that are performed in conjunction by pilgrims on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah.
So, if you are travelling for umrah Ramadan 2020, don’t forget to go for Ziyarath of Makkah sites afterward.