The Flight To Jeddah [#ProjectNigeria] COMPLETED ✔

KSA

This chapter is dedicated to @oummytre 😏😉

AMMI

We arrived the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Umrah (Lesser Hajj) on a Thursday night after spending 2 days in Qatar.

We lodge in a hotel in the city of Madina and hurriedly took a shower. The twins and Adnan were already asleep so Mummy, I, Daddy, Ya Imran and Amar proceeded to the Masjid alNabawiyy (Prophets Mosque).
After the nights prayers and Dawn we proceeded to the RAUDHA. Luckily we arrived early and found a space near the minbar (the place where the Prophet Muhammad SAW used to call for prayer and give khutba). After praying two Rakaats, I dropped into prostration and prayed. I have been to Saudi Arabia twice before but everytime seems like a new experience. An overwhelming feeling swept over me as I found myself closer to my Creator in prostration.
I prayed for my Parents, my family, then about School and other random stuffs.
At about 11 am we left the Masjid and walked to the hotel with Mummy holding my hands.
After a breakfast and a shower we wasted no time in getting the twins ready and Adnan and then made our way back to the Masjid.

It was a daily routine for 4 days with Ziyara (visits) to the Mount Uhud to see the Shuhada of Uhud (the Matrys of Uhud) Masjid Quba, Masjid Qiblatain, Baqiyyatul Jannah (Graveyard of the Sahabas and family of the Prophet SAW) amongst other places.

On the 5th day Mummy took us especially the Kids shopping. Talatu was very excited and spent each Riyal (Saudi Arabian Currency) she was given on small gifts she could give out back home.
The kids bought all ranges of toys and I busied myself with the trendy Abayas on sale.
I love the Black Abayas and always lucky to get the most trendy ones from UAE and Saudi when ever Mummy travels.
It was the last day of our stay in Madina so we packed that night and proceeded to the city of MAKKA to complete our lesser Hajj.

MAKKA(Mecca)

We stopped at a Masjid on our way the Meeqat (a place where you take a bath and perform the intention of the lesser Hajj) and performed our niyya (intention)

The men dressed in their Ihram (white cloth men tie around their waist and the other end wrapped over the shoulder worn during the lesser Hajj) and we wore our Abayas and Hijab as Ihram. We said our niyya and proceeded to the city of Mecca reciting the talbiya
("Labbaikallah humma labbaik, labbaika la sharikalaka labbaik, innal hamda wan ni'mata laka wal mulk la sharikalak")
to complete our Umrah.

We arrived nearly dawn and were lucky to pray Subh (Dawn prayer) at the Masjid Al-Haram.
After Prayers, we started our Umrah by the Tawaf (circulation of the Holy Ka'aba : the house of Allah) starting from Ruknul Yamani (the right corner of the Holy Ka'aba). After 7 tawafs, with only the males getting a chance of kissing that Hajrul Aswad (black stone) due to a large number of people and we (the females) made gestures with our hands while passing the stone and touching the Ruknul Yamani during each tawaf reciting:

"Rabbanaa 'aatinaa fid-dunyaa hasanatan wa fil-'aakhirati hasanatan wa qina adhaban naar"

Translation: Our Lord, grant us the good things in this world and the good things in the next life and save us from the punishment of the fire."

We finished and proceeded to the Maqam Ibraheem (footsteps of the prophet Ibrahim May Allah be pleased with him) and prayed two raka'ats then to the Waters of Zam Zam where we drank and poured the water on our heads.
The sa'ee (walk:literally) between Mount Safa and Marwa was next.
We walked between the two mountains 7 times also with the men hastening their steps between the mountains while the females walk gently while reciting Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 158:
إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِن شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَن يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ

Surely the Safa and the Marwa are among the signs appointed by Allah; so whoever makes a pilgrimage to the House or pays a visit (to it), there is no blame on him if he goes round them both; and whoever does good spontaneously, then surely Allah is Grateful, Knowing.

(Innas Safa wal Marwata min sha'a'irillah faman hajjal baita awi'etamara fala junaha alaihi an yaďauwafa bihima faman tađauwa'a khayran fa innallaha shakirun aleem)

After a complete 7 sa'i between the two mountains, it was time to trim the hair a minimum of one inch and the males could get a complete haircut later.

Alhamdulillah
With that our Umrah came to an end. We hugged each other and prayed that our act of worship be accepted.
We were tired and especially the Kids where exhausted so we strolled back to the hotel located just in front of the masjid al haram to eat and get some rest.

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In this chapter I decided to cover briefly the steps of performing the lesser Hajj (Umrah).
It was merely written off head so please forgive me if there's any mistake and feel free to correct too. I'd make sure I research on the complete steps and post on another separate chapter. Thank You