Days in Madina and a sad news
We spent 5 days in Madina before Hajj. Unlike the rush, crowd, excitement, and noise in Makkah, the city of Madina presented herself as quiet, peaceful, tranquil, and relaxing place. We had a chance of preparing ourselves for Hajj by saving energy and concentrating on prayers in Masjid e Nabvi. Laila apa joined us as our roommate in Madina. So there were 4 of us in the hotel room – Tasfia apa, Laila apa, Amma and I. Full of good memories inside and outside the hotelroom. Tasfia apa and Amma grew a warm relationship. Laila apa and I were most of the time quiet, but we enjoyed the stories of Tasfia apa. She used to call Amma ‘Khalamma’.
Coincidentally Fahim and Tasfia apa’s husband were together in the another room. All the rooms had phones and we knew the internal numbers to reach our husbands. So most of the times in our room the phone would ring as either Tasfia apa’s husband or Fahim would call to inform us of any update from our travel agency, call for breakfast/dinner etc.
Like Makkah, the restaurant was inside the same hotel building and at some top level floor. We would catch the elevator to go up for breakfast and dinner. Lunch was not served which is a common package feature for most of the agencies.
Our hotel was ‘Elaf Taybah’ just across the Masjid E Nabvi. We would only cross the street to go for each prayer. As there was less rush, we could go inside the mosque several times and stay for long hours after prayer. One day after Fajr prayer, we were reading the Quran and doing dhikr, suddenly I realized a change of light inside the mosque, light was increasing, I looked up for the reason, and saw the domes of the mosque were opening, it was a fascinating sight. Usuallay some times of the day when sunlight is not much to trouble the pilgrims, the domes are opened. I could see the sunny sky up, it was beautiful.
Many times all four of us (Amma, Tasfia Apa, Laila Apa and I) would go together for prayer. Sometime three when Amma prayed inside the hotel. One such day Tasfia apa, Laila Apa and I were going for the Maghrib prayer. In Madina temperature is usullay cooler than Makkah. It is a flat land unlike Makkah’s hilly region. So cool breeze is always welcoming the pilgrims. We were there in the month of December, so we had to take light shawls at nighttimes. That day breeze was bit chilly and we were rushing as the Iqama was already started. We prayed with outside jamaat as inside was already full. Usually after prayer we stayed for some time to do supplications or dhikr. But that night Laila apa was not feeling well, she requested to go back after prayer. And as it was chilly, we also didn’t want to stay for long. So all of us returned at our hotel finishing the prayer; didn’t even stop at the roadside shops for window shopping which also was a common affair on our daily Madina routine.
We came back at out hotel. Laila apa and Tasfia apa went directly to the dinner and I came up to take Amma from our room. I saw Mashuk, Laila apa’s son was standing at the door and asked for her Mother. I informed him on her whereabouts and then went into the room. Then Amma and I went for dinner. When we came back, I saw Laila apa was crying holding Mashuk. We came to know that Laila apa’s Mother had passed away in Bangladesh. May Allah grant her Jannah and give peace to her soul. We came to know how pious women she was. It is always hard to hear this sad news from so far away, but it was consoling that she was in a holy place to make dua for her Mother.
Coincidentally Fahim and Tasfia apa’s husband were together in the another room. All the rooms had phones and we knew the internal numbers to reach our husbands. So most of the times in our room the phone would ring as either Tasfia apa’s husband or Fahim would call to inform us of any update from our travel agency, call for breakfast/dinner etc.
Like Makkah, the restaurant was inside the same hotel building and at some top level floor. We would catch the elevator to go up for breakfast and dinner. Lunch was not served which is a common package feature for most of the agencies.
Our hotel was ‘Elaf Taybah’ just across the Masjid E Nabvi. We would only cross the street to go for each prayer. As there was less rush, we could go inside the mosque several times and stay for long hours after prayer. One day after Fajr prayer, we were reading the Quran and doing dhikr, suddenly I realized a change of light inside the mosque, light was increasing, I looked up for the reason, and saw the domes of the mosque were opening, it was a fascinating sight. Usuallay some times of the day when sunlight is not much to trouble the pilgrims, the domes are opened. I could see the sunny sky up, it was beautiful.
Many times all four of us (Amma, Tasfia Apa, Laila Apa and I) would go together for prayer. Sometime three when Amma prayed inside the hotel. One such day Tasfia apa, Laila Apa and I were going for the Maghrib prayer. In Madina temperature is usullay cooler than Makkah. It is a flat land unlike Makkah’s hilly region. So cool breeze is always welcoming the pilgrims. We were there in the month of December, so we had to take light shawls at nighttimes. That day breeze was bit chilly and we were rushing as the Iqama was already started. We prayed with outside jamaat as inside was already full. Usually after prayer we stayed for some time to do supplications or dhikr. But that night Laila apa was not feeling well, she requested to go back after prayer. And as it was chilly, we also didn’t want to stay for long. So all of us returned at our hotel finishing the prayer; didn’t even stop at the roadside shops for window shopping which also was a common affair on our daily Madina routine.
We came back at out hotel. Laila apa and Tasfia apa went directly to the dinner and I came up to take Amma from our room. I saw Mashuk, Laila apa’s son was standing at the door and asked for her Mother. I informed him on her whereabouts and then went into the room. Then Amma and I went for dinner. When we came back, I saw Laila apa was crying holding Mashuk. We came to know that Laila apa’s Mother had passed away in Bangladesh. May Allah grant her Jannah and give peace to her soul. We came to know how pious women she was. It is always hard to hear this sad news from so far away, but it was consoling that she was in a holy place to make dua for her Mother.
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