OUR UMRAH MAY 2013

EACH PERSON'S EXPERIENCE WHILE AT MAKKAH AND MADINAH IS DEEPLY REGISTERED IN HIS OR HER OWN SELF. APA PUN KITA BERDOA DENGAN PENUH HARAPAN DAPAT BERKUNJUNG LAGI INSYAALLAH PADA MASA-MASA AKAN DATANG.. 

Our 'umrah' recently was taken right after the PRU2013, a day after that eventful day. It was the first time that we  traveled on NAS Air a chartered flight that carried passengers to Jeddah / Madinah. It seems now there are several carriers that carry passengers to both cities, either the normal air carriers like Mas, Emirate, Saudi Air or the Air Asia and several chartered airlines. Depending on the agencies that arranged your flight and services, you may find yourself on the right airways only later. Unless of course you choose to fly on your choice of air carrier.

That is however not the main subject matter of this write up. It is more to have a look at several photos accompanying for what they are worth. 

Our travel on the Makkah - Madinah 400 KM highway on a GMC vehicle allowed us to see more of the country- side than had we traveled on the bus as usual. I managed to get this photo as the car was traveling of the sun setting behind the hills near Madinah.  The time registered on the photo is that on Malaysian time. Giving a difference of FIVE hours you would get the time of the moment

It would be hard to get a picture of Al Haram from the air, but I managed to get this photo from the 42nd Floor of a hotel, showing the development and construction works on going. I believe you can identify the Kaabah and the jumaah circling. However notice the large extension works on going, extending to the hillocks behind. Hoping it could be ready by Haj time this year. 

As many hotels are sited around Al Haram the extension would make them be a walking distance away except for the few standing in front of King Abdul Aziz Gate.

The whitish flooring is a section of the top floor of the mosque which have seen jummah at prayer here especially during Ramadan. The extension is made around it and especially at the top corner of the picture.

Al Haram at night seen from the entrance of the multiple hotel sites close by

 These are the wheel chair brigades at Al Haram specific to the Saie section. For many who would be unable to walk all the way  these gentlemen would assist. However many now come with their own wheel chairs and noticeable too motorised vehicle the like of 'wheel chair' being used.

 My wife attending to her mother who needed the use of the wheelchair. This was one we brought along.

A portion of the pilgrims on wheel chairs facing the Kaabah. It is good to see people helping out when ever they see jumaah requiring help especially those on wheel chairs.

I would guess many wheel chair users would be at Makkah and Madinah and surely provisions would be made to offer better facilities for them especially in crowded spaces.  

We could take it as a link to what Malaysia requires too in such a situation.

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This is the clock tower, now completed since we last saw the building in 2010. It stands so magnificently that it could be seen from the air as our plane was coming to land at Jeddah Airport almost 40 kilo metres away. Whatever it serves its function of reminding the time  ..........