Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Today is our second day in Makkah. We had breakfast at the hotel with a nice view of Al-Haram.
I noticed the hotel served zamzam water as part of the buffet. Absolutely love it.
Today’s agenda is a tour of the significant sites in early Muslim history. We started the day by visiting Jabal Thawr, the cave where the prophet retreated when pursued by the Quraish in 622CE.
Afterwards, we visited Arafah. It looks very different from how I remember it. There were facilities and even cafes. Obviously this is not a hajj season hence it is not packed with people. We sat at one of the cafes while enjoying the view of Arafah. We also bought the famous Arafah soft ice cream.
From Arafah, we decided to go ahead and perform a second umrah. To do that, we stopped by the nearest miqat point, which was Al-Taneem Mosque.
We went back to the hotel to get some light lunch at Souk Al Khalil (opposite the hotel), before starting the second umrah after zuhur prayers.
Our second umrah went on smoother than expected. The crowds were still big but it moved faster compared to last night.
I also took the time to admire closely both Safa and Marwa hills during sai’e.
The crowds outside the mosque after prayers were absolutely packed. Due to certain areas outside the mosque was cordoned off for prayers, it reduced the walking path for pilgrims outside the mosque.
After Asar, we had a tour to Hira cultural district. It is located next to Jabal An-Nur, where Hira Cave is located. The Saudis have built an “experience” center in Hira cultural district where pilgrims can observe a virtual experience on how the angel Jibrail delivered the first revelation to the prophet. It was an amazing experience. They even had a replica of the cave for those that couldn’t climb up the mountain to see the actual thing.
Imran Jaafar 