Today I slept all day feeling miserable, Masha-Allah. I can barely breathe and I am coughing my head off. I have been taking cough medicine nearly this entire trip along with pain medication. I can't walk a foot without running out of breathe. I am in no condition to leave the hotel. I can't go see and pray in Masjid an-Nabawee (SAW). I looked out my window to see the bazzar down below. When it came time for Salah every shop closed up and everyone went to pray in the masjid. Not a single shop was open and the streets were totally empty, Masha-Allah! When Salah was over, the shop owners slowly came back one by one and opened their shops. They set up everything again and continued with business, Masha-Allah. They do this for each and every prayer, Masha-Allah! Some of the shops have quite a bit to take in and out for every Salah. There is a suitcase shop down below. After every Salah they drag out all the latest styles of suitcases and then after the athan goes off they drag all the suitcases back into the store again, Masha-Allah. May Allah (SWT) reward them, Ameen!
My husband went to confirm our airline tickets to leave Medinah. When he return he told me that according to Saudi Airlines we are required to stay until April 12th (today is March 9). They are totally ignoring our March 18 and April 4 dates on our tickets. Once again we were given bogas tickets, Subhana-Allah!
We spent the night in the emergency room for my condition. We also pleaded with the women in the emergency room for a note to give to the airline stating that I must leave as soon as possible for my health. They tried to listen to the babies heartbeat and then they gave me a breathing treatment. After getting the note for the airline I was discharged and went to get my prescription for amoxicillin. Every doctor I have visited in the Saudi Arabia has given me the same types of medicine ... a cough medicine, an antibiotic and some pain medication. Alhamdulillah, I could breathe better as we walked back to the hotel. My cough was still running me down and was quite a test for the walk home.
It's now after Fajr and I am feeling a little bit better, Alhamdulillah.
I went with my husband this afternoon to the Saudi Airlines office. They shuffled us around and wouldn't help us. It is now after Thuhr and my husband has gone to buy some new tickets from Medinah to Jeddah and also perhaps some new tickets to Lahore, Pakistan because our tickets are bogas and they aren't allowing us to leave for a whole month.
We prayed Maghrib in Masjid an-Nabawee (SAW). There was a seperate entrance for men and a seperate entrance for women. The women's section was blocked off by beautiful golden gates. The masjid was so beautiful and so peaceful, Masha-Allah. As you walked into the masjid the walkway was lined with big orange coolers. My husband told me that there is Zum Zum water in those containers.
With Hafsah on my front and the backpack on my back, I walked forward looking at every detail and making note of my steps and where I had to go to return to the golden gates. The women in the masjid were very peaceful and calm. I can't explain the peacefulness of this masjid it is something that you can ONLY experience for yourself. Iqama was called and we prayed Magrib behind Saud Al-Shuraim. Yes, Saud Al-Shuraim led the prayer. I couldn't believe that I was standing making Salah in Masjid an-Nabawee behind Saud Al-Shuraim, hearing his voice live! Subhana-Allah! It was so beautiful and so peaceful. In this masjid I was able to take Hafsah out of her carrier while I prayed and let her sit with me, Masha-Allah. I didn't have to keep much of an eye on her in this masjid, Alhamdulillah. This masjid was so peaceful and so calm, Masha-Allah.
After Maghrib, I followed must husband's instruction by turning a 90 degree turn back around and walking straight out the entrance in order to find my way back out of the masjid and back to my husband. His directions were perfect and I easily found my way back to the golden gate where my husband was waiting to pick us up, Alhamdulillah. After the masjid we went to the Saudi Airline office to see if my husband's number was yet to be called. You have to take a number and wait in line. There are hundreds of people waiting that have numbers and the office closes for every Salah so you have to calculate time to figure when you think your number might be called. Our number was way off yet so my husband walked with us to get something to eat.
We walked back to the hotel room. I ate my grilled chicken sandwich in the room. Basically, if you don't want to eat Pakistani food the only food available to you in Makkah and Medinah (from what I have found) is a grilled chicken sandwich, Masha-Allah. There aren't any restaurants except a few Pakistani restaurants. Still no fattoush for me, Masha-Allah. I have now given up on the idea that I will ever get any kind of lettuce in Saudi Arabia, Masha-Allah.
My husband went back to the majid for Isha and then was heading back to the Saudi Airlines office. He returned late after Isha saying that we ATLEAST got some tickets from Medinah to Jeddah, Alhamdulillah.