Someone knocked on the hotel room door around 8:00 am. The hotel management said that we have to leave today because this entire floor was contracted out over 3 months ago and the people are arriving at 9:00 am.
We quickly packed up and left the hotel. My husband met an Egyptian brother when we arrived in Medinah so he called the Egyptian brother. This brother picked us up from the hotel and took us on a mini tour of Medinah, Masha-Allah. Subhana-Allah, it's amazing how this brother didn't speak any English and my husband barely spoke any Arabic, yet they were able to communicate just fine. It's the beauty of Islam and the love that Allah (SWT) puts in the heart of a Muslim for another Muslim that bring us all together as one family, under the banner of Islam, no matter what our language is or what our nationality is, Allahu Akbar!
First we visited Uhud mountain where Hamza (RA) is buried. I stayed in the car and my husband went with the brother to see Hamza's (RA) grave. I felt it not appropriate to visit the site because I am a woman and we are discouraged from visiting graves. Also, I thought that if Hamza (RA) was alive today I wouldn't just go and visit him, so why would I visit him now as he is alive up with Allah (SWT), Insha-Allah.
After Uhud moutain we visited the Qiblatain Masjid. This is where the Prophet (SAW) received revelation to change the Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah. This masjid was big and beautiful, Masha-Allah. There was a seperate entrance for men and a separate entrance for women. We had to walk up many flights of stairs to get to the prayer area. I made two rakah with Hafsah in the front carrier and then a walk down another flight of stairs to get back to the women's entrance where my husband was waiting at our meeting place.
After the Qiblatain Masjid we visited Masjid Quba. This is the first masjid ever built by the Prophet (SAW). He (SAW) built this masjid on the way from Makkah to Medinah on the Hijrah with Abu Bakr (RA). This masjid has been expanded and is quite huge. Allah (SWT) only knows where the original part is located. There were seperate entrances for men and women at this masjid also, Alhamdulillah. There were fountains outside around the entrances filled with Zum Zum water. These Zum Zum fountains looked just like the fountains they have in Makkah inside al-Masjid al-Haram. I entered and made two rakah. Mostly Arab women were all around me, Masha-Allah. Everyone was praying their two rakah. Two rakah in Masjid Quba is suppose to be equal to performing Umrah. This is from the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
After Quba masjid the brother drove us back to where our old hotel was and dropped us off. I sat with Hafsah and our luggage in the bazzar while my husband went on a hunt for a new hotel. I watched pilgrims scrambling for that perfect gift to take to that special someone who was not with them on Hajj. Still coughing away, I drank Zum Zum water and struggled with Hafsah who wanted to get down and crawl all over the place, Masha-Allah. I looked here and there anxiously waiting for my husband to return. I ate some chocolate Medinah dates and remained patiened until finally my husband returned from the opposite direction I was looking for him to return from. He finally found us a new hotel, Alhamdulillah.
Now I am sitting in this new hotel room waiting for the day to pass. This room has three single beds. The bathroom is outside the room and around the corner, Masha-Allah. There is no one else up here on this floor. Our flight to Jeddah leaves in the morning, Insha-Allah. In Jeddah, we will wait on stand by to try and get a flight to Pakistan. My husband is out making Salah and trying to get our passports and confirmation for leaving Medinah.
My husband just came back and said that the authorities will not give us our passports until we have a confirmed flight from Jeddah to Lahore, Pakistan. Because of this my husband went to the Ministry of Hajj, but didn't get any help there either. This room is making me sick and I don't like staying alone, so I am going to Masjid an-Nabawee (SAW) for Maghrib with my husband.
After Maghrib, we went to the Ministry of Hajj together to demand for help. The Minister of Hajj and his companion both spoke English very well, Masha-Allah. They called Saudi Airlines and said that we now have confirmation to fly from Jeddah to Lahore on March 18th which is in five days. The servant served us wonderful tasting tea in this tiny little cup. It was very sweet and tasted wonderful, Masha-Allah. The companion sitting with the Minister of Hajj also had a terrible cough. Many people are coughing here in this city.
As we were leaving the athan was called and so my husband prayed Isha with the Minister of Hajj and his companions. Finally, we left the Ministry of Hajj and went to the Saudi Airlines office to change our airline tickets for the 18th. Our taxi driver from there helped us locate a better hotel for the morning. We went back to our hotel, slept until Fajr and then left around 8:00 am to our new hotel where we will stay until the 18th, Insha-Allah.
This new room is just fine, Alhamdulillah. The beds are on the floor, there is a kitchen area and the bathroom is in the room, Alhamdulillah. Also, we have an air conditioner, Alhamdulillah. The only bad thing is that there is no elevator in this hotel, so I am staying in the room for the next five days because I can't bear the thought of climbing those six flights of stairs again. My health is still bad (three weeks now). I can't breathe well and the coughing is really wearing me down. Everyone is coughing in Medinah. Remember, even the companion of the Ministry of Hajj was coughing! My husband said most the people in the masjid are coughing also, Subhana-Allah!
I slept the rest of the day and the night in the new hotel. I am so sick I can't really enjoy much of Medinah. May Allah (SWT) forgive me for my weakness, Ameen.