‘Praying in Madinah makes one feel calm and relaxed’

Madinah: Large convoys of pilgrims have started converging in Madinah for their journey to Makkah for the Haj 2014. Among them are two Indian pilgrims, Rayeesuddin Ansari and Liyaquat Ali. They came to Madinah from Lucknow, India. “This is my first Haj,” said Ansari. “I am very happy to be in Madinah, the city of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This is the seat of Islam and it is from here that Islam spread to all corners of the globe. Madinah is in the heart of every Muslim. Praying at the Prophet’s Mosque gives one a feeling of infinite calm and a deep sense of fulfillment,” he added. Much of Madinah’s physical heritage reflects Islamic and historical events such as the sites of Prophet Muhammad’s battle fields. Ansari has visited many of these holy sites such as Uhud, Masjid Al-Quba and Masjid Al-Qiblatain. He was pleasantly surprised at the Saudi government’s attention to detail in preserving the holy sites especially the new renovations he witnessed at the different places of worship, the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah and the Grand Mosque in Makkah. He expressed happiness at the warm treatment of pilgrims saying: “Since our arrival at the airport, we have felt the warm welcome and the smooth travel procedures.” He added that he had heard about the Saudi government’s warm welcome to pilgrims “but this has exceeded my expectations,” he said. Liyaquat Ali is here for the first time. “I am very happy to be here,” he said, adding that they had had no problems in Makkah or Madinah. The cost toward the Haj this year is around 200,000 Indian rupees per person.   Arab News