Uhud pictures

This is the rock where the Prophet, s.a.w., was, when he was attacked and as a result of which his tooth was broken..



The arrow marks the place where he rested his hand while in pain - legend has it that the rock disintegrated - the dent in the rock can be seen. However the local authorities have taken great pain to eliminate any signs of the original impression. Visiting this area is deemed an offence - which makes it all the more a place to be seen. The locals have knowledge of all such places, being handed down through generations.



Here we see a split in the mountain flank - the Prophet was wounded and needed a place where he could be hidden, all the while with the enemy on his track. Allah ordered this mountain to split its self - thereby creating this opening where he could be hidden and healed. The opening is only just broad enough for a man to squeeze through.. Here too, people have left the marks of their disrespect. The area is cordoned off and a wall built. That wall keeps being broken down by visitors and is regularly rebuilt.



The mount of Uhud..
















The archers' cleft - initially a lot higher than this..

The Uhud Battle Ground

Cordoned off with a high metal cage-like fence. The area is barren, nothing green to be seen. And yet, birds resting here and there. The place should have been one for quiet contemplation. The sellers with their wares of all sorts and kinds spoiled the silence that should have prevailed out of respect for what had occured here.

The Battle of Uhud was actually a win for the Muslims. Had those 40 archers whom the Prophet s.a.w., had explicitly ordered to stand guard at the cleft of a small hill, not left their place. That was the only weak link in the defence of the Muslims and was most crucial to their safety. Those unfortunate men, thinking the battle won, left their place. All but nine. That gave the enemy the opening they had lacked and they attacked.

It left the Prophet, s.a.w., defenceless, save a few brave men. It resulted in his lip and shoulder being injured, which would cause him pain for months to come. And his front tooth to break and fall. He was injured and protected by only a handful.. The nine archers left at the cleft fell in obediance.

This place holds the remains of 70 Companions who were martyred that day, 67 together to one side, and Hazrat Hamzah, Hazrat Abdullah bin Ja'ash and Hazrat Musab bin Umayyar to another. Hazrat Hamzah lies alone, the other two Companions together.

The story of Uhud is such a tragic one, that I cannot write or think of it, without feeling immense pain. That was my feeling the day we went there too. And there all around me, there was the atmosphere of a picnic...

That small hill is still there, as well as the surrounding mountains still stand, silent reminder to eons past. There were a lot of people gathered on that hill. Chanting I dont know what, it was too far to make out the words. But even that I found sad. That hill carries upon it the blood of so many brave martyers, those who remained to defend it and those who came back to fight again. It was a resting place for the Prophet, s.a.w., he prayed upon it and slept upon it.. and now there was rubbish, and filth on and around it..

Hmmmm.. pictures follow in the next post.

26th May

Since we were free between fajr and zohar, we decided to use this time and do some visiting of historical sites. Found us a good Urdu speaking driver, which I would advise anyhow because there is no sense in visiting any place if you cant understand what you're supposed to be seeing. Before that we thought it wise to have a good breakfast.. Down by Pakistan House, across the road, a ten minute walk almost, you'll find Pakistani restaurants. They serve a good enough omelette and paratha. Just do remind them that you like your eggs salty :)

So, after that filling food, we set off in the car and let our guide take us around. I'll list it, with pictures and as much history as he told us.

1- Masjid Ziratain
This is the Masjid where the Prophet, s.a.w., wore the Zira'a, the armour, for two historical battles - the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of Khandak, or, the Trenches. Dont know how much who knows about which, so I'll add just a very short summary when I come to the Uhud Mountain.
















2- Masjid Musta'rah
The Prophet s.a.w., stopped here every Wednesday on his way to visit his Uncle Hazrat Hamzah. He spent time here, slept, prayed and continued his journey. The whole surrounding area is known as a resting place. The Masjid is opened at prayer times only.

25th May

What I forgot to mention about the ride was, there are toilets on the way, just be careful u have a change of clothing with you for Madina and your own wet/dry tissues..

So, in Madina then. The ride in to the city was melancholic - this is the city of my beloved! A very different feeling.. Though the initial impression of the city is a bit of a let down - lots of construction work going on, many high rise buildings - well, not as high as we have here but too high for the city of the Prophet s.a.w.

We had initially planned on staying at the Pakistan House. Don't know how it was because we cancelled that plan seeing that we'd have had to cross a busy main road to get across. This hotel, the New Al Ansar was good enough. Close by and their rates are not bad. 300 a night for a 4-bed room. Bring your own stuff for making tea though.

So, we had some food, which we'd bought with us, and a cuppa, and off we went to the Haram for Asr prayers.

You enter into the Haram area via huge green/gold gates. The ground is all smooth and cool marble.. Though you can actually roam around with your shoes on, yet the whole place is prayer ground, so I prefered taking mine off. Bring a bag, stuff the shoes in and hold it.. or, say a little prayer and place them in an easy place. Both things work.

Well, what to say. The sense of calm and quiet that prevails the city despite its construction work and busy roads is intensified here. Everything is quiet and calm. At least I had no inclination to chat or laugh around.. I was too aware of what grounds I was treading on.

Acceptedly, the area has changed a lot. Yet it was all the vicinity of the initial Masjid-e-Nabwi, s.a.w. Who knows, where I was standing? He might have stood at the same place at some point.. Hmmm..
















Spent some time there, got information about Ziyarat times and came back to the hotel to rest. It had been a long day and we were all drained. We did go back for prayers though, that was not to be missed.

Food was not such a great issue. We had some with us, courtesy our friends, and there are enough shops around. Amazingly, food rituals, that form a basic part of our life here are home, were so unimportant.. though yet again I cannot stress enough the importance of a good cup of tea

A dream come true!

I had been dreaming of going for my Umrah since ages and ages.. and somehow, the plan kept on shifting. But of course, the Invitation has to come from the Almighty - such matters cannot be rushed and suited to oneself.. Finally, it happened. But first things first..

We had applied through an agent, applying just for the visa since we had planned on driving. We ditched that plan though and bought tickets for Nas Air. Which, if you are flying from the UAE, is an excellent option. The fare is cheap, the seats comfortable and the flying good. They dont serve food, rather offer it at a price. Which is fine by me. We had sandwiches with us and just bought a cup of tea from them and that was good enough.

Took the flight in the afternoon, and arrived in Jeddah around Maghrib time. We had friends in Jeddah so it was easy to spend the night - I'd advise anyone else too to spend a night in Jeddah and then head for whereever it is that youre heading. In our case, it was to Madina first.

You get all sorts of Taxis for Madina - but 99 out of 100 they are Arabs. Nothing wrong with that if you can speak Arabic of course :) Otherwise it becomes a game of sign language and good guessing.

The route to Madina is mostly barren land. Bring enough water with you and some light snacks. And be sure to choose a taxi that is well airconditioned..

As I was saying, mostly barren lands, dusty and dry. They dont have any special eateries or fancy petrol stations like we are used to seeing here in the UAE between say Abu Dhabi and Dubai. I guess thats all a well thought out plan. The obvious object is to get from place A to place B without any loitering inbetween. I must say I agree with the thought. It helps you to keep the destination in sight.

We stayed at the New Al Ansar Palace. Long name, good enough location. I could see the Haram from our window, if I leaned out a bit. They dont set much store by toilet paper or tissue though.. :)

So - time to sign out.. will continue tomorrow Inshallah :)