سفر حرمین شریفین

Episode 3: Journey to the Haramain Sharifain

The second day of the journey to Haramain Sharifain started on Saturday morning. Saturday is the day on which the Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to go to the Quba from Madina. After Fajr, the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to visit Masjid Quba and perform Ishraq prayer there. Masjid Quba is the first mosque of Islam, and the reward of Umrah is obtained for praying two rak’ahs in it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “مَنْ تَطَهَّرَ فِئ بَيْتِهِ ثُمَّ أتَى مَسْجِدَ قُبَاءَ فَصَلَّى فِيْهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ كَانَ كَعُمْرَةٍ” : A person who performed ablution in his home and came to Masjid Quba and prayed a long rakat, he will get a reward equal to Umrah. 

To fulfill the same Sunnah, we also went to the Quba after offering the Fajr prayer in the Prophet’s Mosque. As soon as we came out, we saw that thousands of people like us were heading towards Masjid Quba to revive the same Sunnah, and a huge crowd was standing next to Quba. After leaving Masjid an-Nabawi we sat in a taxi and it took half an hour to reach Quba, although it is only a ten-minute drive, because of the last 10 days of Ramadan, the streets and avenues of Madina were very busy and congested. We reached Masjid Quba and offered two rakats of Nawafil.

Masjid Quba is located at a distance of about three and a half kilometers from the city of Madina. And the hinges of the fate of the town of Quba began to put the bright stars of the sky to shame when the Holy Prophet visited Quba… The name of the tribe that settled here was “Amr bin Auf and the name of one of its leaders was Kulsoom Bin Hadam. The fate of Kulsoom was appalled when my Holy Prophet (PBUH) honoured him with the honour of his hospitality. Kulsoom’s surname was Abu Qais, and the house of Abu Qais became the first resting place of my Holy Prophet.

Hazrat Saad bin Abi Khaytmah’s fate also began to shine when the people came to meet him in his house. He was still unmarried, so his house was known as “Bayt al-Azab”, meaning the house of unmarried people. Those refugees who did not have wives and children also stayed here. Thus, this house became the center of splendor and excitement, and when the Prophet used to come for meetings, this house would become like the fourteenth moon shining around the stars.

Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir on behalf of Ahl al-Quba asked the Holy Prophet: O Messenger of Allah, if a mosque is built in this town by your blessed hands, how will it be? Hazrat Kulsoom Bin Hadam liked this suggestion… When he saw the approval, the heart of Hazrat Kulsoom bin Hadam was filled with joy. He immediately offered his land for the mosque, and the Holy Prophet accepted… Now what happened? See the next faith-inspiring scene! Hazrat Saad bin Abi Khaytmah narrates, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) laid the foundation of Masjid Quba, he first laid the opening stone towards the Qiblah… 

Then Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (R.A) brought a stone and placed it next to the stone of the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace. Then Hazrat Umar (R.A) brought a stone and placed it next to Hazrat Abu Bakr’s stone. After that, people joined the construction. In this way, the construction of the first mosque of Islam was completed.

We spent about an hour and a half there, and then came back to the hotel, rested for a while, first headed towards Masjid Nabwi before Dhuhr, offered Dhuhr prayer, and then returned to the hotel. At the time of Asr prayer, we again attended Darbar-e-Habib. The intention was to sit after Asr prayer at the place from where the umbrellas of the Prophet’s Mosque open, and as soon as they open, the view of Prophet (PBUH)’s grave could treat our sights, however, we received a call from our friend of the journey Mr. Sohail Zarar Khalish Sahib, and Mr. Saeed Kanpuri Sahib, and asked to come to the same place, they had overtaken us. 

Despite the heavy crowd, we reached there keeping in mind the etiquette, and with our traveling companions, we sat near the shrine of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). We were engaged in dhikr and salutations till the evening. We had fond memories of our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) in our hearts, our eyes were seeing the Khaatam-ul-Nabiyeen, our Messenger, (may God have mercy on him), walking around in the same mosque and coming from his rooms, talking in the gathering of the Companions and keeping in mind the example of “Companions of constellations”, we were watching the moon shining bright amidst the cluster of stars. I was also desirous of the companions, and how they were the lucky people in human history who enjoyed the night and dawn visit to the face of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Then I was proud of my fate too. 

There are many favours on this servant of Maula Karim who graces me from time to time by visiting the footprints of Habib-e-Karim. In the turbulent ocean of these thoughts, the time went off in such a way that we didn’t notice. When we came out of the state of these beautiful thoughts and ran our glances to the right and left, then looked at the time, it was time for Iftar. The guests had started eating for the Prophet’s banquet. The scene of Iftar in Madina is also very attractive, which I have already mentioned in the second part of this trip. We broke the fast there, offered the Maghrib prayer, and then sat there until the Isha prayer. After reciting the taraweeh, we came out and on the invitation of Mr. Qazi Sahib, our friend who came from London, went to the Yemeni Mandi Hadramawt in Madina, where we ate and had tea in a nearby place. At the same time, there was a sudden meeting with many friends and relatives. Then we left there and turned towards the place of Uhud, and the martyrs of Uhud. We recited the Fatiha for Hazrat Hamza and all the martyrs of Uhud, and prayed for the elevation of their ranks in the Divine Court. 

Maqam Uhud, Jabal Uhud, Jabal Ramat till today, even after the passage of fourteen hundred years, remain witnesses of the great sacrifices made by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions for the sake of religion. In the Battle of Uhud, seventy companions laid down their lives for the religion of Islam at the feet of the Holy Prophet, which was the greatest goal of their lives, thus they became guests of Paradise. 

After spending some moments there, we came back to Masjid Nabwi and participated in Qiyam Al-Laiyl. After leaving Qiyam al-Laiyl, we did suhoor, and after performing Fajr prayer, we went to Jannat al-Baqi cemetery, which is the cemetery where all the mothers of the believers except Hazrat Khadijah and Hazrat Maimuna, Hazrat Uthman, Hazrat Hassan and ten thousand Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him)’s graves are present. Muhaddith al-Madinah Imam Malik, may God have mercy on him, is also buried here. Thus winded up on the third day of our auspicious journey to the Haramain Sharifain.

 (To be continued…..)