Malaysian Haj Pilgrims Excited To Experience Medina

By Mohamad Bakri Darus MEDINA, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- First-time Malaysian haj pilgrims step into the City of Medina with excitement, and justifiably so. Medina is the second holiest city in Islam and the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad. Also, it is historically significant for being his home after the Hijra. The oasis city, which covers an area of 64 square kilometres, is also a "Haram Land" (area closed to non-Muslims) such as Mecca, which is 430km away. The haj season, in particular, is when the city receives millions of Muslim visitors of various races and nationalities. Malaysian haj pilgrim Sazaki Abdul Rahman recently told Bernama of his excitement to see Medina up close while experiencing the history of Islam. "I feel lucky to be able to stand here and delve into the history and lives of the Prophet and his companions during the spread of Islam," he said. "Previously, my only knowledge of the city came from history books in school," said Sazaki, who is employed at Malaysia’s Information Department. The 28-year-old is also lucky in another way. He is one of the 82 media professionals from Muslim countries who were in Medina to perform their haj on the invitation of the Saudi Arabian government, through its Culture and Information Ministry. The media representatives visited the tombs of the Prophet as well as those of the first and second caliphates of Islam, Abu Bakar As-Siddiq and Umar Al-Khattab. The tombs are located in Masjid al-Nabawi, also known as "The Mosque of the Prophet". They also visited several archeological sites, including Jabal Uhud, a mountain where the historically-significant Battle of Uhud took place, some 4km north of Masjid al-Nabawi. Medina, with a population of about one million, looks like a garden within a city due to its cleanliness and interesting landscapes. The date palm trees and olive trees that line the streets add beauty to the city. Hotels are built according to a planned design, but grow like mushrooms across the city to accommodate the growing crowds of visitors, year after year. "The complete facilities, adequate accommodation and easy access to transportation are all available for the ease of visitors to Medina," said Ziad Arif, an officer with the Saudi Arabian Culture and Information Ministry. He spoke Malay and was the liaison officer for the media group. The group was also brought to the King Fahd Quran Printing Complex, which was built in Medina in 1984. The complex is managed by the Saudi Arabian Ministry For Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Dawa and Guidance. According to the complex’s public relations officer, Hassan Johani, the complex distributed some 270 million copies of the Al-Quran across the world from 1985 through 2010. "So far, the complex has also published translations of the meanings of the Quran in more than 55 languages, in various sizes and editions, both printed and recorded," he added. Recordings of recitations by selected qari (Quran reader) in compact discs, cassettes and MP3s are also produced at the complex for distribution to the public. The translation section of the complex employs scholars who are versed in Quranic knowledge and linguists to ensure correct translations. The production keeps to highly strict set of standards to ensure the authenticity of translations and production. Before leaving Medina, many pilgrims took care to buy dates and keepsakes from the many small businesses around the Masjid al-Nabawi, as souvenirs to bring home from the holy city. -- BERNAMA