We seriously need to catch on some sleep now so it is fitting that we have a four-hour coach journey to Abha. This wasn't the first time my semi-functional iPhone alarm let me down. Nor was it the first time that we slept at 3 in the morning! I am going to tell you the story of our trip to Medina; so let me set the scene for you. It was 7:50 am, we hadn’t packed, showered or even had breakfast and Steve was shouting his head off, telling us that we were going to miss our flight to Medina. The thought of missing the chance to visit the Prophet’s mosque was the driving power behind our swift exit from the hotel. It was funny when Steve pointed out that he had left the room shouting at Ahmed for being too slow only to find him in the same exact place ten minutes later, still trying to fasten his belt.

When we eventually made it to Medina, we were welcomed with a pleasant breeze. The temperature was 20oC but the expression on our Saudi tour guide’s face looked like someone had just shoved him into a freezer. It is compulsory to enter the mosque with the upmost humbleness and humility. The lack of preparation however meant that I was frantically looking through my luggage for my thobe.

The visit to the mosque in Medina is just as significant as visiting the Haram in Makkah. This is the city chosen by God for his messenger to flee to when he was driven out of Makkah by the Quraish and this is the city where God revealed the commandments to the Prophet. When I think of it like that, it enables me to understand just how important Medina is to Muslims. It is the city where Muslims were among some of the first to understand and apply the obligatory duties. 1400 hundreds later and I am still practicing those obligatory duties.

It is advised to give some charity and be in constant supplication before entering the mosque. I was travelling with great enthusiasm and excitement and as we got closer this yearning increased. I was overjoyed when the green dome came into sight. Underneath the green dome is where the Prophet is buried. The mosque was more beautiful than I had imagined it. The minarets and the umbrella shaped shelters stood out the most for me. Once inside, the excitement had reached its climax, I offered my prayer and tried very hard to focus my thoughts on the exalted personage of the Holy prophet. His high position means that some pilgrims unintentionally perform wrong practices during the visit. It was a different feeling to the Haram mosque. Time just seemed to slow down for me. The thoughts of how God had granted me this blessed opportunity filled me with emotions. It is a feeling you can’t explain. Just as I had within the Haram, I felt a surge of energy as I conversed with my Lord asking him to forgive me. I collected myself and proceeded towards the grave. I walked towards the gold wire meshed enclosures. Tears flowed uncontrollably from my eyes as I sent salutations upon the final messenger. My role model.  My beloved. Prophet Muhammed, peace be up on him.

Photograph by Ahmed Hamed