Witnessing History

Due to time constraints, we were not scheduled to visit some of the historical sites in the area. However, blessed to be accompanied by a previous Hajj leader, we embarked on a mini excursion to visit some of the historical sites in the area.

We began by walking out the masjid and heading towards one of the back streets where public transportation is available. As we walked down the street, we were reminded of death by looking through the fence into al-Baqi’i graveyard where some of the best beings to have walked this Earth are buried. We saluted them as suggested in the sunnah of the prophet (saw), and moved on.

Alhamdulillah we were soon on our way, to our first stop: Mount Uhud. This mountain range of rough terrain, immediately made me think about how arduous it must have been to fight in the Battle of Uhud. Looking at the hill right opposite to the mount, I was reminded of the breach in obedience by the Muslim archers, and how many of the sahaba were martyred as a result of this act.

In between the mount and the hill, there is a fenced-in stretch of land where Hamza (ra) and the martyrs of the battle of Uhud are buried. We saluted them as the prophet (saw) did before his death, and continued our excursion.

Our next stop was the masjid of Qiblatain (two Qiblah), where the order to turn our direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Mecca was assumed during Asr salah. The ornamental designs inside the masjid resonate with peace and unison. Carved walls and well-rounded domes in natural colors create in the worshipper a sense of humility and inner peace.

Last, we proceeded to masjid al-Quba, another architectural jewel inside out. This masjid is where at the conclusion of the hijra, the prophet’s camel stopped and the first musalla was built. The prophet (saw) said that praying in this masjid is equivalent to umrah, and used to visit it frequently in his lifetime.