MEDINA: Malaysian Haj pilgrims, all housed within walking distance to the Prophet’s Mosque, should take advantage of the proximity to perform the daily five prayers and other supplementary prayers in the mosque itself.
“I would urge them not to skip going to pray at the mosque. There is really no excuse. We are so near, and the reward for praying in the Prophet’s Mosque is so huge,” said Abdul Rahman Yusof, Tabung Haji (TH) manager for the Zone 2 Services Centre.
TH has secured accommodation for Malaysian Haj pilgrims at 11 hotels in Medina, grouped under three zones. Zone 2 itself has four hotels, all between 50-100m from the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second-holiest site after the Grand Mosque in Mecca. The farthest hotel where Malaysian pilgrims would stay is 350m from the mosque.
Masjid Nabawi was originally built by Prophet Muhammad after his emigration to Medina, and the mosque now incorporates his final resting place as well as the first two caliphs Abu Bakr and Umar.
A single prayer performed at the Prophet’s Mosque is equivalent to a thousand prayers performed anywhere else – except Masjidil Haram or the Grand Mosque in Mecca, where the reward is 100,000-fold.
Abdul Rahman said Haj pilgrims will be briefed on the proper gates and routes to walk to the mosque. With so many hotels near the Prophet’s Mosque, pilgrims should also memorise the entrances, doors and lift numbers to their respective hotels.
Speaking to Malaysian media here, he said TH will also organise trips for the pilgrims to several locations in Medina which are significant in Islam and in Prophet Muhammad’s life. These include the Quba Mosque, the Qiblatayn Mosque, and Uhud.
Abdul Rahman said there will also be religious teachers – ustaz and uztazah – to provide guidance and resolve queries for male and female pilgrims respectively.