Finding the route…
Finding the route…
Four trips since 2022: Umrah in Makkah and Madinah, Ramadan and Eid in the Haram, Badr, Madinah and Makkah ziyarat tours, and the As-Safiyyah Museum.
Umrah explained practically, the way I filmed it in Masjid al-Haram: Ihram and Talbiyah, wudu and where to leave your shoes, starting Tawaf at the Black Stone, Zamzam, Sa'i between Safa and Marwa, and Halq or Qasr.
The Makkah ziyarat bus tour stop by stop, plus the new night route up Jabal al-Noor to the Cave of Hira and a free bus ride through Makkah after Isha.
Every Madinah ziyarat I've done, with how to get there: the 10-riyal pilgrim bus after Fajr, Jannat al-Baqi after Asr, Bi'r Ghars by night and the 20-riyal coach to Badr.
A full Ramadan in the two holy cities: flydubai from Faisalabad, Ihram in Dubai, rooftop iftar at Masjid an-Nabawi, rain in Madinah, Jummah in the Mataf and Eid prayer in front of the Kaaba.
Sargodha to Faisalabad and Karachi by train, Etihad through Abu Dhabi to Jeddah, then 17 days of Umrah with my brother, a late-night Makkah street market and the walk to Jannat al-Mu'alla.
Every journey has a first step. Mine was a 20-day Umrah in December 2022: Saudia from Pakistan to Jeddah, then Makkah, Madinah and back to Makkah.
Practical Umrah tips from my time in Makkah and Madinah: where to get a 35–50 riyal ride to Madinah, when Jannat al-Mu'alla opens, the As-Safiyyah Museum, street markets and changing money.
