Preparing the Places To Visit In Makkah And Madinah During Hajj And Umrah is the best way to get the full experience in your travel to Makkah and Madinah. Pack Your Bag for a Spiritual Journey!
Makkah and Al-Madinah are two sacred destinations. Once I visit one of these two sacred places, I start thinking how I can recall every event that occurred during the Prophetic era. “O Allah! Am I here? Is this real? Am I standing at the same spot where the feet of the Prophet were?”
What Places That Could Be Visited During Hajj And Umrah?
The best way to enjoy your visit there is to open your Google Maps. That was my strategy there. It can provide you with the working hours of many attractive places to be visited in Makkah and Madinah.
Places To Visit In Al-Madinah During Umrah
Do not miss enjoying a bus tour with City Sightseeing Al Madinah, so as to visit the following amazing places:
1. Masjid Quba’
Masjid Qubaa is the first mosque to be built in Al-Madinah during the Prophetic era.
2. Masjid Al Qiblatain
Masjid Al Qiblatain is where the verse 144 of Al-Baqarah Chapter (Quran: 2: 144) has been revealed in order to obligate changing the direction of the Qiblah of Prayers from Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa in Jerusalem to Al-Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah where the Ka’bah is. Masjid Al-Qiblatain was where the first congregational salah prayed after the obligatory change were revealed.
3. Masjid Ar-Rayah
Masjid Ar-Rayah is where the Prophet (ﷺ) erected a flag to commemorate the conquest of Makkah.
4. The Seven Mosques
They are Al-Fath Mosque, Salman Al-Farsi Mosque, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq Mosque, Umar bin Al-Khattab Mosque, Ali bin Abi Abi Talib Mosque, and Fatimah Az-Zahra Mosque. (They are only 6)
5. Masjid Al Ghamamah:
“Ghamamah” in Arabic means “cloud”. It has been narrated that this is where rain clouds covered the city when the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) performed Salatul-Istasqa (a prayer for seeking rain).
6. Masjid Al-Jummah
Masjid Al-Jummah is where the Prophet (ﷺ) led his first Friday prayer.
7. Masjid As-Sajadah
As-Sajadah in Arabic means “a prostration”. This is where the prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) prostrated showing gratitude to Allah after the Angel Jibril came to him informing him that Allah has promised to pray upon whoever prays upon the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and to send peace back upon whoever sends peace to Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
8. Masjid Al-Ijabah
“Al-Ijabah” in Arabic means the acceptance of one’s supplication. The Prophet (ﷺ) has supplicated to Allah twice in this place. The first supplication was during the economic blockade of Quraish upon him and his Muslim followers before the migration, and the second supplication was on the day of Makkah conquest.
9. The Grounds of the Battle of Uhud
The grounds of the Battle of Uhud have witnessed the expedition of Uhud and the tragedy that occurred thereon.
10. Cave of Bani Haram
It is a critical symbol of the Expedition of Trench (Al-Khandaq). It is known as the “Cave of Prostration”.
11. Saqifat Bani Saidah
Saqifat Bani Saidah refers to the location where some of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) have pledged their allegiance to Abu Bakr (RA) as the first caliph and successor to the Prophet (ﷺ) shortly after his death.
12. Well of Ghars
It was one of the wells that the Prophet (ﷺ) has preferred for its freshness. It has been said that he has drunk water and performed ablution from it.
13. Well of Rumah (Well of ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan)
When the Prophet (ﷺ) came to Madinah, the only source of freshwater was the Well of Rumah, but it was not free of charge. No one was allowed to drink from it without paying for it. ‘Uthman Bin Affan (RA) bought the well from his Jew owner for twenty-thousand Dirhams and then donated its water for the rich, the poor and the wayfarers.
14. The Well of ‘Ethiq
The place where Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr (RA) sat for a while and drank some of its water when they first reached Al-Madinah after their migration from Makkah.
15. The Palace of ‘Urwah Ibn Az-Zubair
It is located on the banks of Wadi al-Aqeeq in the west of Madinah. It was built around the end of the first century AH.
16. Garden of Salman Al Farsi
This garden reveals the story of Salman when he became free.
17. Al Hijaz Railway Station
The Hejaz Railway was built on the order of Ottoman ruler Sultan Abdulhameed the Second to pave the way for Muslim pilgrims and connect them to the Muslim world.
18. Masjid Al-Manaratain (Banee Deenaar)
This mosque has been built in the place where the Prophet (ﷺ) has prayed.
19. Other places
There are many other places to visit in Al-Madinah such as the Charitable Society for the Memorization of the Quran, the Prophet’s Mosque Building Exhibition, Dar Al-Madinah Museum, the Public Library Of Medina, and others.
Best Places to be Visited In Makkah During Hajj and Umrah
The following amazing places can be visited in Makkah during Umrah and Hajj:
1. The Mount of Arafat
It has been said that this is the place where Adam and Eve reunited on Earth after descending from Heaven. It is also where the Prophet Muhammad stood and delivered the Farewell Sermon (known as Khutbat Al-Wada’) to his Companions. Moreover, it is one of the destinations where all Muslims should be heading to during their Haj.
2. Cave of Thawr
It is the cave where the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (RA) took shelter to flee from the Quraisheit during their migration from Makkah to Al-Madinah.
3. Jabal An-Nour
It is the mountain that houses the cave of Hira’ where the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) were performing meditation into and where he has received the first revelation of the Quran on Laylatul-Qadr by the Angel Jibril.
4. Masjid Al Bay’ah
It is situated near Mina and it is the site where two crucial pledges of allegiance were made by the Ansar of Al-Madinah to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Those pledges were the preface that led to his and all Muslims migration to Al-Madinah.
5. Masjid Al-Khayf
Ibn Abbas (RA) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Seventy Prophets prayed in Masjid al-Khayf.”
[Majma‘uz-Zawahid]
6. Masjid Al-Hudaibiyah:
A Mosque which marks the location of the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, a peace agreement between the Prophet (ﷺ) and the Quraysh tribe of Makkah.
7. Wadi Hunain (Ash-Shara’I’):
This place witnessed the Expedition of Hunain, the last battle during the Prophetic era.
8. Other Places in Makkah:
There are many other places to visit such as the Al-Kharar Reserve, and the Exhibition of the Two Holy Mosques.
Historical Places to Visit in Madinah and Historical Places to Visit in Makkah
Attractions are divided into two categories. First, attractions witnessed events during the Prophetic era such as expeditions, Divine Revelations…etc. Second, other attractions are newly built museums, stations and Islamic centres.
Do not Miss the Doubled Reward!!
Try not to miss performing all five prayers inside the Haram. So, the best way to enjoy your tour without missing the doubled reward is to plan your schedule so that you can return back pray there and then continue your tour. Ibn Az-Zubair (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
{ صَلَاةٌ فِي مَسْجِدِي هَذَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفِ صَلَاةٍ فِيمَا سِوَاهُ إِلَّا اَلْمَسْجِدَ اَلْحَرَامَ , وَصَلَاةٌ فِي اَلْمَسْجِدِ اَلْحَرَامِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صَلَاةٍ فِي مَسْجِدِي بِمِائَةِ صَلَاةٍ }.
“Offering prayer in my mosque (in Madinah) is better than one thousand prayers elsewhere, save for those offered prayer in al-Masjid al-Haram (in Makkah). And prayer offered in al-Masjid al-Haram is better than prayer offered in my mosque by one hundred prayers.”
Why Do We Pay a Visit to Those Places?
Indeed, this visit reclaims the heart of every Muslim and strengthens his sense of belonging to the Muslim world.
Before travelling, I decided to read the Prophetic biography. Thus, I invite you to read the prophetic biography before your visit. Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtoum (The Sealed Nectar) is an excellent reference that can help you live the events and understand the historical background of the Arab peninsula during the pre-Islamic era
Now, I am sharing some places to visit in Al-Madinah and Makkah.
Conclusion – It’s Your Turn!
I am happy to share with you my tour in Makkah and Al-Madinah. You can also check my list on Google Maps to find more places. This was my first visit. I left my heart there.
Curious to have the same tour and to share the same feelings? Then it’s time to know more about Islam and to become a Muslim so that you can take this vital step first. Don’t hesitate; it really deserves. Praise be to Allah, The Lord of all worlds….May Allah accept us…May Allah invite us to visit His Sacred Mosques again and again…May Allah grant us pilgrimage…and Peace and Blessings be upon our Prophet, his family and companions…Ameen.
