If You Want to Pray Inside Kaaba

Hazrat Aisha (RA) – wife of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) – narrates, “When I expressed the wish to perform salah (prayer) within the Kaabah, the Prophet (PBUH) took me by the hand and led me into the Hijr (Hateem) where he said, ‘Perform salah (prayer) here if you wish to enter the Kaabah because this is part of the Baytullah.’”

Locating Hajar-e-Aswad (Black Stone) to Start or Finish Tawaf

Kaaba is in shape of a cube having four corners named as below:

1. Rukun Al Aswad (Corner having Hajar e Aswad or Black Stone)
2. Rukun Al Yamani (Named after Yemen)
3. Rukun Ashami (Named after Syria)
4. Rukun Al Iraqi  (Named after Iraq)

Tawaf (circumambulating around kaaba), which is an integral part of Islamic rituals Hajj and Umrah, starts from Rukun Al Aswad and finishes at same location. My following suggestions may help you in locating Rukun Al Aswad of kaaba to start/finish Tawaf:

Zamzam Water in Haramain (The Two Sacred Mosques)

What is Zamzam Water?

The water gathered from Well of Zamzam is called Zamzam water. The zamzam well is located near Kaaba in Masjid al Haram, Makkah, Saudi Arabia which is the holiest place in Islam. The well dates back to 2000 BC and is approximately 30m deep and 1.08m~2.66m in diameter. Millions of Muslims visit Makkah each year to perform Umrah or Hajj and drink lots of zamzam water considering it sacred. Just to mention that this well has been fulfilling needs of pilgrims for centuries and water is still in abundance.

Lost or Misplaced Shoes

The most common problem faced by pilgrims visiting Masjid al Haram or Masjid Nabawi for the first time is – Lost or Misplaced Shoes. Mostly, it’s because of the reason that they don’t put their shoes at designated areas and shoes are wiped out and thrown away by mosque cleaners.

My Experience

When I visited Masjid al Haram for the very first time, as per common practice in Pakistan, I left my shoes outside mosque’s door. After completing my Umrah, when I returned to pick up my shoes what I saw was a shining floor like there was nothing over it – ever.

Hajj & Umrah Series in My Blog

What is Hajj & Umrah Series in my blog?

I have been living in Saudi Arabia as Pakistani expat for several years and Alhamdulillah (Praise to Allah), I have visited Masjid al Haram (Haram Mosque in Makkah) and Masjid e Nabawai (Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah) several times during my stay. Based on my experience, I am planning to start a series of posts containing some tips and pieces of advice about practical difficulties usually faced by pilgrims visiting these sacred places for the first time. Even if you are not a first timer, there could be some useful info for you.