Haj: Visit to historical sites in Madinah strengthens pilgrims' faith in Allah

MADINAH: The programme to visit historical sites organised by Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) for Malaysian pilgrims is able to improve their religious devotion and strengthen their faith in Allah, said mutawif (traveller guide) Ustaz Wafa Abdul Jabbar.

Ustaz Wafa, who has been tasked to take foreign pilgrims for a tour of historical attractions in Madinah, said generally those who arrived here two days ago were excited to go on the sightseeing tour.

"Madinah is the city of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as this was where he settled down until his last breath and from here his companions had worked hard to spread Islam all over the world," he told reporters when met at the Quba Mosque compound.

He said seven buses were deployed to take the pilgrims to the Quba Mosque which was constructed a year after Prophet Muhammad's migration from Makkah.

The pilgrims were also taken on a tour of the surrounding area at the foot of Mount Uhud and the Martyrs of Uhud Cemetery. The mountain witnessed the great Battle of Uhud between the Quraysh of Makkah and the Muslims of Madinah.

"The defeat of the Muslim army at that time was due to a breach of Prophet Muhammad's orders by some Muslim soldiers who left their assigned posts and allowed a surprise attack which left the Prophet seriously injured and 70 Muslim soldiers were martyred," he said.

The Battle of Uhud clearly showed that worldly attractions, greed and disobedience to the Prophet's orders, eventually led to destruction.

Meanwhile, Ishak Hasan and his wife Siti Yulina Baharon who were in the tour group, said the visit to Mount Uhud made them realise the greatness of the Prophet Muhammad.

Another pilgrim, Hapiz Ab Majid, 50, who is at the Holy Land for the first time, said the explanation given by the mutawif was very good and clear, especially in highlighting the importance of obeying the instructions of a leader.

Apart from the first mosque built in the history of Islam, namely the Quba Mosque, the group was also taken to the Qiblatain Mosque (where the qibla was earlier in the direction of Jerusalem) and the Seven Mosques, where the Battle of the Trench (Khandaq) took place.

So far 1,309 of the 14,306 Malaysian pilgrims have arrived in Madinah.

The first batch that arrived on June 4 is scheduled to leave for Makkah on June 9 to perform their umrah pilgrimage.

-- BERNAMA