Ussalamo alaiqum friends,<o:p></o:p>
It's more than a year since I completed thread on my solo KKH trip. During 2013 as well, I have been to a number of places (including three trips to Kaghan valley) but could not manage my time to write. <o:p></o:p>
However, my last trip for the year had no comparison to my other trips. By the grace of Allah, I was in Makkah when the year was ending. It was my third trip to the holy land, first in 2002 (umra), second in 2009 (haj) and 2013/14 for umra again. There is a lot to share about umra/haj trips but what compelled me to start a thread is to share how travel agents rip off intending pilgrims in the name of Allah.You complain for breach of umra or haj contract, agent will say "yay to hota hehae, koi baat nuhee, jitnee zayada mooshuqat, utna zyada Allah say ujr milaygaa". If an agent has a bit of "shuram", he will simply blame Saudi "mualam" by saying "Mayra koi kusoor nuhee, maen to yay kaam ibaadat sumajkur kur ruha hoon".<o:p></o:p>
I will also try that my thread provides useful information about umra/haj logistics. From 2002 to 2014, though Saudi authorities have been tightening the regulations but more or less procedures are the same with regard to arrival and departure of pilgrims and travel between Makkah/Madina. They have procedures but implementation depends on the mood of Saudi entrusted with duty of enforcement. So take my thread as a guideline and use your common sense when taking decision. I don't take unnecessary risks when I travel abroad.<o:p></o:p>
On this thread, InshAllah, you will climb with me to the cave of Hira, cave of Sor; we will drive to maqam-e-badr and to Khyber. These places and a number of others cannot be covered in a single trip.....remember a namaz in Kaaba is equal to 100,000namaz.....a namaz in masjid-e-nabvi is equal to 1,000 namaz. So you should focus on millions of namaz and "wanderlust" must be on the backseat. Other than Kaaba and Masjid-e-Nabvi, my only intention to visit Islamic historical sites was to relate these places to quran.....Allah has given me the opportunity to read translation and tafseer. <o:p></o:p>
I feel sad that these historical places are disappearing from our eyes quickly. When I say "disappearing from our eyes" I mean Saudi authorities are hiding the identity of most of these sites....something I understood this time. I am not getting into the debate if they are doing right or wrong. They also have logics on their side..... During Hajj 2009, a highly educated couple in Madina, who was staying in a room next to mine appeared from nowhere late at night saying "Hum ubhi _______ say aae haen, humay kisi nay kuha kay ugar koi chodween key raat ko ________ ke kubar pur jaa kay dua maangay ga to wo dua kabool ho gee". Hearing this, my mind diverted to Nepal when I was in a temple. There was a secluded mountain in front of that temple where childless women used to go on "poorum maashi ki raat" and praying for pregnancy. All the poojari from that temple used to climb that mountain on that night to convey their blessings. On the other end, I felt very bad when a Saudi "shoorta" ran his 4x4 "daala" towards me yelling "ulla ulla" when I was about to enter graveyard of "shohudae badr" for "dua". <o:p></o:p>
Let's start the journey to the land of two holy mosques and refresh our knowledge of quran and sunna.<o:p></o:p>
Kaaba 2014<o:p></o:p>