Al-Khateeb: Rate of Foreign tourists coming for recreational purposes soars 600% in 5 years    Saudi Arabia participates in OIC anti-corruption agencies' meeting in Qatar    Saudi Arabia implements over 800 reforms to drive rapid transformation    Al-Jadaan: Painful decisions were part of the reforms, but economy overcame them    Al-Swaha: Saudi Arabia is heading towards exporting technology in the next phase    Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire appears to hold as Lebanese begin streaming back to their homes    Al Rajhi: Saudi Arabia sets revised unemployment target of 5% by 2030 "300,000 citizens employed in qualitative professions"    Imran Khan supporters call off protest after crackdown    Five survivors found day after Red Sea tourist boat sinking    Russia launched a record number of almost 200 drones toward Ukraine    Al Hilal advances to AFC Champions League knockout stage despite 1-1 draw with Al Sadd    Saudi Arabia unveils updates on Expo 2030 Riyadh master plan at 175th BIE General Assembly Riyadh Expo Development Company established to oversee strategic planning, operations, and legacy development    Saudi FM attends Quadripartite meeting on Sudan in Italy    Best-selling novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford dies    Cristiano Ronaldo's double powers Al Nassr to 3-1 win over Al Gharafa in AFC Champions League    Al Ahli edges Al Ain 2-1, bolsters perfect start in AFC Champions League Elite    Most decorated Australian Olympian McKeon retires    Adele doesn't know when she'll perform again after tearful Vegas goodbye    'Pregnant' for 15 months: Inside the 'miracle' pregnancy scam    Do cigarettes belong in a museum?    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Goodbye Madinah see you next year, say pilgrims while bidding tearful adieu
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 21 - 09 - 2016


Okaz / Saudi Gazette
MADINAH — A number of pilgrims cried their heart out while leaving Madinah for their respective homes by waving their farewell to the Prophet's Mosque, while hoping to come again many times in the future.
Governor of Madinah Prince Faisal Bin Salman, who inspected the pilgrims' reception and departure points on Monday at the end of the Haj season, reiterated that the Kingdom would provide the best of services to the guests of God and will always welcome them warmly.
"The success of the Haj season was within the Kingdom's minute organization plans which enabled the pilgrims to do their rites in ease, peace and comfort," he said.
Prince Faisal inspected the arrival and departure air and land points of the pilgrims in Madinah as part of his pro-Haj activities and said the Kingdom, its leaders and people are ever proud to serve the guests of God.
A total of 140,640 pilgrims visited the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah after completion of their Haj rituals. Of the total pilgrims arrived in Madinah, 32,034 left the Kingdom for their homeland, according to the figures released by the Private Organization for Guides.
About 25,279 arrived in Madinah on Monday while another 19,922 pilgrims left the city on the same day, and these included 9,433 pilgrims who left by land. About 24 pilgrims were hospitalized at various hospitals in Madinah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Meanwhile, the number of pilgrims departing the Kingdom through Prince Mohammed Bin Abdul-Aziz International Airport here since the commencement of the departure phase has reached 18,741, departing on board 155 flights. The airport in cooperation with the airport operator and the agencies working at the airport had prepared an advance plan for departing passengers in order for them to leave in an easy and convenient matter after performing their rituals.
It was not easy for the pilgrims to leave Makkah and Madinah, Islam's two holiest shrines, and it pained them to have a final look at the Kaaba in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.
"The farewell is saddening. I feel excruciating pain in my heart to leave Makkah and Madinah after the Haj but we must go back home," said Wafa Mustapha, a 64-year-old Egyptian woman pilgrim.
She also bade farewell to the staff of the hotel in which she stayed and said she had spent the best time of her life in this hotel near the Prophet's Mosque. "I am already missing these places. I pray to Allah to enable me, my husband and children to do the Haj many times in the future," she said.
Mustapha said this was the first time for her to do the Haj and was very much impressed by the consummate organization. "There was no over crowdedness or chaos. It was really a very easy Haj," she said.
She said the smiling faces of the Saudis and their generous hospitality in providing the pilgrims with food and drinks free of charge 24 hours a day made the Haj an enjoyable exercise.
Abdul Hameed Farghali, another Egyptian pilgrim, said he felt that part of his soul was torn out of his body when he was getting ready to leave Madinah. "My departure back home is a journey from the world of spirituality to the material world," he said. He added the most difficult moment for him was when he offered his last prayer in the Prophet's Mosque and climbed the bus to take him to the airport.
A number of Egyptian women pilgrims expressed the same sentiments and said while they were sad to leave the Prophet's city, they were happy that they had done the Haj.
Meanwhile a number of pilgrims were keen to take memorial photographs with the Saudi women health volunteers who performed their humanitarian work during the Haj especially at the Jamarat area.
About 400 medicine student girls from various universities in the Kingdom volunteered within the Health Ministry to provide medical services to the pilgrims. "They are really messengers of peace and humanity," a pilgrim said.


Clic here to read the story from its source.