MADINAH — The Prophet's Mosque in Madinah is the second holiest place of worship in Islam. Even though a pilgrimage to the mosque is not a religious obligation on Muslims, millions of them from all over the world who come to perform Haj or Umrah in Makkah annually visit Madinah to pay homage to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and pray at his mosque. The Saudi government mobilizes vast resources to serve the pilgrims and ensure their comfort throughout the year, but the influx of worshippers peaks during the Haj season. Al-Madinah newspaper met Sheikh Abdulwahid Al-Hattab, public relations and media manager at the Presidency of the Prophet's Mosque Affairs, to get an idea about the enormous arrangements being made to receive the pilgrims. “The presidency utilized all its human and technical resources to provide the best and most efficient services to the guests of God so that they can worship in an atmosphere of peace and serenity," Hattab said. "Our efforts are part of a bigger picture. The entire country under the able guidance of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has mobilized to serve the guests of God in Makkah and Madinah.” Hattab said about 5,000 employees — both men and women — has been working day and night to implement the operational plan in the Prophet's Mosque for the current 1436 Haj season. He said the volume of visitors is so huge that they enter the Prophet's Mosque through100 doors and the operational plan contains arrangements to welcome the worshippers at all the gates. Hattab said the operational plan, prepared with the support and supervision of Madinah Emir Prince Faisal Bin Salman, focuses on four major aspects. They include the preparation of the mosque and its facilities; optimizing all services in the mosque, including the opening of all doors and overseeing the access of worshippers; maintaining cleanliness and refurbishing the prayer areas; and managing the lighting, audio systems and air-conditioning, in addition to providing chilled Zamzam water for worshippers in all parts of the mosques and its courtyards. "We have also prepared a plan to regulate the flow of incoming and outgoing visitors. Emergency medical help is on call and ushers inside the mosque complex provide assistance to pilgrims who lose their way," Hattab said. "We have set standards for guiding the visitors. All employees and volunteers have been trained to talk to the visitors politely and with goodwill." He said an audio-visual library is available with lots of books by prominent scholars to help those seeking religious guidance. In addition to books, the library has an advanced computer network where the visitors can easily search digital copies of the books, he added. Hattab said the presidency did not ignore the special requirements of women while preparing its operational plan for the season. Detailed instructions have been given out to look after the welfare of female worshippers. Hattab said the presidency printed 1 million copies of leaflets in various languages for distribution among pilgrims to teach them the etiquettes of visiting the Prophet (pbuh) and his mosque. "We also printed 400,000 copies in Arabic, English and Urdu to guide visitors about the correct way of greeting the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions and the rules of Haj and Umrah. We've a dedicated team of students to answer any questions the pilgrims may have and guide them throughout their worship either in person or through the hot lines," he said. Hattab said 250 giant umbrellas automatically spread open over the courtyards of the mosque when the weather gets hot. There are 436 fans spraying mist to cool the air and protect the visitors from dehydration. The presidency also maintains the toilets and facilities for ablution with a dedicated team of 11,000 workers and supervisors. About 300 ablution points have been readied outdoors. Hattab said this is the third year since the presidency has launched its campaign titled "Serving pilgrims is our pride." “We use the campaign to promote distribution of booklets and gifts among the pilgrims. It is our responsibility as the residents of Madinah to make the visitors feel welcome in the Prophet's City," Hattab said. "Serving pilgrims with kindness, generosity and care is a tradition that we must maintain with high standards."
