It's a great blessing to get invited to the house of Allah (عز وجل) and one that many people wish they could have. Sadly, many people waste their time or don't make the most of it while they're there in the sacred lands. Our hope is that with this guide, إن شاء الله you'll know what things to focus on to get the best out of your trip.
When going for Umrah, many people take pictures and post their photos online. This can be dangerous for your intention for a couple of reasons. Firstly, very often an element of Riyaa' (showing off) can enter your intention. When you take a picture of an act of worship that you're doing to post it on social media, it's likely that there's even a small element of showing off.
Ma’qil ibn Yasar reported: I departed with Abu Bakr to meet the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Prophet said, “O Abu Bakr, there is idolatry among you more hidden than the crawling of an ant.”
Secondly, this can cause someone to be amazed with themselves. The Muslim is naturally supposed to try his best with his acts of worship while realizing that he will still fall short. He should also try to hide his good deeds and keep them between himself and his Lord.
So when going for Umrah, try to put everything else aside. No one back home needs to know you're going for Umrah. No one needs to see you doing Tawaf or Sa'i or visiting Masjid Nabawi. Keep all of that between you and your Lord and try to make this a time for you to solely get closer to Allah.
Umar ibn al-Khattab reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, deeds are only with intentions, and every person will have only what they intended. Whoever emigrated to Allah and His Messenger, his emigration is for Allah and His Messenger. Whoever emigrated to get something in the world or to marry a woman, his emigration is for that to which he emigrated.”
Your trip is likely between a few days and a few weeks before you return to your home country. In this trip, you want to make the most of your time and get the best you can out of Makkah and Madinah.
When you're in Madinah, you'll most likely be staying in a hotel not far from Masjid Nabawi. As much as you can, try to pray in this masjid, as the Messenger ﷺ told us that one prayer in his Masjid is like praying 1,000 times in any other Masjid except Masjid al-Haram in Makkah.
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) narrated It directly from Allah's Apostle' (ﷺ) having said this: "A prayer in my mosque is a thousand times more excellent than a prayer in any other mosque, except Masjid al-Haram (Mosque of the Ka'ba)."
When you're in Makkah, any Salah you make has 100,000 times reward. It's a great opportunity to take advantage of, and while you can make Salah in Masjid Al-Haram, you can still get that reward of 100,000 anywhere in Makkah that you pray.
Masjid Qubaa' was the first Masjid established by the Prophet ﷺ when he first arrived in what we now call Madinah. Like the other major Masajid, it's been refurbished and expanded over the centuries. The Prophet ﷺ has told us of a huge reward for making Wudu' from your house and then praying in Masjid Qubaa'.
Sahl ibn Hunayf reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever purifies himself in his house, then comes to the mosque of Quba and prays in it, he will have a reward like the Umrah pilgrimage.”
This is an excellent time to make Dua. You're a traveller who has come to the house of Allah to perform Umrah.
‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The supplications of three people are answered: the traveler, the parents, and the oppressed.”
During Tawaf, during Sa'i, between the Adhan and Iqama, and even while you're on the airplane are all very good times to make Dua. And Allah wants us to make Dua to Him.
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever never asks from Allah, He will be angry with him.”
Zamzam water is a blessing existing from the time of Hajar to now. It was rediscovered by Abdul-Muttalib, the grandfather of the Messenger ﷺ, and is still present to this day. Zamzam is readily available in both Makkah and Madinah for free. You'll usually find them in Masjid Al-Haram or Masjid An-Nabawi in light brown containers. They also usually have a stack of white plastic cups you can use to drink.
It was narrated that Jabir bin ‘Abdullah said:“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘The water of Zamzam is for whatever it is drunk for.’”
The airport in Madinah sells packaged Zamzam that you can check-in along with your luggage when you're leaving.
There are many historical sites in both Makkah and Madinah that you can visit, including Masjid Qiblatayn, Masjid Qubaa', Jabal Noor, Arafah, and more. It's often best to go with an experienced group or tour guide so that you can know the significance of each place you're visiting.
If you understand Arabic, this is a huge benefit you can take from your stay in Makkah and Madinah. In many of the large Masajid, especially Masjid Al-Haram and Masjid An-Nabawi, there are usually scholars teaching after the Salah; usually after Fajr, Maghrib, or Isha, but sometimes after Asr as well. Often you'll see large numbers of people attending these lessons, and you can join in as well.
There are a number of bookstores you can get good Islamic books from in both Madinah and Makkah. It's an excellent opportunity to take advantage of them while you're there.
Makkah and Madinah both usually sell many types of dates. You can buy them in the stores around the Haram, but our honest advice is that if you have the time, take a taxi or Uber and go to the date farms by yourself. You'll usually get fresher dates for a better price.
