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A Pleasant Umrah Journey with Hanania – Part 4 (End)

Author: Agus Budi Harto, 2025-05-08 01:58:55

Fast Train Ride from Madinah to Makkah

Our spiritual journey from Madinah to Makkah began aboard the high-speed train operated by Saudi Arabia. It was our first time experiencing this modern transportation mode, somewhat reminiscent of Indonesia’s Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train, Whoosh—though the Saudi version was established earlier.

As we entered the train station, we were greeted by a grand, modern structure that also housed shopping facilities resembling a mall. While the train’s exterior design wasn’t as sleek as Whoosh, the interior was clean and contemporary. The train reached speeds of up to 200 km/h, cutting our travel time to just over two hours—significantly faster than the four-plus hours by bus.

Upon arriving in Jeddah late at night, we continued our journey by bus. As we approached Makkah, the iconic Zamzam Tower was visible from afar. Dressed in our ihram garments—having taken our miqat at Ya Lam-Lam—we headed straight to Anjum Hotel, conveniently located near Masjid al-Haram. Soon after checking in, we gathered in front of the hotel as a group to begin our Umrah together.

Completing the Umrah

On Tuesday, January 21, several male pilgrims had already shaved their heads, completing the final ritual of Umrah—tahallul. Our ustadz reminded us to worship earnestly and sincerely during our stay in the holy city. Alhamdulillah, we were able to perform all five daily prayers at Masjid al-Haram, a dream come true for countless Muslims around the world.

Makkah City Tour

On Wednesday, January 22, our group was taken on a city tour of Makkah. Our first destination was Jabal Rahmah and the surrounding areas. Our ustadz shared stories about the Hajj pilgrimage, particularly the stay in Mina and Muzdalifah. We prayed that Allah would soon call us and our group to perform Hajj as well.


Visit to Thoif

The next day, Thursday, January 23, we traveled to Thoif. Our ustadz recounted the story of the Prophet Muhammad's expulsion from the city. We visited the Thoif gate and nearby shopping areas before heading to Rasheed Al-Qurashi’s perfume factory and finally to the cable car station. Due to a surge in visitors, some pilgrims remained in the bus.


Farewell to Makkah

On Friday, we were grateful to still be in Makkah and had the opportunity to perform Friday prayers, even if it was outside Masjid al-Haram, as we had completed our farewell tawaf the night before. That same day, we traveled back to Jeddah for our return flight home.

Grateful Reflections

This Umrah journey was deeply moving and filled us with joy and gratitude. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the ustadz who guided us, to our fellow pilgrims for their support, and especially to Hanania, the travel organizer. May Hanania continue to thrive and accompany us again on future pilgrimages. Alhamdulillah.

Related links:

  1. Gallery
  2. A Pleasant Umrah Journey with Hanania – Part 3

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