Saudi Arabia: 1.4 million pilgrims visit Al Rawda Al Sharifa in Hajj season
Prophet’s Mosque in Medina is a major destination for the faithful before and after Hajj
Cairo: More than 1.4 million Muslims visited Al Rawda Al Sharifa in the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second holiest site in the Saudi city of Medina, during the recent Hajj pilgrimage season, according to a religious official.
Al Rawda Al Sharifa is where the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) is located.
The small space of Al Rawda Al Sharifa makes the management of the visiting crowds a challenge, said Abdul Aziz Al Ayoubi, an assistant supervisor general in the Prophet’s Mosque.
However, concerted efforts by security, ambulatory, voluntary and other support agencies helped smoothly in welcoming 1.403 million visitors during the Hajj season, he told Saudi-owned TV Al Arabiya.
Visitors are required to register for an appointment via the Nusuk app. Upon arrival, the worshippers are sorted out to exclude those who do not have a visit permit, he remarked.
Overseas Muslims usually head to Medina before or after performing the Hajj to pray in the Prophet’s Mosque and visit Al Rawda Al Sharifa.
Some 1.8 million Muslims performed this year’s Hajj that wrapped up last week in and near the Saudi city of Mecca.
The Prophet’s Mosque is a major destination for pilgrims from across the globe around the year. The revered place received 74.5 million worshippers in the first quarter of this year, according to Saudi official figures.
The cited period covered the holy Islamic lunar month of Ramadan, which ended on April 9, when Umrah or lesser pilgrimage usually peaks in Saudi Arabia.
After undertaking Umrah rites in the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site in Mecca, many pilgrims would flock to the Prophet’s Mosque to pray and visit Al Rawda Al Sharifa.
More than 280 million Muslims prayed in the Prophet’s Mosque in 2023, according to official figures.