Cairo: More than 200 million Muslim worshippers have performed prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque, Islam’s second holiest site in the Saudi city of Medina, in the past 10 months, a Saudi official has said.
Head of the General Presidency for Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques Abdulrahman Al Sudeis said the total number of male and female worshippers at the Prophet’s Mosque since the start of Al Muharram, the first month in the Islamic lunar calendar, until the 1st of the current 11th Islamic month of Dhul Qadah have exceeded 200 million people.
“The Agency for the General Presidency for Affairs of the Prophet’s Mosque, with concerted efforts of all its directorates, has provided all services to worshippers and visitors and eliminated all obstacles to enable them to perform their worshipping with ease and comfort,” he added, according to the Saudi news agency SPA.
The Prophet’s Mosque houses Al Rawda Al Sharifa where the tomb of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is located.
Millions of Muslims flock to the site particularly during the Islamic month of Ramadan, which usually marks the peak of Umrah or lesser pilgrimage at the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site in Makkah.
Groups of overseas pilgrims, planning to perform Hajj pilgrimage next month in Saudi Arabia, have recently landed at the Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz airport in Medina where the passenger traffic during the season is expected to increase by around 136 per cent compared to last year.
After performing Hajj rites, pilgrims usually head to Medina to pray at the Prophet’s Mosque.
Saudi Arabia has said there will be no limits on the numbers of pilgrims from around the world for the coming Hajj season, reversing earlier restrictions prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
