The greatest blessing for Muslims worldwide is visiting Makkah, a holy city in Islam. The beautiful Sirat Mountains surround Makkah, which is the birthplace of the respected Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and where the Sacred Quran was first revealed. Makkah is also home to the Grand Mosque, Masjid Al Haram, the most sacred place on Earth.
Every year, millions of pious Muslims go from all over the world to Makkah to conduct Ziyarat as a component of their Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages. They travel with umrah packages or hajj packages to several of the holy city’s significant locations to understand Islam and the life of the loving Prophet (PBUH) and his devoted companions. The following are some of the best sites to see for Ziyarat when you travel to Makkah on a holy pilgrimage.
Cave of Hira
The Cave of Hira, situated atop Jabal al-Nour Mountain, is a significant site in Islamic history. The first revelation of the holy Quran was given to the blessed Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) there. The cave is roughly 3.2 kilometers from the sacred Makkah and measures about 12 feet long by 5.5 feet wide.
Often spending days together, the blessed Prophet (PBUH) would meditate alone in the Cave of Hira. During these periods, he would prepare food in advance so that his meditation would not be interrupted.
Seeing this crucial site as part of your Ziyarat will add to the blessings of your pilgrimage.
Jannat-Ul-Mu’Alla
Maqbara Maula, or the Cemetery of Ma’la, is known by several names, including Jannat al-Mu’alla and Al-Ḥajūn. It is located 1 kilometer from the Masjid Al Haram and houses the tombs of several prominent personalities in Islamic history. It is where the first wife of the blessed Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) is laid to rest, alongside several other members of the Prophet’s family and his faithful companions.
A highly sacred place to perform Ziyarat, scores of people visit this historically significant graveyard each year to pay homage to the blessed Prophet’s (PBUH) kin laid to rest here.
Cave of Sour
Islam places great importance on the Cave of Sour, also called Ghar Thawr or the Cave of Thawr. To evade the Quraysh search bands, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his faithful companion Hazrat Abu Bakr spent three days hidden here. There are two openings on the east and west sides of the cave, which is about 3.1 feet wide.
Islamic history states that to protect the Prophet (PBUH) and his faithful companion, the Almighty had a spider weave an elaborate web right over the cave’s entrance. The fully formed web prevented the search parties from entering the cave, as it signified that no one could have entered without breaking it.
Jabal E Rehmat
Jabal-e Rehmat, also known as Jabal-Ar Rahmah or the Mercy Mount, is located in Arafat. It is a highly significant site in Islamic history, where ‘Syedna Aadam’ and ‘Syeda Hawwa’ descended from heaven. A white pillar distinctly shows the exact point where they landed.
Jabal-e Rehmat is also where the blessed Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) delivered his final sermon upon completing the sacred Hajj. Reaching this point is pivotal when performing the Hajj or the pilgrimage is deemed invalid. It is a highly esteemed site where you can perform Ziyarat during your pilgrimage.
Masjid Nimra
With two-thirds of it located in the Arafat Valley and one-third in the Urana and Nimra Valleys, Masjid Nimra is one of the most exquisite mosques you will ever witness. According to Islamic history, after completing the Hajj, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) sat on his camel and gave his well-known final speech while tented in the Urana Valley.
In his last Hajj, more than 100,000 Sahabah were thought to have joined him. Even now, Masjid Nimra is of utmost significance, and the mosque’s Imam is responsible for giving the last sermon before the joint performance of Dhuhr and Asr prayers on the Hajj.
Muzdalifah
Muzdalifah is a significant Ziyarat place in the holy city of Makkah. It is a primarily flat plain between Mina and Arafat, where pilgrims spend the night in the open air after performing a series of prayers and rituals. Pilgrims perform the Isha and Maghrib prayers at Muzdalifah. They also gather pebbles, which they later use in Mina for the symbolic stoning of the devil. They leave for Mina shortly after the Fajr prayer.
The area of Muzdalifah has been marked to signify the starting and ending points and features several mosques and rest areas for pilgrims. The Mashur ul Haram hill in the region has a mosque built on it, which you can also visit during your Ziyarat.
Mina
Mina, a key Ziyarat location, is also known as the Tent City because it hosts over 100,000 air-conditioned tents annually to provide temporary lodging for Hajj pilgrims. This is the location of the Jamarat pillars, representing the Shaitan, or devil, which pilgrims attack with stones on the final day of their journey.
Pilgrims stay another two days, offering prayers, reading the holy Quran, worshipping the Almighty, performing Zikr, and paying heed to Islamic lectures. However, Muslims worldwide perform this ritual, not only pilgrims on Hajj, at the time of Eid-ul Adha. Animals are also sacrificed during this time at the same spot.
Masjid Jinn
Masjid Jinn (or Masjid Haras) is paramount in Islam. The mosque was built on the exact spot where the blessed Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) drew a line for this faithful companion, Abdulla bun Mas’ood, after the Prophet (PBUH) had been commanded to recite the holy Quran to the Jinn. As per Islamic history, the Jinn came in many troops to hear the sacred Quran, after which they swore loyalty to the Prophet (PBUH) and accepted Islam.
The holy mosque is one of the oldest and most important in the region. It is also called the Mosque of Allegiance and Mosque of Guard, as the city guards patrol it.
Sacrifice Place
Jamarat and Mina Jamarat are located approximately 6.9 kilometers east of the Masjid Al Haram. Here, you will find the three pillars signifying the devil (Shaitan), which pilgrims must pelt on the last day of the Hajj. They also sacrifice animals during Eid ul-Adha.
As per Islamic history, this is the site where Prophet Ibrahim was to sacrifice his son and where he was approached by the devil who tried to dissuade him from doing so. The stone pelting of the three pillars and performing sacrifices are done to remember these incidents and the Prophet’s staunch faith in the Almighty.