expakistani
Member
guys i am planning to do umra this summer INshallah
( yes i have my 45 choey so trying to clean up myself little bit)
Need some info ..
should i arrange hotel on arrival at saudi arab or get it done via travel agents in USA?
is it better to go Madina shaif first or Makkah?
Any good dua to bring my gunnah meter down?
I promise to say Dua for all of u
Kuyun boori hadiyun ko takleef daitay hain mian!!!
Bas jo ho gya soo gya, ab maafian talfian kernay say kya faida!!
First of all congratulations on making plan for UMRAH, May Allah Accept your offerings and bless you. Secondly Please try to perform UMRAH starting from Medinah (Thus completing one of the Sunnah). Also Please be informed that Medinah's Meeqat is the longest among all available meeqats.
toamin
member
ماشاللہ سبحان اللہ
کیا بات ہے جی، اللہ قبول کرے اور بےشمار عمروں و حج کی سعادت نصیب فرمائے آمین
بہتر یہی ہے کہ آپ مدینہ منورہ جائیں اور عمرہ کی نیت وہاں سے کریں اس کی سب سے بڑی وجہ یہ ہے کہ میقات سے احرام پہنا ہوتا ہے، اگر آپ سیدھا مکہ مکرمہ جانا چاہتے ہیں تو پھر آپ کو احرام جہاز میں باندھنا ہوگا یا پھر جہاز پے سوار ہونے سے پہلے باندھنا ہوگا
اس لئے لوگ مدینہ منورہ جاتے ہیں، وہاں باقاعدہ بندوبست ہے، نہا دھو کر آرام سے احرام بندھیئے اور پھر مکہ مکرمہ روانہ ہو جائیں، وہاں جاتے ساتھ ہی عمرہ ادا کیجئے اور پھر ہوٹل کا بندوبست کریں، سامان آپ لاکر میں رکھ سکتے ہیں
آداب
وسلام
congratulations on your intentions of Umrah.
May Allah give you this golden opportunity to go there and pray in the holy land.
don't forget your friends at pkpolitics while praying.
don't forget your motherland while praying .
thanks
I assume you will be coming from the USA.
1- Going to Medina first has a big advantage if your plane directly lands at Medina airport. Saudia has a direct flight from NY (at least during Hajj season). Check it first. You will start noticing this city's prevailing tranquility right from the airport. No long immigration lines and very little hassle at customs. You need not to go into Ihraam either (unlike Jeddah where you must before you land).
2- Try to take a guided tour of historical sites, especially if you have American raised youth. An excellent way to revive early history of Islam (even though Saudis have tried utmost to destroy or Saudi-ize/salfized important landmarks).
3- My information is that Saudis have made both pilgrimages a food chain (just like many essential services in the West) and you must arrange your journey through a licensed tour operator.
4- If you can afford the Cadillac of Umrah, try Dar el Salam Travel http://www.darelsalam.com/. Probably the most hassle free VIP Umrah you can enjoy. Every thing you need for pilgrimage; from personalized greetings to Zamzam container to travel to hotel and meals all included. This guy (Mustafa, an Egyptian) has literally got every Saudi official in his pocket. I sometimes imagine that the only place where Mustafa's influence has not reached yet is the Mutawwaf at Hijr-el-Aswad. Otherwise you would have an exclusive line-free access to kiss the black stone.
If you are among those who believe in the myth "harder your pilgrimage is, higher the rewards will be", just ignore the aforementioned point.
4.1- Eat banana every day and drink the best mineral water (Zamzam) frequently. Keeps you cramps free and fully hydrated. (A few will give you such advice)
5- Beware: Almost every operator breaches his contract, especially during Hajj season. Promise of hotel-A, but stuffs you in hotel-B. (no one reads the fine prints and the funny thing is that every American Hajji (with broken promise) makes a threat to his operator of law suit but no one ever files one.)
Yes, Masjid-el-Haram is a blessed place but people do experience pick pocket-ing.
@EXpakistani..
Mubbarak hoe bohot bohot... Chalo aab 900 choun ko 45 banna deyae tum nay.. koyi baath nahee.. Remember after Umrah, you can not support "Altaph Bhai" or your meter will start again.
As Regards to arriving, I agree with Azizi and Salam sahib that you should start with medina as otherwise you will have to wear Ahram from USA or else within the airplane.
As this is not "High Season", you really don't need to book hotel as there is a "Huge" difference between the prices between the tour operators+on line then if you checkin on the day of arrival. Saying that if you are traveling with kids or elders then its a good idea to book hotel in advance.
If you are going from Medina to Mecca then again if you want to save time and dont want to travel 5/6 hours by car then book a flight from Medina to Mecca instead of driving. A car with driver will cost you anything between 1500 Riyals to 2500 Riyals. I am not sure about flight but I think you can get a return flight? for around 250 Riyals Approx from Medina to Mecca.
If you do decide to rent a car then make sure that you start your travel late evening from Medina... lets say after 9 pm so you will reach around 2 to 3 am. That is the best time for umrah as there are less people and you will finish your umrah in 2 to 3 hours max, just before Fajar prayers. Later you can go to hotel to rest or stay till Duhar and go to hotel after that and return for Asar. If Possible plan it on thu night so you can also pray the jumma in Kabba.
Allah aap ko aur app ki family pur sub sakhtiyaan assan karey aur umrah qabool karey.
Please Pray for Pakistan and muslim Ummah!
Agar yaad rahey tou mujay aur mayri family ko bhi duaoun may yaad rakhain..
Salam
msohail83
Member
well, irada/niyat karnay ki mubarak. Allah qabool farmiye.
You sould write an 'Umrah guide' after your return for the benefit of pkpoliticans.
Good luck and have a safe journey.
ajhons
Member
@EXpakistani Bhai
Allah aap ka ummrah qabool farmain aur aap kay liyeah Umrah Asan farmain.
Whatever advice Khan Sab or other brothers gave is what I suggest except the road travel from Madina to Makkah.It should not be your first choice.I took the road and beleive me after 6 hours drive I was too tired to perform the umrah but I had too because I was in Ehram.
One thing for sure, its a life time experience and you will miss the place for the rest of your life.
Duaon main Yad rakhay ga.
Aik Dafa phir Bohat Bohat Umrah Mubarak
asif65
Member
@expakistani
mubarak ho. Allah qabool farmiye.
Are travelling alone or with relatives?
As Khan Sahab said you have to plan differently if you are traveling with relatives. Keep this in mind!
Please Pray for Pakistan and muslim Ummah!
runaway
Member
Allah aap ka umrah qubool karay
If you are going there from USA
1. You have only two options :
Take the Umrah package ( as describe ealier Dar-EsSalaam ) or some other like that. Package usually includes all transportation and hotels
Even if you don't take the package, travel agents will charge you $100-$150 per passport ( even for kids ) just for the Umrah visa ( which is free but the only way to get is through travel agents ).
Seconds option:
2. If you are doing Umrah on your way to Pakistan, take Saudi Airline and get transit visa ( which is free ). Transit has to be less than 72 hrs. You can get transit visa for free on your own. If you go through travel agent they will ask for $50 per passport.
Do not go with transit visa if you are not travelling on Saudi Airline. It used to work until recently, but a friend of mine just came back disappointed. He had Etihad ticket and transit visa. He was not allowed to enter Jeddah.
Hotels: If you plan to make your own arrangement, I strongly advise, you make prior arrangement. You can book online or call and make reservations for all the international chain hotels.
Use Wiki Maps before booking : do not fall for 50 m from Haram.
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=21.43&lon=39.82&z=14&l=0&m=b&search=makkah
If desired, I can provide more details if you plan to make your arrangements
runaway
Member
One more thing:
I think the rates for Makkah-Madina taxi above not correct.
I do not know about this year, but last year I was able to get taxi ( private car ) for SR. 250 and back for SR 300. It really depends on how much effort you want to put in getting the taxi :)
The bellboy at Hilton told me Makkah-Madina taxi would be SR 650..and I told him thanks :)
Also, I personally like to go to Makkah first.
a. Yes you would need to make Ihram in plane or before boarding..but that's no big deal (esp if you are on Saudi)
b. You can ( depending on energy and time )..go to Makkah - Medina - Makkah - Jed.. and do two umrahs.
bsobaid
Member
mubarak hoo bhai aur aap kaa umrah qabool ho (ameen)
Allah hamein bhi toufeeq dayy. (ameen)
Dear Expakistani
Inshallah I am also making plans to do umrah in next couple of weeks. I always get the business visa and it helps for moving around and gives much more flexibility.
I have so many friends in Jeddah, Makkah amd madina munawwara that never had a need to book hotel :)
FJ
bsobaid
Member
I am finding some very useful info in this thread. We might as well share our experiances/tips of Hajj to make life easier for prospective hajis. (or make a new thread for hajj??).
@Runaway...
I Apologized, I actually gave taxi rates from Riyadh to Mecca (from where I usually travel) so Medina to Mecca should be less but not 250 Riyals. Does 250 Riyal taxi is shared or exclusive for your use?
As regards to Hotels, they are cheap if you get them locally rather then booking them through agents or on line. If yo don't want the hassle then instead call the hotel and book room as it can be cheaper up to 20 to 50% from the quoted price by the agents or on the net. Try finding a hotel on the net and call them to see the difference yourself.
Moderators can change the heading of this thread to Umrah and Hajj instead... I have performed hajj last year and have performed almost 12 umrah's Alhamdulilah in last 2 years and know a lot of useful tips and would love to share my experience with every one specially people who are traveling from Riyadh. I have numbers of taxi drivers (Pakistani and Bengali) who are very experienced, trust worthy and highly recommendable.
kulla
Member
I would say do it through some agency and get a complete package. I would do Makka first and Madina at the end but its your call.
Just check with your local masjid, they will have ample duas. Also you will find many masnoon dua on the internet, just make a printout :)
Good Luck with teh Umra and make dua for all teh rest of us that we all Unite and stay away from teh Fitna of this DUnya.
bsobaid
Member
Khan sahab, a separate thread for Hajj will be useful as this one is for umrah. Can you and others please share tips/experiances of Hajj in a separate thread kindly?
ok, I will make one.
Thank you,
kulla
Member
https://sites.google.com/site/anizami1/truth/Simple%27UmrahGuide.doc
Here is a link to Umrah Guide. Its pretty good with all the Masnoon Duas.
expakistani
Member
Jazak Allah.... honestly i was not looking for some quick/express/VIP type umarah....i have one week but limited expense main jetney gunnah maaf hogey to acha hey.....
Ab es chaker main thori bohat taqleef hoi to Allah kuch extra gunah bhi maaf ker din gey Inshallah.
We are planning to DO USA=>SA=>Pak=>USA back trip with family...
Jazak Allah ...for all good wishes and tips
uovervinnelig
Member
May Allah accept your Umrah.
If money is not the issue then best way is to go through reputable agent.
If you want to save money then you can do the following:
1. Book Saudi airline ticket online from their website
2. Ask any agent to arrange visa for you (In the UK it costs around £60 per visa)
3. Best option will be to go to the Madinah first due to the reasons mentioned above by Azizi, Salaam and Khan Sahib. Flying is quick, but don’t forget to buy while you are in the US. It is sometimes almost impossible to buy tickets from the Jeddah airport
4. There are hundreds of hotels around Masjid Nabvi, from 5 star to 2 star. It is very easy to find rooms in normal days other than Ramadan. If you are with family then can book room for one night in advance and then look for other hotels once you are there. Site below is quite useful to find budget hotels:
http://www.innksa.com (hotel cost per night will be less than quoted here if you do not book online and pay at counter)
Hotel location can be found on this map http://wikimapia.org
I went for umrah last year with my wife in May and stayed in Darul Andulas Hotel Madinah (adjacent to Elaf Taiba), Hotel was nice and it cost us 150SR per night.
5. You can take taxi but driving in Saudi Arabia is bit scary for some people. You can travel by Saptco VIP bus, ticket cost SR90 one way between Madinah & Jeddah. Buses are nice and it is safe. Details are below:
http://www.saptco.com.sa/en/services_vip.htm
6. Hotels in the Makkah are bit expensive and it will be difficult to get a good deal if you go to the Makkah on Thursday. Please remember it is not possible to store big luggage bags in Haram lockers, I am saying this because last time we had this problem due lockers’ size. Best way is to book a room for one night in advance, put luggage in room and then do umrah.
Please do not forget us and whole Muslim nation in your prayers.
expakistani
Member
How about other places we should go while in Macca and Madina
Janat ul Baqi, Hira cave, any here else?
For jannat ul baqeeh you have to go straight after Fajr prayer as authorities open it only between Fajr and sunrise
Also go to Masjid Quba as two nafila are equal to Umrah reward. You can take a taxi from outside Masjid Nabwi saw and it takes around 10-15 min from there.
For Hira cave you can ask ant taxi driver outside Haram area
This naat always bring tears in my eyes...
sipahi
Member
@expakistani
My sincere advice, don't go as a tourist and try your best to forget about the materialistic world to be rewarded with best spiritual gains.
expakistani
Member
@sipahi
na for sure not going as tourist but trying to get most of this visit....
sipahi
Member
@expakistani
May Allah (SWT) enable you to gain in your sprituality, which you can observe in your life after you come back.
expakistani
Member
JAZAK ALLAH guys.....I am in Madina and INshallah will dua for all of you...
Brothers/ Sisters AoA
I am trying to book a flight to saudi for umrah in Ramadhan but having problem getting the seat, I would request all of you to do dua that I get the ticket and get the taufeeq and sa'adat of doing the umrah.. Ameen
FJ
spruce
Member
@FJ-PK
i shall be waiting for u in madinah.i shall pray for u inshaAllah.
i shall advise u to perform umrah then rest days enjoy in Prophrt Mosque and pray travih with sweet and honspitable people of madinah.
hypocrite
Member
FJ_Pak and Irshad sahib
I pray for FJ sahib to get the ticket.
I am happy that both of you are getting a tremendous sa'adat.
While you are there please pray for all of us.
Dear Irshad and Hamdam ji
Jazak allah khair for your dua and good wishes
Irshad: If you like, you can PM me your contat details and when I am in madinah Shareef will inshallah contact you and meet up.
FJ
Abdul Rahman
Member
I was at Madinah and Makkah for Umrah this month and prayed for the Ummah and all Pkpolitics forum members for ultimate salvation in duniya and akhirah-Ameen. I also climbed jabal Hira and prayed the same. It was my first time to climb the mountain to see the cave.
hypocrite
Member
Abdul Rahman sahib
Thanks for praying for members of PkPolitics
spruce
Member
@fj-pak
i shall be greatfull to meet you and all the time i shall be available beside Tomb of prophet Muhammad(p.b.u.h) and i am working at prophet Mosque building automation and control system.
The Siemens automation and control system (BACS) installed at Prophet’s Mosque Madinah is centralized control system which is world’s largest BMS system, there are 6000 points are monitored and controlled by us, it is programmed to perform functions locally or specific functions with COLBAS PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE for building automation and control system.
i shall be waiting for you to send you my mobile number via my Email address: irshad_bacs@hotail.com. just reply me on this address .
AoA All
I would like to thank all the people who did dua for me and alhamdulillah I have got the flight and will be going to saudi in two weeks time inshallah.
Bro Irshad: Could you please confirm the email add above as it seems incorrect.
FJ
spruce
Member
@fj-pak
sorry for inconvinience my Email address: irshad_bacs@hotmail.com. just reply me on this address .
congretulation to get flight and have ramadan kareem.
junaid
Member
greetings for abdul rahman and Fj_Pak. indeed its a lot of efforts to perform and the travelings but more sacrifice the more imaan builds. Also, FJ if you are going first to makkah make sure you dont remove ahraam before performing umrah. it would be also better to ask some ulma and get a book of instructions. inshAllah make dua for everyone.
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