Ukrainian Muslims in Medina: preparing to Hajj and helping others

Friday, October 19, 2012, like the following two days, were very rich on events both for Ukrainian pilgrims visiting Medina prior to performing Hajj and members of Russian speaking groups from other countries, joining them.

The Ukrainian delegation left Medina on October 22, after the morning prayer, and set off to Mekkah, to have time for performing Umrah before the beginning of Hajj days on October 24.

After Friday prayer in the famous Prophet Mosque, the coordinator from “Alraid” who accompanied the group took all who wished to the Mosque for an excursion. Some of the Russian speaking faithful brothers and sisters from other countries could join Ukrainian pilgrims as early as at that time.

During this excursion pilgrims had an opportunity for not only seeing the Mosque and learning a lot exciting information about it, but for closer acquaintances and contacts with each other. Therefore, when a practical lecture on main rules for performing Hajj was held later in the evening, even more Muslims from other countries came to listen to it. The lecturer, above all, answered pilgrims’ questions and explained the matters not understandable for them. 

The seminar proceeded in Sunday evening. This time the meaning of Hajj for a believer was discussed, which was helpful for much more conscious performance of the required rituals by pilgrims, so that as much as possible religious benefit could be taken from the pilgrimage. 

These meetings were meant to refresh the knowledge gained by pilgrims at analogous events on Hajj preparation held in Ukrainian cities, and offer a chance to receive the required information for those who had missed them for various reasons.

Organizers made an entertaining excursion across symbolic sites of Medina on Saturday. In the morning three buses took the Ukrainian delegation to the mosque of Kubah, the first mosque built by the Prophet Muhammad. Ukrainian pilgrims rushed to perform a prayer once they learned that the Prophet Muhammad would go to the mosque on Saturdays for performing prayer, and that the reward for a two rakaat prayer in this mosque is equal to the reward for one who performed Umrah (small pilgrimage). Note that it was in this year that the Ukrainian delegation could visit the Kubah mosque on Saturday for the first time over years (of pilgrimage).

Ukrainian pilgrims visited “Mosque of Two Kiblahs”, the mosque of “Seven Mosques”, Ar-Rumah mountain, the date grove at Uhud mountain and the mountain itself, and learnt about importance of these sites and the events associated with them in establishment of Islam.