Non-Extremist Islamic State

Unlike much of the Middle East, Dubai has a particularly liberal government. Islam is the official religion, but it is not enforced in any way. Dubai is not governed by Sharia law and experiences virtually no extremist violence. Thus, Dubai is a place where you can enjoy Arab/Islamic culture in the Middle East without fear of being the victim of a suicide bombing. Non-Muslims may still face a little discrimination, but laws like the ones that prevented them from owning property are gone. Remnants of those laws, however, such as the censorship of all Israeli websites, do remain.

History/Archeology

There are three main archaeological sites in Dubai. One includes 2000 year old graves and another contains artifacts from the 7th through the 15th centuries. Dubai is also surrounded by desert, so you can enjoy a desert safari or a trip to a Bedouin village to see how people in the area lived thousands of years ago. If you are interested in Arab architecture or history, Dubai is a good place to see it (containing several impressive mosques) because the political climate there makes it safer and more convenient for foreigners than it is in a place like Iran or even Israel.

Accommodations

No tourist town would be complete without the best accommodations. Dubai is home to the tallest hotel in world, the Burj Al Arab. It is a five-star luxury hotel built on a manmade island of the coast of Dubai and featuring beautiful ocean views in every room. All rooms are suites and range in price from $1000 to $28,000 per night. Like many Las Vegas casinos, the Burj Al Arab is something you will want to see even if you cannot afford to stay there. It is easily Dubai's most distinctive and instantly recognizable feature.

Festivals

Like any international city, Dubai is home to a variety of annual events and festivals. These include the Dubai shopping festival, the Dubai film festival, the Dubai Desert Classic (a gold tournament), Emirates World Series-Dubai World Cup (a horse-race), and the Dubai Rugby Sevens. Dubai also hosts a number of conferences from various international companies and organizations every year.

Super-Attractions

Dubai is home to some of the most impressive tourist attractions in the world. These range from the largest shopping mall in the world to the world's largest indoor ski slope, to the world's largest collection of theme parks. The city of Dubai and private investors have put billions of billions of dollars into make Dubai a serious rival to traditional resort cities like Orlando and Las Vegas.

Those who visit Dubai may be inclined to stay because Dubai City has no sales, income, or property taxes. Obviously, this is generated much interest from multi-national corporations, so there is more and more work to be had in Dubai all the time. Just realize that, as western as Dubai has become, it is still an officially Islamic state and that will affect you while you are there.

Offering Jummah (Friday) prayers in Al-Haram Mosque is a unique experience as almost complete population of Mecca city and surrounding areas reach the holy mosque to offer prayers. Once we went to Saudi Arabia the Friday prayers were held at 1 PM and we went to the mosque at 11 AM to get a place in the shade and to our luck we found place at the rear in the building. People who came late they got place in the outer courtyard and in the sun. Almost at each prayer mosque is full with people and is normally overcrowded at Fajar and Maghrib prayers.

Jumma prayers were lead by Imam Kaaba Sheikh Abdur Rehman Al Sadees and it was a unique experience to listen to the recitation of Holy Qurran during the prayers by him. His sweet voice had a charming effect on all attending the prayers. Best sound system has been installed in the mosque. The pitch and quality of the sound remains the same through out the mosque. We all family members were very happy to had availed this unique opportunity.

A good thing about Saudi Arabia is that at time of prayers all type of business comes to a halt, and shopkeepers close shops till the time prayers are offered. All buyers are encouraged to leave the shop at that time. During my stay at Saudi Arabia, except jewelry shops I never found any shop being locked, only shopkeeper would put a cloth in-front of his shop or at best put a chair or piece of cardboard in front. After prayers shops would open again, markets fills up with customers and shopping spree continues as usual.

I also found street vendors mostly from African countries selling low quality merchandise in the main streets after the prayers and they would flee in the narrow streets after seeing police patrol. These street vendors sell the same products that are available in the main shops but are of inferior quality, it seemed that China has taken over market every where. Mostly people from subcontinent and Africa having limited budget for shopping are often found buying things from these vendors. Mostly these people sell handbags, wrist watches, cut pieces of cloth and sweets

Some Important Statistics of Masjid-ul-Haram

For the benefit of the readers some important statistics of the mosque have been given for general knowledge.

Al Taneem (Masjid-e-Ayesha)

A beautiful mosque located in "Al Hil", and it is about four miles away from the Holy Kabba between Mecca and Medina, and it is the Miqat for Mecca people and those coming to Mecca whether for Hajj, Umrah or residency. This is quite a big mosque with superb facilities for bath, ablution and changing, available for pilgrims and those who come to offer regular prayers. Once we went there our taxi driver charged as 25 royals for a round trip and waiting for us outside the mosque.

Arafat

It is a very large yard outside the boundaries of Al Haram Mosque, and is situated about 25 kilometers from Mecca. The pilgrims go there on the 9th day of Zil-Hajj until the sunset, and then they go to Muzdalefah. Standing in Arafat is one of the main pillars of Hajj, and it is considered that those who do not stand in Arafat did not do Hajj. Several mountains from east, north and south surround Arafat, and the most famous of them is Al-Rahmat Mountain, on its foothill, the Holy Prophet, may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, stayed in his farewell Hajj. Here in this yard we found a lot of people selling low quality cheap priced merchandise, mostly these people were Africans and Pakistanis. We also found camels and horses available for riding, mostly foreigners were found riding these animals and price for a single ride was quite high.

Mina

A valley between two mountains east of Mecca, it is situated about five kilometers from Al Haram Mosque, where the Satan showed up three times to misguide Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) from sacrificing his son. Here in Mina the Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) threw stones at him, thus starting the obligation and ritual of stoning the three Jamrahs (stone pillars indicating places where Satan appeared). Muslims go to Mina to throw stones at these Jamrahs, slaughter animals, and stay there during the Hajj.

Al Muzdalefah

It is a place between Mina and Arafat where people come to, after standing in Arafat. It has a small mountain called Qazah that is shaped like a horn, where the Imam of the Hajj stands and speaks to the people as the Prophet did, and it is called Al Masha'r Al Haram, and a mosque has also been built here.

Masjid-e-Masha'r Al Haram

This Al Masha'r Al Haram mosque is also called Qazeh, and is the place where the Prophet (PBUH), gave his sermon, which became a must follow practice after that. The Imam of Hajj stands in the Masha'r and gives the Hajj sermon.

Birthplace Of The Holy Prophet (PBUH)

The house in which Holy Prophet (PBUH) was born is situated very near the Al Haram Mosque towards Marva gate. It is almost at a walking distance of 5 to 6 minutes from the main mosque and one can easily reach there. At present the house is not there but a public library has been established there. On the front door of the library a signboard has been erected indicated the name of the library as “Maktab Al Mecca Tul Mukarrama”.

Jannat Ul Mua'lla

It is the cemetery of the people of Mecca, and it is on the way to Mina, The grave of Um-Al-Momeneen Bibi Khadija (the first wife of Holy Prophet) and that of,Prophets's son Qasim, Asma Bint AbuBaker, Abu-Talib, Abdullah Bin Zubair, and other members of the Holy Prophet's family, may Allah be pleased with them all, are located in this cemetery. This cemetery is located near the Al Haram Mosque and one can easily go there to pay homage and respect to the people buried there. There are two sections of this cemetery. One section contains old graves while the other contains new graves and these are the graves of ordinary citizens. This cemetery is also known as Al-Hajun. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to visit it frequently. It is the 2nd holiest graveyard of Islam after Jannat-ul-Baqi (Baqi Graveyard).

After visiting Jannat ul Mualla we came back to our hotel and had rest, our trip was over in just above two hours time. We had also planned to visit the old graveyard of Mecca where daughters, young and new born, were buried alive in old ages but we both were not able to find enough courage to go there, therefore we cut our visit short and came back.

While at Madinah father and my self went towards Jannat-ul-Baqi (Baqi Graveyard) to offer prayers for the Muslims buried there. This graveyard holds equal importance for all sects of Islam therefore it is always crowded by pilgrims but the Saudi government has imposed timings for visiting the graveyard. The timings for the visit are from Fajar prayers till 10 AM and then from Asar prayers till half an hour before Maghrib prayers and women are not allowed to visit the graveyard. In the graveyard once we entered from the main gate we found that on right side the area was blocked with the help of iron grill and pilgrims were standing with the grill and praying, most of the pilgrims were of Iranian origin. We found out that beyond this grill there were the graves of Imam Hassan, Imam Zain ul Abideen, Imam Jaffer, Imam Baqir, Hazarat Abbass and Bibi Fatima (Daughter of Holy Prophet). We both prayed there and then moved to other parts of the graveyard. We there found graves of Wives, Daughters and son Ibrahim of Holy Prophet and then visited the grave of his aunts Safia and Atiqa.

We also visited graves of third Caliph Usman Bin Affan (RA) and Bibi Halima who was Holy Prophet's maid in the childhood. In Baqi graveyard policemen were also present both inside and outside the graveyard and were having a very keen eye on pilgrims. They did not allow people to take cameras inside the graveyard nor allowed any one to morn at the graves of Imams, still I saw people taking photographs of graves with mobile phones having cameras installed in them. Women normally stand with the wall of the graveyard and look through the holes in the wall; they are only permitted to stand with the wall and are strictly prohibited to enter the graveyard. There is no information available regarding graves or people who are buried there neither any Arabic speaking official would tell, if asked. Whatever information is available, it has been communicated through other pilgrims especially Iranians who have mostly fairly good knowledge about the graves of important people buried there.

Riaz-ul-Jannah

It is a saying of Holy Prophet (PBUH) that “There is garden of paradise in area between my house and my sermon giving place (Mimber) in the Mosque”. Most of the Islamic scholars agree that this place is a gift from All Mighty Allah to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) the way he gifted Prophet Ibrahim with two stones from Paradise and those stones were Hijra-e-Aswad (Black Stone) and Muqam-e-Ibrahim (Station of Ibrahim). It is important that one should strive to offer Nawafils at Riaz-ul-Jannah and if possible should offer regular prayers there. One should feel him-self lucky if he gets a chance to offer regular prayers there as the area is quite small and is always full with pilgrims and locals offering Nawafils there. By the grace of All Mighty Allah my father and myself offered Nawafils there twice. I there saw people pushing each other to get a place there during regular prayers, but in Prophet's Mosque one should avoid doing such things, which are equivalent to disrespecting Holy Prophet (PBUH) or his teachings.

Important Pillars of The Mosque.

Although the complete Mosque is holy but few pillars are important and have historical significance and these are as following :

1. Pillar of Hannana (Astawana Hannana).
2. Pillar of Ayesha (Astawana Ayesha).
3. Pillar of Mercy (Astawana Tooba)
4. Pillar of Sarrer (Astawana Sarrer)
5. Pillar of Ali (Astawana Ali)
6. Pillar of Delegations (Astawana Wafood)
7. Pillar of Morning rayers (Astawana Tahajad)
8. Station of Angel Jibrael (Gabriel) *
9. Station of the Companions (Sufha-e-Sahaba)*

*Both these places are important, but are not pillars.

Masjid-e-Nabvi has an engineering marvel incorporated in its construction and that is the use of Floating Domes technique in the ceiling. A total of twenty-seven courtyards have been made in the mosque building and each has been covered with a floating dome. These domes have been specifically designed to evade suffocation by the pilgrims once the mosque is overcrowded. These domes can be moved from their places to let fresh air come in. This concept of floating domes was given during reconstruction of the mosque by Chief Architect of the project Doctor Kamal Ismael and were designed by a German Muslim engineer Mr Mehmood and the design was approved by than King Fahad Bin Abdul Aziz. For the benefit and comfort of pilgrims offering prayers in the courtyard of the mosque or out side the main building huge electronic umbrellas have been installed. When the sun is shinning at its peak these electronic umbrellas provide cool shade to the pilgrims sitting under them.

Masjid-e-Nabvi is centrally air-conditioned and the chilling unit for the mosque has been constructed outside the city and from there chilled air is pumped to the mosque through pipes. This whole cooling system is based upon cooling the air through chilled water. A comprehensive supply system for provision of Zamzam water has been established in the mosque and all pilgrims can take Zamzam water for personal usage from the supply point established. Zamzam water is provided within the premises of the mosque and is shipped from Makkah to Medina Munawarra through huge water tankers. Zamzam water is also available inside the mosque building in plastic water coolers. Big underground ablution / bath areas have been constructed around the main mosque and people can go to the areas by using stairs or escalators. Ablution / bath areas for men and women are separate.