When you go to Saudi Arabia on Umrah, one needs to be covered. I found wearing the higab a bit uncomfortable and itchy. I takes time to adapt. We arrived in Medinah and checked into our hotel late in the evening. The weather was not bad. It was much better than Cairo which was humid and hot. Medinah was hot during the day and relatively cool in the evening. This was my first time to pray in large groups at the mosque and I found the whole thing a bit disconcerting. The early morning prayers were enjoyable, as it was not so crowded and you could find a place to pray with ease. The prayers during the day were more crowded and for the noon prayer and afternoon prayers, I found it easier to pray outside of the mosque in the sun. I realized that I could not focus on my prayers and worship when I was getting pushed, shoved, stepped on, and jostled. During my time in Medinah, I was able to visit an area where the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and two of his companions are buried. There is also an area where you can pray and make your supplications. The area is quite small and they allow people in during certain times. You are moving within a group and you have a leader who speaks that language. Egyptians with their group, Turkish with their group, Iranians with their group, Malaysians with their group, etc. There are signs and workers to keep you with your group. I have seen things during this time period which I found completely incredible. Women were hugging and kissing the pillars, one group of women knocked down a portable dividier to keep an area segregated. Female workers were hanging from pillars shouting out directions to get people to move and stay in a certain area. It was complete mayhem. My husband told me about an incident where a Saudi man slapped a Bangladeshi man because the Bangledeshi man would not move and allow the Saudi room to pray. This first visit for Umrah, for these first few days started to put seeds of doubt in my mind of having made the right decision to go to Umrah. This was not what I had signed on for...I thought I would go and have a spiritual awakening, a renewal, a feeling of serenity and peace. I found the opposite happening, a niggling of doubt about what I was doing, who I was worshipping with, was I EVEN able to worship with all that chaos and confusion?! How could I, or anyone else for that matter, focus on my prayers and supplications when you are constantly interrupted due to other people's behavior?! This is not what I thought the religion was about. Bad behavior, disregard for people and place, ignorance, and body odor were rampant. I had no clue as to what I was in for when I left Madinah and moved on to Mecca.

Until next time,

A Woman of Egypt