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The Islamic Bulletin
Volume X X No. 26
Page 14
Exciting news is happening that will forever change the
experiences of pilgrims making the Hajj and Umrah. If you have
ever performed the Hajj or Umrah before and traveled the
nearly 5-6 hour-long car or bus journey to the city of Medina
(Our Holy Prophet’s (S) Mosque), good developments are in the
works. A 230 mph rail link between Mecca and Medina will cut
the long drive to a mere half an hour. This development of the
metro train will connect Islam’s two holiest cities to a fraction of
the time currently needed to travel to make the commute.
Perhaps most beneficial, the train will help alleviate
congestion during the Hajj, the obligatory annual pilgrimage of
three million worshippers to Mecca. It will also carry pilgrims
performing Umrah throughout the year. In the past, the vast
number of pilgrims requiring transportation to and fromMecca
and Medina has resulted in delays and traffic congestion on the
roads and highways. In addition to connecting these two cities,
the Makkah Metro Train will operate to transport pilgrams to
Mina, Muzdalifah, and Arafat. Once complete, officials estimate
53,000 buses will disappear from the city’s crowded roads,
promising a safer, more comfortable pilgrimage. This new metro
train is considered to be the longest metro of its kind and
provided to ease the trip for pilgrims. The metro train has 12
cars and each car can hold 250 pilgrims. Each car has 5 doors,
and can hold 3,000 pilgrims and transport 72,000 in an hour. In
2012 the metro, which has elevated tracks to avoid busy roads,
will be able to transport up to two million people
Passengers will board and depart at nine tent-shaped
stations, three in Arafat and three in Muzdalifa and Mina, each of
which will have a capacity of 12,000 people, the official said.
Once pilgrims disembark from the metro, they will
proceed to the correct station based on the proper colored
bracelet given to them. (The colored bracelets will be given to
pilgrims who purchase them before Hajj)
9th Dhul Hijah
The journey fromArafat toMuzdalifah will begin around
Maghrib and will continue to service the last group until 10:00
pm. Each metro trip takes 7 minutes.
10th Dhul Hijah
Pilgrims disembark fromMuzdalifah to a special, fenced area in
Mina. (This area cannot be entered without the proper colored
bracelet) Pilgrims will then proceed to the Jamarat. The metro
transportation will begin fromMidnight until 8:30 am..
Station 1-Blue Bracelet
Mina Station 1
Arafat Station 1
Muzdalifah Station 1
Station 2-Yellow Bracelet
Mina Station 2
Muzdalifah Station 2
Arafat Station 2
Station 3-Green Bracelet
Jamarat (Mina) Station 3
Muzdalifah Station 3
Arafat (Mina) Station 3
A Chinese company, part of a Saudi-French-Chinese consor-
tium won the contract and has sent 4,600 Chinese nationals
to work on this rail project. Last year alone, over 600 more
embraced Islam. Alhamdulillah we were contacted to
provide a Hajj guide in Chinese for the 150 Chinese
workers who performed hajj last year. Here are some
quotes of the new muslims:
Hamza, 42, said he embraced Islam after he saw the
Holy Ka’aba for the first time on Saudi television.”It had an
electrifying effect on me. I watched the live transmission of
prayers at the Grand Mosque and the circling of the faithful
around the holiest shrine in Islam,” Hamza feels happier and
more relaxed now that he has become a Muslim.
Fifty-one-year-old Ibrahim is another Chinese worker
who embraced Islam in September last year.”While we were in
China, we did not have any opportunity to learn about Islam.
When I reached Makkah, I was very impressed by the behavior
of many of its residents. Their equal treatment of Muslims and
non-Muslims had a big impact on me,” he said.Ibrahim, who is
working with the maintenance section of the state-owned
Chinese Railway Company, says that he, like Hamza, became a
Muslim when he saw the Ka’aba.
Abdullah Al-Baligh, 51, was inspired to embrace Islam
after seeing the positive changes in his colleagues. “Six months
after I arrived in Makkah, I noticed that my colleague, who was
already a Muslim by birth, had totally changed and his behavior
and conduct were exemplary. I realized that Islam was the
guiding force behind these changes,” he said.”When I asked
him, he told me that he had known nothing about the religion
while in China. Now, he had a proper understanding of Islam
and wanted to become more of a role model.
”Younus, another worker, says that he became a
practicing Muslim only after his arrival in Makkah.”Islam in China
is lacking. I realized about this only after coming over to the
Kingdom. Many of my Muslim colleagues and I only truly
learned about Islam in the holy city.
A
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ASHAAER
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INE PROJECT
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ECCA
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