How shall I spend my day in Makkah and Madinah?

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In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
It is truly a blessing from Almighty Allah if one gets to present himself in the sacred cities of Makkah al-Mukarramah and al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. The virtues, station and sacredness of these lands cannot be over emphasised. Words cannot reflect the merit of these cities.
Endurance, passion and devotion varies from person to person. A Timetable may suit one but not the other. In addition, quality and quantity need to be balanced. We need to do as much as we can yet maintain and progress in the quality of all that we do.
What one can do out of the Hajj season is obviously much more due to the crowds. Plus, the distance of one’s accommodation in the blessed cities plays a very big role in structuring one’s day.
There are certain acts we all need to do in abundance of when visiting the al-Haramayn al-Sharifayn:
1) Tawāf
2) Recitation of Qur’an
3) Dhikr
4) Du’ā’
5) Salawāt on the Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam
There are certain things which one should refrain from altogether:
1) Time wasting
2) Abundance of shopping
3) Gossiping
MAKKAH AL-MUKARRAMAH
Below is a timetable for Makkah al-Mukarramah which may prove to be beneficial for many if not all:
Sleep from 10.30pm-Tahajjud time.
Wake up 30 mins before Tahajjud and go to the Masjid
Stay in the Haram, perform Tawaf and perform Tahajjud
Recite Qur’an from then till Fajr.
After Fajr everyone performs Tawaf. It is very hectic and busy. You may want to do dhikr and Tilawah at this time.
Perform 4 rak’ats Ishraaq salāh and then go have breakfast. After this go to sleep.
Wake up 11am. Go to the Masjid and perform Tawaf and thereafter perform Salah a-Duha /Chasht Salah and engage in Tilawah.
Try to perform another Tawaf. However, at this time of the day it is very hot and therefore one should gauge one’s strength and energy.
After Dhuhr perform one more tawaf and thereafter go for lunch.
After lunch, one should rest for a while before making preparations for Asr.
30-45 mins before Asr, one should prepare to go for Salah.
When reaching the Masjid, try and squeeze in a Tawāf. Thereafter, tilawah and dhikr.
After Asr, sit and recite Qur’an. Let the crowd disperse. After a while perform Tawaf. Thereafter, one may go for a walk and freshen up.
Between maghrib and esha many people perform Tawaf. One Tawaf can take up to 1 hour if not more. Therefore, one may wish to perform Salaah Awwābīn and recite the Qur’an between Maghrib and Esha.
Likewise straight after Esha many people perform Tawaf. You may go and have dinner. If after dinner you can go the Masjid, perform a quick Tawaf and then go to one’s hotel and sleep.
AL-MADINAH AL-MUNAWWARAH
With regards to al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, the objective should be abundance of salawāt upon the Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam. A person travelling to Madinah should aim to attach himself to the Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam and his beloved sunnah. We need to take advantage of the physical proximity we have with the Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam and his blessed Sahabah (companions) by connecting with them spiritually and mentally. Condition the heart, soul and mind to mirror the heart, soul and mind of the Prophet and the Sahabah. Let our desires, aspirations and belief incline towards theirs.
Therefore, whilst in the sacred city of Madinah, everyone should engage themselves in the following:
1) Abundance of recitation of salawāt
2) Reflection and meditation on the sacrifices of the Prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam and the Sahabah
3) Spending time as much as possible in the masjid
A good idea would be to set oneself a high target of reciting salawāt daily. For example, one may aim to read 20,000 salawāt daily. This can be any salāh and salām, even merely saying ‘salallahu alaihi wasallam’.
May Allah Ta’ala take us all to the Haramayn over and over again and give us the ability to spend our time productively. Amīn.

Article by: darulfiqh