…summer has definitely arrived after a rather prolonged few months of bearable temperatures…but now the 40′s have begun…and so have the supplies of melons…trucks weighted down line the popular roads…but this is a hazard as the usual habit for people here is to suddenly stop to buy form the street vendors without caring that they may be triple parking and holding up traffic or causing car behind them to swerve dangerously…all adding to the colour and charm of being in Al Madinah Al Munawwarah…how the days of camels would have been safer and a different level of chaos…

…it stirs the soul to see that pigeons are cared for…containers of fresh water are filled throughout the day…they seemed to take it in turns to splash about…

…hard manual labour in the searing sun…the law requires all outdoor work to cease during the intense midday hours…Insha’Allah employees abide by this and also remember the Hadith about paying their workers before the sweat dries from their brow…surely Madinatun Nabi is the place where this is respected…

…a soft early morning light caresses the minarets while highlighting the new street lighting…

…the last remains of green framing the new Qiblah hotel…this garden has been reduced to a few trees…the bird song reduced…preparing for another hotel excavation I presume and for the vast changes this southern side will see as the new fly over is constructed and the old one demolished opening the land for development…

…one of the main facades of the huge Qiblah complex…the largest hotel in the city…it is ten years since it was started…Insha’Allah it will be functioning for the crowds in Ramadhan…

…a unique coach…wonder if it travels at the speed of the magnificent leopard?

…the diversity of groups with their distinct creative ‘uniforms’ adds the to visual spectacle while stirring the soul knowing that Allah Ta’ala brings pilgrims from every nation to our two sacred places, SubhanAllah!

…’self portrait’…he he he…to prove this humble speck has been blessed with some mobility…Alhumdulillah Alf ShukriLlahu!!!

…the constant round the clock cleaning of the umbrellas…

…trying to conjure how much water is used in and around the Masjid is boggling…these trumpet shaped nozzles deliver a high pressure flow to deal with the dust…

…they are filling in all the gaps…ghasp…soon there will be no place to see the developments unless one has access from higher floors in the nearby hotels…why prohibit people from seeing the progress??

…previous visit was about ten days ago…crash::bang::rumble::dust…the stripped buildings are still standing as the focus is on clearing the area of the mangled steel and flattening the site…hence dozens of earth moving trucks are lined up to be filled with the excess earth…what blessed secrets may this earth be holding??

…the green area is where they are currently working…as can be seen it is a fraction of the whole design…the pink is the area of the current Masjid Nabawi…maybe the three inner open courtyard areas of the new plan will mean that these parts corresponding to the northern courtyard will remain as the foundation of these three sections…Allahu ‘Alum…

…the heat and dust bleach the scene…

…if one is seeking a quiet calm while visiting our Radiant city then Insha’Allah it forever resides in the heart and no clanging or crashing of machinery can affect this…

…the only door into the site from the Baqi side…there may come a time when courage is found to ask if a quick step inside is OK to snap some quick shots…guess one will only hear mamnou’…Alhumdulillah…

…leaving…

…entering…bags to be checked…

…arriving…a 24/7 choreography at the eastern sisters section…Alhumdulillah…

…brothers sit at all the main gateways to the Masjid selling the Mushaf…many donate copies to the Masjid as well as purchase for gifts to take back to their home lands…

…this was a row of about ten brothers outside the King Fahd gate mid morning…the early bird getting the shade…

…while others used cardboard and prayer mats to cover their head from the intense heat…

…the mist fans operate during the hottest part of the day…considerably lowering the temperatures underneath the umbrellas…

…bringing relief to those lining up to fill containers with Zamzam which is transported from Makkah on a daily basis and available at this filling station at the north west corner of the courtyard…

…Insha’Allah Du’a flows during this auspicious month where Allah Ta’ala’s promised forgiveness for our repentance is most high…Insha’Allah be steadfast for Hidayah to pierce hearts and for the Deen to flourish in the Haramain as it was during the times of our Noble Nabi SallAllahu alaihi wasallam, Ameen…

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.