Umrah 2012, Day Nine: Back to Makkah

Just another regular day in Makkah today. We took the opportunity to explore the other side of the mosque, now unrecognisable in the wake of the massive amount of construction going on for the extension. As I've already mentioned the scope of it is pretty incredible, and it's difficult to imagine the scale of the end result. Still it is taking shape - perhaps it will be completed on my next visit?

A top tip is to make sure you're sound with how to partake in a janazah (funeral) prayer. Across my time in Makkah and Madinah so far, I've counted two of the five daily prayers that did NOT have a janazah immediately following it. My cousin and had a good look after one of them and counted at least ten bodies, which makes fifty a day and a potential 700 over the two weeks I'll be staying here. That's pretty amazing in a morbid way. So yes, it's well worth learning how to do it.