A Childhood Memory

Our first visit to Madina took place during my childhood. At that time, the city was not as busy with pilgrims as it is today. Nevertheless, for a young child, the experience was still deeply intense. Madina held a deep sense of fascination and awe, primarily because it is the city where the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had lived and where he ﷺ is laid to rest. The thought that I was so close to him ﷺ felt surreal.

Visiting the blessed Rawda with my mother and sisters was a deeply memorable experience. We would enter from the outside and had access to a larger area than we have today.

One particular image that remains vivid in my memory is that of a door (as shown above). From behind it, (in my child’s mind) a huge man would emerge at the end of the women’s visiting time. He would, rather firmly, direct the women to exit the Rawda and its surrounding area. The women of course, did not want to leave; they had so much they wished to express to the Beloved of Allah ﷺ. However, it was his duty to clear the space. For a child, I remember it as quite a frightening encounter.

Now, as a resident of the blessed city, I recently passed by this door on my way out of the Rawda. The sight of it made me stop. The memories came flooding back: my younger self, the women expressing their love and ‘that man’. I smiled, grateful for the powerful emotions that door had evoked.