JABAR EKSPRES –Medina was hit by heavy rain accompanied by lightning and strong winds around 5:55 p.m. Saudi Arabia time or coinciding with the entry of maghrib prayer time.
These conditions did not hinder the enthusiasm of pilgrims flocking to the mosque, including prospective pilgrims from Indonesia to carry out the Arbain service.
Wartono and Ismoyowati, an elderly couple from Demak Regency, Central Java, prayed Maghrib and Isha at the Prophet’s Mosque even though their wife used a wheelchair.
Zainuddin and Surinah, hajj pilgrims from Lingga Regency, Riau Islands, decided to continue performing Arbain despite the rain.
“I have performed the Arbain service since dawn yesterday. I’m on target to finish, I got 40 times,” said Zainuddin, Thursday (5/25).
The first batch of pilgrims who arrived at Madina’s Amir Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz Airport (AMAA) on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, can only perform the hajj pilgrimage this year because 2020 was hindered by the pandemic. Likewise, in 2022, Zainuddin could not go on hajj because his wife had to undergo surgery.
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“Alhamdulillah, this year I can go on hajj,” he said.
The same thing was also conveyed by Sita (46), a pilgrim from group l, who admitted that she continued to perform arbain even though it was raining.
“While we are still here, let’s not miss Arbain,” she said.
In addition to the Prophet’s Mosque, rain also flushed the Prince Amir Mohammad Bin Abdul Aziz International Airport (AMAA) in Medina. This is the second time rain has flushed the area.
The heavy rain accompanied by strong winds occurred at around 17:15 WAS. The runway and airplanes that are usually seen are also covered by the high rainfall. Not only that, strong winds also blew away objects such as plastic in the airport area.
