Makkah, Saudi Arabia is the location of the grand mosque called Kaba. This is the black cube building towards which Muslims face when they perform their daily prayer and millions upon millions of people visit every year to perform the mini pilgrimage, the Umrah, and the major pilgrimage, the Hajj.
Madinah, Saudi Arabia is the city where Masjid An-Nabawi, Prophet Mohammad (saw)'s mosque, is located. It is also the location of his grave site as well as the graves of many of his family members and companions. This was also the first city that was ruled according to Islamic laws.
Enough with the history lesson. The reason I decided to write this post was because many of my friends have asked me about what I packed for myself when I traveled to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj Pilgrimage. Here is the list that took with me and some other advice. Feel free to comment so I can add to the list:- Fragrance free stuff (You cannot use fragrance while in the state of Ihram)
- soap
- lotion
- toothpaste
- deodorant
- sunscreen
- baby wipes
- hand sanitizer
- hand wipes
- Door hook to use during showers, plastic ones that hold clothes away from the door
- hangers to use with the above hook
- plastic bags to hold clothes for shower
- slippers for men
- ear plugs
- eye mask
- medicines
- imodium
- allergy medication
- pain killers
- antibiotics for upper and lower respiratory infections
- First aid kit
- probiotic
- Vitamins (Vit. C and Zinc)
- Any other necessary medications
- unlocked phone if you want to get local sim
- if you have tmobile, texting US #s and 2G data are free in Saudi Arabia
- charger for the phone, if you forget the adapter plug they are cheap there
- collapsible bottles for zamzam
- backpack, the sack pull string style is what i used. i put my slippers in it while at haram and other masjids so I wouldnt lose them. Get one that has an outer and inner pocket so you can separate shoes from your Quran and water bottle.
- Neck pouch for essentials like small amount of money, room key card, and maybe your phone. if that pouch is around your neck and tucked under your clothes, its hard to be stolen than a money belt or fanny pack
- a carry on size bag for the time you will be in Mina. your other luggage if you are taking more stuff, will be sent off to storage during your hajj part of the stay.
- Men should carry two sets of ihram with them. Ihram can be changed if necessary and if one gets impure then you have a backup to change into
- Snack bars
- Energy drink or electrolyte powder mix
- Small sleeping bag for Muzdalifa (you will be sleeping on the ground under the stars)
- Vaseline or Gilette Intimate Anti-Chaffing balm- You will be walking a lot, this will help prevent chaffing
- Cash - dont convert at the airport, convert when you get into the city of Makkah or Madinah
- A Credit Card - preferably one that does not charge foreign transaction fees
- Examples include Charles Schwab, Capital One, and Merrill+ cards
Some advice from what I remember during my Hajj:
- Practice patience now, you will need more than you have ever needed in your life
- Dont over eat EVER during hajj
- For the love of god avoid Al-Baik and other fast foods lol they are enticing but will cause you problems. enjoy them after you have completed your hajj
- Eat smart, dont over do meats, dont over do veggies and dont overdo fruits, they will all cause problems
- Keep hydrated, best way is using zamzam water using your bottle
- Stay out of the heat as much as possible
- Time your visits to the holy mosques, be energized for your visit, you will need all of it
- Study the Hajj procedure now and memorize the major acts
- Study the do's and especially the DONTs of Hajj, that is very important because you dont want you hajj to be invalidated due to some mistake.
- Try to memorize the arabic duas specified for specific acts
- I recommend Fortress of a Muslim, small book but contains many useful duas
- for example, the dua recommended for the walk between the Yamani corner and the black stone corner
- the dua for mount safa and mount marwa
- Create a list of all the duas that you want to ask during hajj
- write down that one dua that you want to ask when you first lay your eyes on kaba
- when visiting kaba for the first time, keep you eyes lowered as you walk towards the kaba and only raise them once you have reached the center courtyard so your first glance is on the kaba in its full glory, not through pillars and construction cranes.
- This is the moment to make your dua, one could be to ask for all your duas to be accepted from that point forward.
Thank you to my good friend Adeel Rahman and Rayad Khan for providing me with their list to add to this. Also some inspiration came from this list written by the author for women traveling to Hajj.
If you have the opportunity to go to Hajj and this list helps you in anyway, please keep myself, Adeel and the author of the above post in your duas during your Hajj. Thank you!
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