MADINAH, 1 November 2005 — During the last 10 days of Ramadan, the Prophet’s Mosque gets very crowded with worshippers praying Taraweeh prayers and Tahajjud. Worshippers of all ages from all over the world gather in one beautiful scene unique to Madinah and Ramadan. Even the old don’t miss the chance to pray at the holy mosque. The sight of young sons and daughters accompanying their fathers and mothers, sometimes in wheelchairs, completes this beautiful scene. All facilities are available around the holy mosque.

Young Scouts spread out everywhere to assist pilgrims. As young as 15, they direct traffic and give great help to police. They carry wheelchairs to transport the elderly and handicapped to and from the mosque. What is even more heartwarming is that they do it with big smiles on their face and take pride in helping visitors and pilgrims.

Inside the mosque, everyone is busy praying and reading the Qur’an. The place is a beehive of activity. A visitor hears many languages, but visitors hear one familiar, unifying sound — the sound and the language of Qur’an.

On the roof of the Prophet’s Mosque, many visitors prefer to stay and enjoy the open space and the site of the tall lit minarets and the green dome while praying.

“I have a strange, comfortable feeling in my heart that I only feel when I am in Madinah,” said Al-Tayeb Murtada, a Sudanese pilgrim who’s visited Madinah seven times for the last days of Ramadan in the last decade.

“I pray all prayers in the mosque, and I make sure that I don’t miss any. There’s an internal happiness inside my heart. There is no place like Madinah, and there is no place like the Prophet’s Mosque.”

Those who weren’t praying or reading the Qur’an were simply enjoying the pleasant breeze on the rooftop and taking time to rest. On the roof of the holy mosque, I caught a group of Malaysian visitors with their unique national uniform emblazoned with their country’s flag.

“Now that I know what this feeling is like, I will make sure not to miss spending the last 10 days here in Madinah and close to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,” said 41-year-old Shamsulldin, a first-time pilgrim. “The mosque is crowded, but I don’t feel uncomfortable. Sometimes I get tears in my eyes because when I go home I will miss being here with my brothers.”

The site of unified Muslims standing in one line and praying toward one direction is beautiful to many. It is in these lines that Muslims forget about political and social differences. Their united prayer is to protect Islam and to make things better in the Muslim World.

On the lower level, the site is no different. People performing Etikaf — spending the 10 days in Ramadan inside the holy mosque praying — are forming their own relationships with people from different countries who happened to perform Etikaf. They share food, drinks and a place to rest.

“Etikaf is a perfect chance for Muslims to disconnect from the rest of the world and devote their time to worship God,” said Abdul Razzak Taha, an Egyptian visitor. “The most important thing is to win the rewards of the Night of Power or Laylat Al-Qadr. Food comes to us inside the mosque, and it is available everywhere. Bathrooms are available outside the mosque, and I do get regular visits from my family. I can go outside if I want but only for urgent needs. But the most important thing is not to leave the mosque until the last night is over. It’s a feeling that I cannot describe. My relationship with God is strengthened even more. I pray to God everyday to accept my fasting and my deeds during the holy month.”

I left Abdul Razzak only to find that there are thousands inside the holy mosque that are performing Etikaf. From all over the world, they came to Madinah for only one purpose.

Outside the squares of the holy mosque, visitors were gathering at the Prophet’s grave from the south side praying for the Prophet, peace be upon him. Some let their tears go, and some cry in silence because this is as far they could get close to the “Seal of All Prophets”.

Those who were praying, were praying, and those who were not were simply looking at the structure of the Prophet’s Mosque — a site many people admire that they cannot describe and prefer to watch in silence. The days of Ramadan are almost over, some people already are praying to God to live to see Ramadan next year. In many places and for many people Ramadan may be just another month, but in Madinah, there is no other month so special.