Most foreign Umrah pilgrims, who come to Madinah to pray at the Prophet’s Mosque and pay tributes to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), use the opportunity to buy gifts for their loved ones back home, especially dates.

Saquib Ahmed Quraishi, a Pakistani pilgrim, said he had come to the Kingdom several times to perform Haj and Umrah with family. “I feel immense happiness and satisfaction when I come for Umrah,” Quraishi told Arab News.

“Visiting the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madinah is the dream of every Muslim,” he said and thanked Allah for giving him opportunities to visit the holy places again and again.

“I love Madinah very much because of the presence of the Prophet’s grave and other historical sites. I find time to tour all these historical places during my Madinah visit,” he explained.

The battleground of Uhd, Quba Mosque, Qiblatain Mosque and Seven Mosques are some of the historical places in Madinah frequently visited by pilgrims.

“I spend most of the time in the Prophet’s Mosque, especially in the Rowda area, praying to Allah and reading the Qur’an,” he said.

“I also buy gifts from Madinah shops such as rosaries, prayer mats, and various types of dates such as ajwa, anbara, safawi, mabroom and sukkari,” said Quraishi. “Dates and Zamzam are the best gifts,” he added.