The word “ziyarat” means ‘to visit’ in the Arabic language. Being a historical and spiritual place, the Hejaz is dotted with spots of interest and religious monuments. The ziyarat to these historical places increases the faith of the Muslim pilgrims visiting Saudi Arabia for Umrah. When there is time, Umrah and Hajj pilgrims make it a point to visit many ziyarat locations, which tell a story of the good defeating evil and intensify the belief system of the believer.
The Holy Mosques in Mecca and Madinah are themselves prime locations of ziyarat and sources of divine inspiration. The Kaba’ah is the spiritual centre of the all the Muslims of the world. The Hateem, which is the semi-circular area right next to the Kaba’ah was once part of the Kaba’ah-tullah and is said to be the place where the graves of Hazrat Ismail (A.S) and Hazrat Hajrah (R.A) are situated. The Masjid-e-Nabvi is where the First Muslim State of Madinah grew its roots. The fountain of Zamzam is a miracle of Allah, its waters purifying and abundant. From the day Hazrat Ismail (A.S) rubbed his heel on the ground, the waters of the Zamzam have never stopped quenching the thirst of many believers of Allah. Similarly, the Safa and Marwa are the hills between which the Sa’ee is performed. The Sa’ee mimics the searching of Hajrah (R.A) when she sought water for her baby son, in the middle of a dry, barren desert, all those years ago.