MADINAH – Completing the rituals of hajj, thousands of pilgrims have flocked to Madinah to pay homage to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and visit his mosque.

“We are determined to provide the visitors of the Prophet’s Mosque with the best of services and facilities,” Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques said, Saudi Gazette reported.

The presidency added that all arrangements are complete to receive the visitors and provide them with consummate services that will enable them complete their post-hajj rituals.

According to the hajj committee, more than 83,000 pilgrims arrived in Madinah on Sunday after completing their hajj.

Earlier on Saturday, more than 62,000 pilgrims arrived in Madinah 4,577 left on the same day.

On the other hand, the “Gift of Madinah”, a project run by a welfare organization, has started to package and distribute more than 500,000 meals and present 600,000 containers of Zamzam water to the visitors.

Supervisor of the project, Faiz Talib Al-Ahmadi said more than a million hot meals will be distributed among the visitors during their stay in the Prophet’s city.

Meanwhile the tawafa establishment for the pilgrims from Turkey, Europe, America, and Australia said it had so far grouped a total of 59,125 pilgrims from Makkah to Madinah and to their respective homes after successfully completing the pilgrimage.

Muslims from around the world pour into Makkah every year to perform hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam.

To visit Madinah isn’t a Hajj or Umrah rite, but the unique merits of the Prophet’s city, his Mosque, and his sacred tomb attract every pilgrim to visit it. There is no Ihram nor talbiyah for the visit to Madinah or the Prophet’s Mosque.

Madinah is situated in central Hejaz. The Prophet’s Mosque in the city has unique merits. A prophetic hadith said that a prayer performed in the Prophet’s Mosque is better than a thousand prayers in any other place except Masjid al-Haram in Makkah.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has also said: “The person who offers 40 prayers consecutively in my Mosque, without missing a prayer in between, will secure immunity from the fire of Hell and other torments and also from hypocrisy.” (Musnad Ahmad).