they opened the first floor of the mosque today. it's mainly open air. the domes are retractable and move. it will remain open till way after the hajj season to accommodate the amount of people that will visit medinah before and after the hajj of 1427ah (2006). just had a conversation with a palestinian from nazareth (in broken arabic) who travelled by road for 2 days. there are people of so many nationalities here and in makkah all united under the banner of islam. the atmosphere is fantastic, a far cry from the hustle and bustle of makkah, which is a great city in its own right. even the air in medinah is said to have a unique medicinal quality. prayed salaat-ul-maghrib here, just waiting for salaat-ul-isha.
