A Makkah street is inundated by rains on Saturday. (AN photo by Zainy Abbas)

MAKKAH, 22 October 2006 — The holy city of Makkah witnessed a heavy downpour yesterday afternoon as hundreds of thousands of pilgrims thronged the Grand Mosque.

The rains did not stop the tawaf (circumambulation) around the Holy Kaaba at the heart of the Grand Mosque as the pilgrims continued the religious ritual with their soaked ihrams .

The thousands of faithful, who were inside the mosque watching the rains, shouted Allahu Akbar and thanked Allah for His blessing, following the tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Most streets around the Grand Mosque were inundated by water as a result of the heavy rains.

In some parts the floodwaters rose by more than 30 centimeters.

Ali Abdul Aziz, who works in a hotel near the Holy Haram, said he has not seen such heavy rains in Makkah for years.

The rains added to the work of cleaners inside and outside the mosque. Abdullah Mahmoud, an official in charge of cleaning inside the Haram, said his department called all workers on duty to remove rainwater in the mataf (the circumambulation area) and the courtyards around the mosque.

The wheelchair service for the infirm was temporarily stopped between Safa and Marwah (two important sites inside the mosque), for fear of accidents.

Nearly three million pilgrims thronged the Grand Mosque on Friday night to join the Khatm Al-Qur’an (end of the recitation of the holy book) in the Haram. Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, imam of the Grand Mosque, led the prayers.

Many pilgrims had come to perform Umrah as an Umrah in Ramadan, according to the Prophet, is equal to a Haj in reward.

The faithful were also seeking the blessing of Lailat Al-Qadr (the Night of Power), which is believed to be in an odd day during the last 10 days of Ramadan.