Rain is a blessing for pilgrims who go to holy city of Makkah – on Friday, visitors at the Grand Mosque were met with a downpour.
A number of social media videos showed gloomy clouds covering the holy site and heavy rain pouring down on Umrah pilgrims.
Several people are seen braving the rain during their circumambulation ritual around the holy Kaa’ba in this video tweeted by Saudi Arabia’s Makkah region authorities. While some had opened large umbrellas, the majority welcomed the rain:
For Muslims, a downpour during Umrah or Hajj is considered a blessing and the water that flows through the spout of Kaa’ba is believed to be sacred.
During the peak of the downpour, a key route in the region, Al Hada Road, had to be closed to traffic, the authorities said. Drivers had been advised to use alternate routes. After a couple of hours, however, the road was reopened again.