MECCA

It is a fact that Makkah is a blessed city. Every inch and every rock or bit of sand is blessed. We have already mentioned those places of special blessing. Now there are a few more to which attention should be drawn.

1. Firstly there is a place where the house of Hazrat Khadija R.A. used to be; and where Hazrat Fatima Zahraa R.A. was born; and where all the children of Rasulullah Sal’am were born except Hazrat Ibrahim A.S. up to the Hijrat Rasulullah Sal’am live here. The Ulama are of the opinion that second to the Holy Masjid, this place is the most virtuous in Makkah.

2. Then there is the spot known as Mowlidun Nabi. Where our Rasulullah Sal’am was born.

3. The houses of Hazrat Abu Bakr R.A. known as the Darul Hijrat from where the flight to Madina took place. Before the Hijrat Rasulullah Sal’am used to come here everyday. There were two stones there; one called ‘Mutakallim’, which made salaam to the Holy Prophet Sal’am and the other called ‘Muttaka’, against which Rasulullah Sal’am used to lean while sitting down.

4. The Mowlid Ali. Where Hazrat Ali R.A. was born.

5. Dar-e-Arqam, also known as Dar-e-Kharasaan, the house where hazrat Umar R.A. accepted Islam, near the hill of Safa. Here the first forty men had joined the fold of Islam. And here the following verse was revealed: “O Prophet, Allah is sufficient for you; and for those who follow you among the believers”. This is the house where Rasulullah Sal’am used to conceal himself in the early days of Islam.

6. The cave of Thowr where Rasulullah Sal’am and Hazrat Abu Bakr R.A. did themselves for some time during the flight to Madina. This was the cave where the verse was revealed calling Hazrat Abu Bakr R.A. “the second of the two” companions while they were in the cave.

7. Cave of Hiraa on the Mount of Light (Jabal an Noor) where before Prophethood descended upon him, Rasulullah Sal’am used to spend days and days in complete solitude until the very first verse of the Qur’an (Iqra) was revealed to him there. Here he became a Prophet.

8. Masjidur Raya near Ma’laa in Makkah where Rasulullah Sal’am used to pray.

9. Masjidul Jinn, the place where the Jinns used to gather to listen to a lecture by Rasulullah Sal’am. Once Rasulullah Sal’am took Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood R.A. with him towards them, left Hazrat Abdullah R.A. at some distance away and alone proceeded to give instructions to the Jinns at this spot. There he read the Qur’an to them.

10. Masjidul Shajarah, which is opposite Masjidul Jinn, the mosque in which there grew a tree. Rasulullah Sal’am once called the tree which splitting the ground came to him. He then sent it back and it went back.

11. Masjidul Ghanam, also known as Masjidul Ijaabah; where after the conquest of Makkah, Rasulullah Sal’am took the oath of allegiance.

12. Masfid-e-Ajyaad.

13. Masjid of Mount Abu Qubays. This masjid can be seen from the Haram. The story about eating goat’s broth at this place is incorrect.

14. Masjid-e-Tuwaa, which lies on the route to Tan’eem, where Rasulullah Sal’am came to Haj or umrah, he used to stay and rest.

15. Masjid-e-Aa’isha at Tan’eem, from where one puts on ihraam to proceed to Makkah for umrah.

16. Masjidul Aqba, where before the Hijrat the Ansaar for the first time pledged themselves to the service of 

Rasulullah Sal’am and Islam. Going from Makkah to Mina, this mosque lies on the right hand side of the road a little distance away from the road.

17. Masjidul Ju’raana, the place where Rasulullah Sal’am put on his ihraam for umrah after having come from Ta’if after the conquest of Makkah.

18. Masjidul Kabsh. This is sometimes also called the slaughtering place of Hazrat Ibrahim A.S, where the faithful prophet came to sacrifice his only son Hazrat Ismail A.S.

19. Masjidul Khaif, the famous mosque at Mina, where it is said seventy prophets lie buried.

20. The Mursalaat Cave where Surat Al Mursalaat was revealed to Rasulullah Sal’am. It is not far from Masjidul Khaif.

21. Jannatul Mu’laa, the ancient graveyard of Makkah, where Hazrat Khadija R.A. lies buried. The virtues of this graveyard have been explained in various Hadith. Apart from these there are many other places of blessings and great historical and spiritual significance. And what place in Makkah cannot be blessed when the Holy feet of Rasulullah Sal’am and the Sahaaba-e-Kiraam had trod there? Hazrat Mullah Ali Qari Rah has specially mentioned the foregoing.

LONDON

London (/ˈlʌndən/) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia,its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who called it Londinium. London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile medieval boundaries. Since at least the 19th century, the name London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core. The bulk of this conurbation forms the London region and the Greater London administrative area, governed by the elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly.

London has a diverse range of peoples, cultures and religions and more than 300 languages are spoken within its boundaries. In July 2010 Greater London had an official population of 7,825,200, making it the most populous municipality in the European Union. The Greater London Urban Area is the second-largest in the EU with a population of 8,278,251, while London's metropolitan area is the largest in the EU with an estimated total population of between 12 million and 14 million. London had the largest population of any city in the world from around 1831 to 1925.

London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret's Church; and the historic settlement of Greenwich (in which the Royal Observatory marks the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) and GMT). Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, 30 St Mary Axe ("The Gherkin"), St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square and Wembley Stadium. London is home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions including the British Museum, National Gallery, British Library, Wimbledon and 40 theatres. London's Chinatown is the largest in Europe. The London Underground network is the oldest underground railway network in the world and the most extensive after theShanghai Metro.

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo  is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. It is located in theKantō region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture (東京府Tōkyō-fu) and the city of Tokyo (東京市 Tōkyō-shi). Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and theImperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family.

The Tokyo Metropolitan government administers the twenty-three special wards of Tokyo (each governed as a city), which cover the area that was the city of Tokyo, as well as 39 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture and the two outlying island chains. The population of the special wards is over 8 million people, with the total population of the prefecture exceeding 13 million. The prefecture is part of the world's most populous metropolitan area with upwards of 35 million people and the world's largest metropolitan economy with a GDP of US$1.479 trillion at purchasing power parity in 2008, ahead of New York City, which ranks second on the list. The city hosts 47 of the Fortune Global 500 companies.

Tokyo has been described as one of the three "command centers" for the world economy, along with New York City and London. This city is considered an alpha+ world city, listed by the GaWC's 2008 inventory and ranked third among global cities by Foreign Policy's 2010 Global Cities Index. In 2010 Tokyo was named the second most expensive city for expatriate employees, according to the Mercer and Economist Intelligence Unit cost-of-living surveys, and named the fourth Most Liveable City and the World’s Most Livable Megalopolis by the magazine Monocle. 

The Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world. Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics and is currently bidding to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Seoul Korea

Seoul Korea is certainly one of the most popular destinations in the country because many of the interesting places to visit in South Korea are located within the city.

Seoul is known for its skyscrapers and tall buildings, which offer excellent vantage points to get amazing vistas of the city.

Seoul Observation Tower is one of the most popular places to enjoy panoramic views of the city because of the tower’s location on Namsan Mountain.

The Korean Folk Village is next on my list, specially if you're visiting Seoul Korea for the first time because it offers a great opportunity to soak in a bit of culture and learn about traditional Korean life and culture.

Seoul also boasts many museums where you can learn about the history of the country, and one of the best places to do this is at the National Folk Museum of Korea.

If you’re into gadgets and anything technological, you also want to include a visit to the famed Yongsan Electronics Market as it is one of the best places to find an extensive range of electronics within one location.

Tourist Guide Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, situated on and around an isthmus in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest urban area of the country, with a cosmopolitan population exceeding 1.2 million. The local Maori name for Auckland is Tāmaki Makau Rau or Ākarana.

The city is a conurbation and straddles a volcanic area. It is also one of the few cities in the world to have harbours on two separate major bodies of water the Hauraki Gulf and the Tasman Sea.

Auckland has a primarily coastal, warm-temperate climate, with rainfall throughout the year, but no snow. Temperatures rarely exceed 30°C.

Most inhabitants claim European predominantly British descent, but substantial Māori, Pacific Islander and Asian communities exist as well. Auckland has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world.

GUNUNG KINABALU

  

Located in Sabah, Mount Kinabalu is the fourth highest peak in the South East Asia region after Hkakabo Razi in Myanmar, Puncak Jaya and Puncak Trikora in Indonesia. The tallest peak in Malaysia is located in the eastern state of Sabah. Engulfed within the capital city of Sabah in Kota Kinabalu, it is surrounded at the foot by the Kinabalu National Park, a World Heritage Site. The national park is populated by many resorts and guest houses that welcomed millions of visitors and tourists every year whether for holiday or for those intending to conquer the peak.

There are annual climbathons held to find the fastest climber to the top of Mount Kinabalu although commoners are also able to get to the top by merely hiking and do not require any professional equipments or expertise. From the National Park one could get to the top to Low’s Peak, the easiest climb, alternatively one could get through from another resort via the Mesilau resort. If lucky, one would be able to see the Rafflesia, the world’s largest flower along the way. To get to the National Park, one can fly into Kota Kinabalu and engage the local travel agents that includes mountain guides as well.