Please forgive me for such a long hiatus in posting on this blog. I was posting daily on my main blog during Ramadhaan and my father was here visiting for a couple of months. These are just a few photos of Yanbu, the beach with consistently breezy weather and beautiful clear waters of the Red Sea.
As my father so aptly noted, it is a beautiful and safe place for families. While it isn't a restricted area, and non-Muslims may go there, we have never witnessed any women on the beach without abaya and hijab/shayla/khimaar, and most also wear niqaab, mashaa'Allah. There are masaajid every 200 meters along the beach and a strip of play areas just behind them every 50 meters or so. Just behind them, there is a walkway and road, and another strip of grassy areas for picnicking and more little playground areas. This goes on for quite a long stretch and can accommodate literally thousands of families. There are horse and carriage rides to be hired out, pony rides, beach buggy rentals, and ice cream, coffee, and snack trucks patrolling the beach from around Asr prayer onwards.
This trip we drove right along the beach, past this most developed part, to areas where there was more private and quiet beachfront with deeper water more suited to swimming. There were also stretches of beach where it was rocky and unsuitable for swimming, where there were gazebos built for picnickers. The masaajid and bathrooms are far more spaced out in these less developed areas, but they are very beautiful mashaa'Allah. Following the road and beach along for several kilometers, takes you right up to the resorts...hotels with private beachfront and various other facilities for families.
Yet another blessed and beautiful benefit of living in Madinah...having access just a couple of hours down the road to such a lovely place to relax and enjoy the beach, something we have to avoid in Western and non-Muslim countries due to the nudity and unsuitable environment for children and Muslim families. Al hamdu l'Illahi Rabbil aal Ameen!
