Every Umrah pilgrim, regardless of where they are traveling, desires to visit Masjid Al Nabawi in Madinah and opportunity to offer prayers in Rawdah. Rawdah is a place between the Hazrat Muhammad PBUH minbar and tomb. Rawdah means, The Garden. The Rawdah is a sacred and historical place. The place is surrounded by six pillars on the exact same place where the original Masjid Al Nabawi column stood during the life of Prophet Muhammad PBUH. Umrah pilgrims planning to perform Umrah through an Umrah Packages provider need to book a slot for visiting the Rawdah Shareef.

If you’re heading to Madinah after or before performing Umrah, you already know the one thing everyone wants is a chance to pray in the Rawdah and visit the Prophet’s ﷺ tomb. But the crowd density does not allow every pilgrim to visit the Rawdah at the same time. Keeping in view the crowd flow, the rules for visiting Rawdah keep getting tighter to keep everything under control.

The Saudi authorities have now updated the whole system this year. Now they have made a separate timetable for men and women. Umrah pilgrims can get slots booked from the Nusuk App and get separate timings for men and women.  

Current Timings for Visiting Rawdah Shareef

Men – Normal days

• 2:00 AM until Fajr adhan
• Roughly 11:20 AM all the way until Isha

Men – Fridays

• 2:00 AM until Fajr
• 9:20 AM – 11:20 AM
• After Jummah prayer until Isha

Women – Normal days

• Right after Fajr until 11:00 AM
• After Isha until 2:00 AM (yes, that late-night window is still there and it’s usually quieter)

Women – Fridays

• After Fajr until 9:00 AM only (daytime is shorter because of Jummah preparations)
• Same night slot after Isha until 2:00 AM

The entry point is the southern side, the Makkah Gate 37 area. The staff at Masjid Al Nabawi is always ready with wheelchairs if anyone elderly or disabled needs one, just wave at the staff or call them, they are in green vests, and are usually super helpful.

The Once-a-Year Rule & Instant Track

The Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has made it mandatory to book slots once every 365 days or through the “Instant Track” option. The instant track option works only when the worshippers are near the Prophet Muhammad PBUH Mosque. The app tracks the location of the worshipper and lets them book the slot again after 30 days or even sooner as soon as the slots open up. Depends on how busy it is, basically. During the peak seasons (Ramadan, school holidays), worshippers will still struggle,  and on the off-season it’s way easier to book the slot.

Step-by-Step: How to Actually Get a Slot on Nusuk 

Download the official Nusuk app from your Android or Apple store, not Eatmarna, not any other app. Just the Nusuk app, as this app only gives access to the Rawdah Shareef.

1. Sign up with whatever visa you entered on Saudi Arabia (Umrah visa, tourist visa,or any other). You need to enter your passport number and phone number.
2. On the Home screen → scroll down to “Prophet’s Mosque Services” → tap “Praying in the Noble Rawdah”.
3. Pick your gender, male or female, then the date to visit the Rawdah. Only the slots you’re actually allowed will be green.
4. Book your slot, permit pops up instantly with a QR code. Screenshot it because the signal inside the mosque courtyard can vary.
5. On the day of visiting the Rawdah, it is better to show up 20-30 minutes early. They start scanning QR codes sharp on time, and once the previous group is out, they will let you in.

The whole process takes three minutes if there’s availability.

Quick Tips To Save the Slot

Booking a slot for visiting Rawdah, when traveling to Saudi Arabia for Umrah or other purposes, is not an easy task. Every day, hundreds of Umrah travelers book slots on the Nusuk app. So, there is a greater chance that you may find it hard to get a slot on the desired day. However, here are some tips to book a slot for visiting Rawdah Shareef. Note that booking a slot for visiting Rawdah is not part of the Umrah packages, pilgrims have to book the slot on their own through the Nusuk app.

• Book at weird hours (like 3 AM local time) because new slots sometimes drop then.
• If everything’s greyed out, hit “Join Waitlist”. People cancel last minute all the time.
• Women going for the night slot should take a light jacket, it gets properly chilly after midnight.
• Don’t bring big bags when visiting the Rawdah, security won’t let you past the first checkpoint.

And these rules can be changed depending on the crowd and the month. Rules might shift again by Rajab or Ramadan. 

Final Thoughts

Once you enter the Rawdah, get yourself absorbed in the surrounding and reflection. Umrah pilgrims booking Umrah Packages should start booking the slot as soon as they get confirmation from their Umrah packages providers. If the crowds are large, do not push others, instead, provide space so that others can also get an opportunity to visit the Rawdah and offer prayers.