Cost Summary & Ahadith on Al Aqsa

Here is a summary of the main costs for our trip so that others wishing to replicate can budget and plan. Please note, we only got the flight at the low price we did as we booked 6 months in advance.

£139 - Easyjet return flight including booking fee from Gatwick to Amman (no hold luggage)
£20 - Jordan visa at the airport (20JD which costs £20 at the airport)
£5.82 - Taxi from Airport to Hotel (35JD divided by 6 = £5.83 at rate of 1JD/£1)
£82.56 - 4 nights in Toledo Hotel Amman (22.5JD x 4 = 90JD = £82.56 at rate of £1/1.09JD)
£5.35 - Taxi from hotel to King Hussain Bridge (35JD divided by 6 = 5.83JD = £5.35)
£4.86 - Bus over the border (4JD plus 1.3JD for luggage = 5.3JD = £4.86)
£7.11 - Shared Bus from Border to Jerusalem 42 shekels (£7.11)
£75 - 3 nights in Hashimi Hotel/Hostel in Jerusalem
£48 - Coach tour of Palestine (1700shekels divided by 6 = 283sh = £48 at rate if £1/5.9sh)
£10.73 - Taxi from Jerusalem to border (190sh / 3 = 63.33sh = £10.73)
£29.83 - Israeli Exit Tax (176sh = £29.83)
£4.86 - Bus over the border (4JD plus 1.3JD for luggage = 5.3JD = £4.86)
£6.11 - Taxi from border to hotel in Amman (20JD divided by 3 = 6.66JD = £6.11)
£18.34 - Minivan to Petra (120JD divided by 6 = 20JD = £18.34)
£45.87 - Petra entrance (50JD = £45.87)
£7.64 - Petra Guide (50JD divided by 6 = 8.33JD = £7.64)
£15.29 - North Jordan Tour (100JD divided by 6 = 16.66JD = £15.29)
£10.70 - Amman tour and airport taxi (70JD divided by 6 = 11.66JD = £10.70)

TOTAL = £537 approx

I spent around £113 on food, small entry fees, local taxis etc making total spend £650. We feel this was excellent value for the travelling we did.

We encourage everyone to undertake this trip, the Palestinians and Jordanians were genuinely happy to welcome us and we were told by one brother that they are particularly happy to meet non-Arab Muslims as they feel it is harder for us to practice our Deen in non-Muslim countries. Many Palestinians feel support when they see visitors like us, and they are sad that the Al Aqsa is so empty when the Jewish and Christian shrines are packed especially during their religious festivals.

These are the details of two good drivers we found in Amman who charge reasonable rates and speak good English, a rare combination: Yousef Kattan (this driver lives close to Toledo hotel and took us on the North Jordan tour, he is a nice guy who has a lot of knowledge of the local area and me and AG also visited his home on our last day) Mobile 00963 795540045 - the second driver is Anwar Al Nator who took us to Queen Alia airport on the last day - Mobile 00962 796722509 or 00962 788365570 (he may be moving to Australia in late 2012 so try Br Yousef first).

We end with a few Ahadith:

Abu Hurayrah (ra) relates that the Prophet (saw) said, "You should not undertake a special journey to visit any place other than the following three Masjids with the expectations of getting greater reward: the Sacred Masjid of Makkah (Ka'bah), this Masjid of mine (the Prophet's Masjid in Madinah), and Masjid Al-Aqsa (of Jerusalem)".

Anas Ibn Malik (ra) relates that the Prophet (saw) said, " The prayer of a person in his house is a single prayer; his prayer in the Masjid of his people has the reward of 27 prayers; his prayer in the Masjid in which the Friday prayer is observed has the reward of 500; his prayer in Masjid Al-Aqsa (i.e. Al-Aqsa Sanctuary) has a reward of 5,000 prayers; his prayer in my Masjid (the Prophet's Masjid in Madinah) has a reward of 50,000 prayers, and the prayer in the Sacred Masjid (Ka'bah) has the reward of 100,000 prayers". (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)

... Fee Amanillah