FINALLY UPLOADED! So to break it down: after a 7 hour drive from Cairo we arrived at the St. Catherine’s Monastery at the base of Mt. Sinai on the second to last day of Ramadan. The monastery is the oldest intact monastery in the world. It was granted protection by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and the original document is preserved inside the monastery. The site is holy to Jews, Christian, and Muslims alike as it is believed that the site at which Moses met God via the burning bush is located within the walls of the monastery. There is much to be learned from the text of the charter written by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) granting protection and rights to the monks and Christians of 7th century Egypt. Check out
Dr. Aslam Abdullah’s article “Relations with Christians according to Muhammad (S)” which has the text of the charter.
After arriving at St. Catherine’s monastery around 5pm, exploring the area, breaking fast and eating dinner we all decided to take a nap before the planned midnight climb of Mt. Sinai. A lot of tourists visit the monastery, and climb Mt. Sinai during the night to view the sun rise from atop Mt. Sinai. We woke up around 1:30am, met our student group, and headed towards the road that leads up to Mt. Sinai. Along the road up to Mt. Sinai there are several rest stops where you can buy all your “favorite” drinks for hi-jacked prices: coca-cola, sprite, orange fanta, and of course, bebsi. You’ll also be sure to notice the many locals who attempt to sell you a camel ride up to the top of the mountain.
Personally, the climb up to Mt. Sinai was pretty epic. I’m glad it was night and I couldn’t see what we were climbing other than what was 10 feet ahead of us. Perhaps it was a bad idea to climb during Ramadan, but I was truly exhausted by the time we got to the top. I think around 3am, or more than half-way up, I got separated from everyone in our student group and from anyone else who was climbing up. If it wasn’t for the flashlight in my cellphone, it would’ve been nearly impossible to find my way to the top. At each of the rest stops it was amazing to look back down and see the dozens, if not hundreds, of lights (flashlights) of the people climbing the mountain.

Sunrise atop Mt. Sinai
After finally arriving to the top around 4am, I looked around for the masjid someone had advised to make sure to pray in, and was relieved to find comfort from the chilling weather outside. The masjid is more like a small musalla, just a small room accommodating perhaps 10 people at most.
Watching the sun rise was a really good experience. I made sure to bring a sweater up with me, but it wasn’t enough. The locals rent out blankets, which nearly everyone decides to buy and find a good spot to sit and watch the sun rise. Its not until the way down, that you actually realize what a long trail you’ve climbed. I remember I kept thinking, subhanAllah how did Prophet Musa (pbuh) climbed this when there was no trail. It must have been nothing less than Divine inspiration.
My pix: