3 million at Arafat for Haj climax

ARAFAT: After spending the day at the spiritual highpoint of meditation and prayers in Arafat, millions of pilgrims moved after sunset to Muzdalifah to spend the night there before they proceed at daybreak to Mina and Jamrat. There they will perform the stoning and other rituals, including the animal sacrifice marking the Eid Al-Adha.
Yesterday, a sea of humanity made their trek from Mina to Arafat from dawn. Intonations of “at thy service, my God, at thy service,” reverberated through the valley as the pilgrims stood to pray for God’s forgiveness in the most spiritual moment of the entire pilgrimage. The standing at Arafat is considered the most pious act in Haj because Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told his companions 14 centuries ago while teaching the rites of the fifth pillar of Islam, “Al-Haj Arafat” (“Haj is Arafat”) signifying that it is the importance of standing at Arafat. So far no major problems were reported in the event in which mediapersons said about three million pilgrims participated. “The journey from Mina to Arafat was made in record time without major problems and the pilgrims could devote their worship in comfort and ease,” Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who is also chairman of the Central Haj Committee and the Higher Committee for Supervision of Pilgrim Transportation, said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency. A record number of pilgrims have traveled to the holy sites this year from abroad. read full stories..............

legal residents or Saudis who try to enter Makkah without Haj permits are not being arrested. They are stopped at the checkpoint and asked to return.

JEDDAH: Coming to Makkah is neither easy nor cheap. Taxi drivers and people driving their private cars are taking advantage of the Haj season to increase fares. These drivers demand high fare from those who do not have permits but want to perform Haj. At the bustling bus station in Jeddah downtown, where drivers converge to shuttle pilgrims to the holy city, a pilgrim with a Haj permit can expect to pay up to SR100 for travel to Makkah. For those intending to perform Haj without permit, these drivers ask for a hefty amount and may come down a little after negotiation. Taxi drivers also converge on Kilo 10 of the Old Makkah Road to pick up such pilgrims. Pilgrims who want to perform Haj but do not have permits or iqamas find people who smuggle them into Makkah. Such drivers are a few and they know the roads that lead to the holy city bypassing security checkpoints. The cost of smuggling these pilgrims starts from SR1,000 per person and can go considerably up. Fadlulrahman Abadi, a Sudanese pilgrim who works in the Kingdom, said he didn’t want to pay the SR2,500 fee that Haj tour operators were charging. “The high cost of Haj has forced many people, including me, to take the risk of getting smuggled into Makkah,” he said. “I’ve heard that it is more difficult this year (to sneak into Makkah) and that the police are vigilant and strictly applying the rules and regulations.
Abadi said given the high cost of performing Haj legally this year, he would again try to sneak into Makkah next year illegally. Nuruldeen Mahmoud, an Egyptian who wanted to perform Haj with his wife and two daughters, said he could not pay SR12,000 to obtain the permits to perform Haj. “I cannot manage this amount of money even if I save half my salary every month,” he said. read full story..............

8 pilgrims killed in accident

MADINAH: Eight Nigerian pilgrims died and 39 were injured on Friday night as the bus carrying them from Madinah to Makkah overturned on the Al-Hijra Highway. Fourteen pilgrims were rushed to Wadi Al-Far hospital and 24 were transferred to King Fahd Hospital in Madinah. The bus carrying the pilgrims overturned when the driver lost control. Both Civil Defense and Red Crescent teams arrived and were able to rescue many of them. Members of the National Haj Guides Organization visited King Fahd Hospital to make sure the pilgrims were receiving proper treatment. The team was headed by Yousuf read stories.................

Pilgrims assemble in Mina today

MAKKAH: More than 2.5 million pilgrims, including 1.7 million from abroad, will assemble in the tent city of Mina today at the start of this year's annual pilgrimage. Thousands of pilgrims left for Mina yesterday afternoon. The government has provided all facilities in Mina and other holy sites to receive the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who have come from different parts of the world. About 100,000 security officers have been deployed to ensure their safety. More than two million faithful, mostly pilgrims, attended the Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah yesterday. In his Friday sermon, Sheikh Saud Al-Shuraim, the imam of the mosque, said the Haj reflected the unity and equality among Muslims. “All Muslims must learn lessons from this great religious event. The Haj should encourage them to work in unison, to be compassionate to one another and strengthen their cooperation. There are no national or racial slogans or party flags. There is only one flag. The flag of Lailaha Illallah Muhammad Rasulullah (‘There is no god but God and Muhammad is his Prophet’),” the imam told the faithful. Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, director of Haj security at the Interior Ministry, said about 30 percent of pilgrims would leave tonight for Arafat for the standing ritual on Sunday on the Haj climax. A large number of security officers have been deployed in desert roads leading to Makkah in order to prevent illegal pilgrims who do not posses valid Haj permits from entering continue stories................

Foreign Ministry issues 1.75 million pilgrim visas

JEDDAH: Saudi missions abroad have issued more than 1.75 million visas for those who want to perform Haj this year, said Mohammed Al-Salloum, undersecretary at the Foreign Ministry for consular affairs. “Saudi embassies and consulates in different countries completed the issuance of Haj visas on Monday evening,” Al-Salloum told the Saudi Press Agency. As many as 1,582,217 pilgrims have already arrived in the Kingdom from different parts of the world. The majority of them — 1,445,135 — came by air, 116,532 by land and 20,550 by sea, according to Maj. Gen. Salim Al-Belaihed, director general of the Passport Department. More than 2.5 million, including read more........................

97 caught smuggling pilgrims to Makkah

MAKKAH: Authorities announced yesterday that 97 Saudis had been caught attempting to smuggle pilgrims who were not authorized to be in the Kingdom or did not carry Haj permits.
Passport Department spokesman Col. Abdullah Al-Orabi said these traffickers were caught at checkpoints leading into the holy cities. “The smugglers were trying to deliver overstayers with no legal status and Saudi citizens with no Haj permits to Makkah,” he said. The vehicles used to transport the pilgrims were confiscated and would be released only after the violators have paid the fine of SR10,000 apiece. The pilgrims continue................

Enough blood in banks for 5m pilgrims

RIYADH: The Ministry of Health has enough stock of blood in its banks to meet the needs of nearly five million pilgrims, Ibrahim Al-Omar, director general of the Blood Bank and Laboratories at the ministry told newsmen here yesterday.
Al-Omar said the ministry does not import blood from abroad. The blood bank gets its supply from local donors who include both Saudis and expatriates. He pointed out that more than 400,000 people donate blood in the Kingdom annually. To encourage the practice, those continue.................

4,000 Filipino Muslims expected to join this year's Hajj

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - The Philippine Consulate General here is in the thick of preparations to assist Filipino pilgrims for this year’s Haj in Makkah.Consul General Ezzedin Tago said that about 4,000 Filipino Muslim pilgrims are expected to participate in this year’s Haj, which will be in December.The Haj is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world and is the fifth pillar of Islam, an obligation that must be carried out at least once in an Islam devotee's lifetime if he or she can afford it and is able to do so.The first batch of Filipino pilgrim arrived at the Haj terminal of the King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on November 11.Tago said that consulate personnel are all set to assist the pilgrims full stories.....................

Ka'aba to be adorned with new Kiswa

MAKKAH: The Kaaba is to receive a new Kiswa — the specially adorned black silk cloth covering the entire structure — on Dhul Hijjah 9. According to the Saudi Press Agency, Saleh ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Hosayen, head of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques, is to hand over the new Kiswa to the Kaaba’s senior keeper, Abdul Aziz Al-Shaibi, at the Kiswa factory in Makkah on Nov. 29. The handover ceremony will also be attended by Muhammad Al-Khozaim, vice president of the presidency, Ziyad Khoja, general supervisor of the Kiswa factory, and the Grand Mosque’s keepers. The Kaaba is draped in a new Kiswa every year during full stories..................

Half-a-million pilgrims visit Madinah

MADINAH: Around half-a-million pilgrims have arrived in Madinah to pay homage to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and pray at the Holy Mosque, according to official statistics released by the Haj Committee in the holy city.
A total of 424,014 pilgrims arrived in Madinah by Tuesday evening; 165,296 of these pilgrims have already left for Makkah while 258,660 of them are still in Madinah. A breakdown of pilgrims who are still in Madinah on the basis of nationality showed full stories.......................

Fireproof tents to be built in Arafat

JEDDAH: Habeeb Zainul Abideen, undersecretary at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, has emphasized the government’s plan to establish permanent tents in Arafat. “We have a plan to change the face of Arafat with several new projects, which includes the construction of fireproof tents with walls around them,” he said, adding that the projects would cost SR1.4 billion. Zainul Abideen said the ministry would complete the rainwater drainage project in Arafat soon after this Haj. “We have already spent about SR170 million on the project full story...............

Phone health service for pilgrims from today

RIYADH: The Ministry of Health is launching from today a phone-in service to provide Haj pilgrims with instant health advice. The service — “Sihha Zuyuf Al-Rahman” (Health for the Guests of Allah) — will be formally launched in the presence of senior health officials at the ministry’s call center in Riyadh. The three-week program will be initially limited to journalists for a week to enable them to raise awareness about the services the Ministry of Health provides to local and foreign pilgrims. The service will, after that, be open to pilgrims. “The service will be available through toll free number 800 249 4444 which will greet the caller with ‘Allahumma Labaik’ and subsequently divert his or her call to a medical officer. The service will be in Arabic and will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. until Dec. 3,” said Amal Moawiya Abu Al-Jedaie, the official heading the project. “We have a team of experts to instantly reply to callers seeking medical advice during their pilgrimage,” she said. The team includes consultants, cardiologists, specialists, pharmacists and dentists. The program will be handled by a group of Saudi women who work at the ministry and its hospitals in Riyadh.

Over half a million from South Asia to perform Hajj this year

MAKKAH: More than half a million South Asian pilgrims will perform Haj this year, said the chairman of the Tawafa Organization for South Asian Pilgrims, Adnan Katib. “The organization is striving to offer better services to pilgrims this year than the previous ones,” said Katib. “The plan for this season is based largely on a desire to ensure maximum safety and comfort and provide the best facilities as ordered by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan and Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal,” Katib said. He said the organization’s workers are well equipped to discharge their duties and have undergone various workshops and training sessions. read more..................

Haj awareness drive

MAKKAH: The government announced here yesterday that it would take tough action against pilgrims who try to enter Makkah and other holy places without Haj permits. “There is a legal system to perform Haj and people should know that being a pilgrim is not an excuse to violate regulations and cause problems to others,” said Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal. He was speaking at the launch of a media campaign aimed at enlightening Saudis and expatriate workers on the need to follow Haj regulations. Entitled “Haj Is Worship and Civilized Behavior,” the campaign has been organized by the Makkah Governorate in association with the Ministry of Haj, Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Ministry of Culture and Information, Public Security Department and the Passport Department. read more.............

Pinoy pilgrims might ride C-130 to attend Hajj

Filipino Muslim pilgrims will have to take a ride on a Philippine Air Force Plane C-130 for the Hajj this year should there be a shortage of commercial airline flights to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Sulu 1st District Rep. Yusop Jikiri, who is the Amerull Hajj for this year's pilgrims, said he has received assurance from President Arroyo that the PAF's C-130 plane will be made available to Filipino Muslims who wish to perform Hajj this year. "Hopefully, all our pilgrims can make it to Saudi Arabia," Jikiri said. He said the first delegation of pilgrims will leave for Saudi Arabia on November 11. Read more......

at the peak of mount Arafa
Muslims have come from almost every country in the world
The pilgrims make a sea of white as they stream in their thousands onto the plain of Arafat

Seminar for Filipino Hajis Sought to Avoid Hassles

Kaaba door

Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) resting place

Mount Arafa

JEDDAH — Participants in the recently concluded Haj pilgrimage want the Philippines to require first-time pilgrims through a seminar on Haj “dos and don’ts” to avoid hassles when they are in Saudi Arabia.
They said such a briefing or orientation has become imperative in view of the persistent problems encountered by pilgrims, some of which are beyond the control of Philippine officials. read more....

The Prophet’s Haj step by step

All Muslims know that to follow the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in matters of religion is required as a duty. To follow him in other aspects is always good and fruitful, except where he expressly stated that what he did was specific to him. In as far as offering the pilgrimage is concerned, we have no option but to follow his guidance. As he started his pilgrimage, he said: “Learn from me your rituals.” This is an all-embracing Hadith that makes clear that the way the Prophet did his pilgrimage is the proper way we should all follow. We have a very detailed Hadith narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah telling us of everything the Prophet did on his pilgrimage. In this first of six articles we will be perusing this Hadith and, where necessary, adding comments to provide a full picture that helps us in offering this great act of worship. Jabir reports:
“God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) stayed (in Madinah) nine years without offering the pilgrimage. In his tenth year in Madinah it was announced to all people that God’s Messenger would be offering the pilgrimage. Many people flocked to Madinah seeking to follow the Prophet’s guidance and to do like him.”
Several reasons led to the delay of the Prophet’s offering of the pilgrimage. In the first few years of his stay in Madinah, he could not have traveled to Makkah, while the Quraysh, its inhabitants, were raising one army after another to fight him. When Makkah fell to Islam toward the end of Year 8, the Prophet chose not to offer the pilgrimage the following year because he did not wish to see the abominable practices of the unbelievers which they introduced into the pilgrimage, such as being naked when doing the tawaf. In Year 9, Abu Bakr was the leader of the pilgrimage and a ban was declared prohibiting idolaters from coming to Makkah for pilgrimage, and banning the practice of doing the tawaf naked. With that done, the pilgrimage could be offered in the proper Islamic way, and this is what the Prophet did. With him was no less than one hundred thousand people, all eager to offer this great act of worship with him.
“We went out with him until we arrived at Dhul-Hulayfah where Asma’ bint Umays gave birth to Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr. She sent a message to the Prophet asking what she should do (considering that she would be in her postnatal period). He told her to have a bath and to wrap herself properly (putting a wide piece of cloth at the place of discharge, tying both ends from the front and the back and sticking that wrapping tight to a belt she has around her waist.) She could then enter into ihraam, or consecration. The Prophet offered his prayers at the mosque there and mounted his she-camel, Al-Qaswa’. When his she-camel was well into the desert, I looked up and saw all around me people walking or riding animals, accompanying him. I could not see the end of them in any direction: Front or rear, right or left. The Prophet was with us receiving Qur’anic revelations, the interpretation of which we knew very well. Whatever he did, we did likewise. He raised his voice with phrases stressing God’s oneness: Labbayk Allahumma labbayk. Labbayk Laa shareeka laka labbayk. Inna al-hamda wal-ni’mata laka wal-mulk. Laa shareeka lak. People raised their voices with whatever praises they wished to repeat, and the Prophet did not take exception to any of that. He, however, maintained his own form of talbiyah.”
A woman’s discharge, whether menstrual or postnatal, does not stop her from offering the pilgrimage. She can indeed perform all the duties and rituals required, but she obviously cannot offer her prayers. She is exempt from these. Here we have the detailed guidance the Prophet gave to Asma’ making clear that she could conduct her pilgrimage easily, but she must not do any tawaf until she has been cleansed of all discharge. It should be noted that she gave birth to her son shortly after departure from Madinah, when she arrived at the point of meeqat, which is Dhul-Hulayfah or Abyar Ali as it is better known nowadays. The ruling given to her applies to all women who start such discharge at any time during their pilgrimage. We also learn that there could be different forms of declaring our response to God’s call to do the pilgrimage. However, the Prophet’s preferred form is the one that millions of pilgrims repeat all the time.

Haj pilgrims urged to buy IDB coupons for sacrificial animals

JEDDAH: The sacrificial meat from 700,000 sheep, and 10,000 camels and cows would be distributed to the poor in 24 Muslim countries across the world, Ahmed Mohammed Ali, president of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) announced yesterday.
Addressing a press conference, he said more than 30,000 workers, including butchers and administrators, 700 veterinary doctors and 400 religious experts would be deployed to carry out the meat utilization project, which has been supervised by the bank since its introduction 26 years ago.
Ali urged foreign Haj missions to encourage their pilgrims to purchase coupons for sacrificial animals that would be made available at outlets in Makkah, Mina and Madinah, and at the Kingdom’s entry points. The committee in charge of the project signed an agreement last June with Saudi Post to market the “hady,” “adahi,” “sadaqa” and “fidya” coupons among pilgrims who can either get coupons from SP offices or via its website.
Pilgrims can also visit the project’s website www.adahi.org, which was designed with the National Commercial Bank, to purchase coupons using their credit cards. Last year the bank utilized the meat of 763,422 sheep, and 6,008 camels and cows. The project began in 1982 with the meat of 63,000 animals used.
Mohammed Ali said the project was instrumental in properly utilizing the valuable meat of sacrificial animals during the annual Haj. Prior to the formation of the meat utilization project, sacrificial meat would often go to waste due to the intense Arabian heat, causing environmental problems in Makkah and its surrounding areas.
He added that the Saudi government had spent more than SR1 billion in establishing state-of-the-art abattoirs with advanced facilities in Moaisem, an area located close to Mina. This year the bank would charge SR395 for each sacrificial sheep — the amount includes service charges. Groups of pilgrims, each with no less than 30 people, can send their representatives to the slaughterhouse to witness the slaughtering of their sacrificial animals.

First batch of Thai pilgrims arrives

JEDDAH: The first batch of 436 Thai pilgrims arrived at the Haj Terminal of King Abdul Aziz Airport here early yesterday.

Thai Airways International, EgyptAir and Royal Jordanian Airline transported the pilgrims who are among a total of 13,000 Thais to perform Haj this year.

Local Haj officials, including Atef Al-Fasi, a supervisor at the Haj Terminal, and officers of the Thai Consulate General headed by Consul General Praphat Chantaharn welcomed the pilgrims.

“The Thai government considers Haj affairs an important matter and we at the consulate give utmost importance to the welfare of the pilgrims,” Chantaharn said. Most of the pilgrims are from the southern part of Thailand and every year charter flights are arranged by the government to facilitate and transport them from Hadyai and Phuket airports, which are closer to their places of residence, he said.

“On behalf of the Thai government, I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to the Saudi government and concerned authorities for their efforts to facilitate and welcome pilgrims from Thailand and all over the world,” Chantaharn added.

“I am very happy and pleased to know that the Kingdom has made excellent arrangements for Haj,” Maleepeng Jehnah, the group leader of the pilgrims, said.

“In fact, the manner in which we have been received by local authorities and the arrangements at the airport have all been impressive,” he said. “It is my pride and honor to lead the first group of Haj pilgrims from Thailand this year,” he added.

HAJJ 2009

best link for hajj guide

Applications for Hajj visa will not be considered if the following requirements are not complete:

1. The applicant must have a passport with a validity of at least six (6) months and acceptable both for entry to Saudi Arabia and entry to the next destination; the passport should have at least two empty visa pages adjacent to each other.
2. Each applicant must submit one (1) recent passport size color photograph with a white background. The photograph must be a full-face view in which the visa applicant is facing the camera directly. Side or angled views are NOT accepted.
3. The applicant must submit a completed application form filled in with black ink pen or printed; the form must be signed and stamped by the authorized travel agency.
4. The Mahram should write his complete information on the application forms of his spouse and children or any relative with whom he is traveling. He should also provide copies of marriage or birth certificates; if these documents were issued outside the USA, he should then provide copies translated and notarized by a certified translation office.
5. All ladies are required to travel for Hajj with a Mahram. Proof of kinship must be submitted with the application form. Any lady over the age of forty-five (45) may travel without a Mahram with an organized group, provided she submits a letter of no objection from her husband, son or brother authorizing her to travel for Hajj with the named group. This letter should be notarized.
6. The applicant must be in possession of a non-refundable roundtrip ticket with confirmed reservations.
7. The applicant must submit proof of vaccination for meningitis and ACYW135. For infants and children up to fifteen (15) years of age, a vaccination report is required for polio as well as meningitis and polio. Children over fifteen (15) years of age should present the same vaccinations requested for adults.
8. Each pilgrim should submit two certified checks or cashier checks payable to 'Unified Agents Office' in Jeddah for pilgrimage services. These checks should include the name and the passport number of the pilgrim. Each applicant must pay the following fees:(a) US $158.40 (one hundred fifty-eight dollars & forty cents) for services rendered by the local Tawaf agencies and for housing at the Holy sites.(b) US $116.00 (one hundred sixteen dollars only) for air-conditioned transportation services. Pilgrims have the option to submit one check combining both fees: in this case, the amount would be US$ 274.40 (two hundred seventy-four dollars & forty cents). Children between the age of seven (7) and fifteen (15) should only pay half of the above-mentioned amount. Children under the age of seven (7) do not need to pay.
9. Non-US citizens should submit a copy of their green card or documented proof of legal residence status in the USA. Passport authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reserve the right to return (at his or her own expense) any pilgrim who has provided wrong or false information about their residence in the USA.
10. No applicant under the legal age of eighteen (18) will be granted a Hajj visa if not accompanied by his family.
11. If the applicant has converted to Islam, an Islamic certificate must be presented; this needs to be notarized by an Islamic Center.

General Guidelines:

• Travelers must carry vaccination certificates with them for inspection by the Saudi Authority at port of entry.
• No food products are allowed into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• The last day to enter King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah for the purpose of Hajj is 4 Dhu Al-Hijjah of each year.
• Upon arrival, pilgrims shall hand their passports to the custody of the “Unified Agents Office” representatives to enable the latter to complete all travel formalities to Makkah and Madinah.
• In the event that pilgrims lose their passport, they should immediately report the loss to the same office appointed to take care of them during Hajj. Applicants must obtain a report from the office of the Unified Agents in which the loss of passport is mentioned.
• All pilgrims must leave the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after Hajj no later than the 10th of Muharram of each year. The rules and regulations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia forbid any pilgrims from staying in the country after the completion of Hajj.
  

General guidelines for travel agencies:

• Travel agents must provide the consulate with Residence, Tawaf, and transportation contracts. They also must provide the unified contract that verifies the general services provided to pilgrims. This contact must include the name of the organizer, the code given to him by the Ministry of Hajj, and the number of visas he’s allowed to get. He also must provide the consulate with a letter from the Ministry of Hajj’s office in Makkah. All these documents should arrive at the consulate before hajj visas are issued.
• Passports will be returned if the information submitted is not compatible with the information sent electronically by the Ministry of Pilgrimage. The Embassy reserves the right to inform the ministry of Pilgrimage about travel agencies that submit inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Travel agencies should affix on each passport a sticker showing the agency’s name, address and telephone number.
• In the case that a travel agency wishes to submit any question or complaints to the Ministry of Hajj, they could do so through the company or agency they deal with in Saudi Arabia or through the official routes in their country.
  

Notes:

• Visitors should not overstay the time granted on the visa.
• Visitors to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia must abide by the country's Islamic laws and regulations and respect its society's values and traditions.
• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's laws against drug trafficking are strictly enforced. Violators are subject to severe punishment, which may include the death penalty.
• Sectarian, political or religious gatherings are forbidden.