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Details of Hajj

Preamble

This is the season of Hajj. It comes up in the month of Dhul Hijjah every year. Hajj means aspiration towards a higher pedestal in spirituality. It is, divinely, a pillar of Islam made obligatory by Allah for Muslims who can afford it once in a lifetime. Hajj is an ordained pilgrimage based on piety and not a manmade tourism. Thus, the visa issued to Muslims who perform Hajj annually is that of pilgrimage and not one of tourism. Whilst pilgrimage is a spiritual exercise, tourism is a mere pleasurable journey. A whole chapter in the Qur’an is is divinely named after Hajj. And that is where the Muslims derive their spiritual authority to perform Hajj drom.

Similitude of Hajj

The similitude of Hajj in the life of a Muslim is like that of pregnancy in the womb of an expectant mother. The experience may vary from woman to woman as the foetus in the womb undergoes various stages of development before it reaches the stage of delivery. By the time the child is finally delivered, the mother feels a relief of her life while the child assumes a tabula rasa (clean slate) that makes him absolutely innocent.

Spiritually, a pilgrim is like a newly born baby if he strictly performs Hajj as prescribed by Allah. But if he returns into the world of iniquities after Hajj, he automatically becomes like a person in snow-white attire who finds himself in a palm oil market. Unless he spiritually guides his loins, he may immediately become a tainted person both in body and in soul.

Rigours of Hajj

Muslim pilgrims who are going on Hajj must be prepared to go through series of rigour both spiritually and physically. The rigour of getting the money with which to perform Hajj; the rigour of getting the travelling documents including visa; the rigour of taking care of the home front before embarking on the Holy journey; the rigour of boarding the plane with a sense of high risk; the rigour of going through the security checks at the embarkation point from home and disembarkation point in Saudi Arabia; the rigour of performing the Tawaf and Sa’y; the rigour of moving from Makkah to Muna on the 8th day of Dhul-Hijjah, then to Arafah on the 9th day of Dhul-Hijjah, and back to Mina via Muzdalifah on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah; the rigour of locating the tents at Arafah; the rigour of throwing the pebbles at the Jamrat in Mina on the three or four days known as Ayamu-t-Tashrik; The rigour of performing Tawaful Ifadah at the Haram in Makkah after the first day of throwing the pebbles; the rigour of shaving the head (by men) and slaughtering the rams by all; the rigour of performing the farewell circumambulation otherwise known as Tawaful Wada’i, all in the midst of millions of people can be too much to forget easily after Hajj.

Whoever is not bothered by the money spent on Hajj should at least be bothered by the various stages of the rigour involved including that of visiting Madinah. To lose all these efforts to the forces of Satan after Hajj is like losing one’s travelling passport after obtaining visa. The prayer of every genuine pilgrim is to retain the validity of Hajj and its spiritual value forever.

Prerequisites for Hajj Performance

Performance of pilgrimage must be based on certain fundamental conditions. These include genuine intention and high spiritual standard. Attainment of puberty. The sincere practice of the first four pillars of Islam: (Salat, Zakah, and Sawm) all of which are fervently based on faith (Iman). Hajj without these pre-requisites is like a tree without roots. Money is a major pre-requisite for Hajj but it is not absolute.

Hajj, the last pillar of Islam shows, very vividly, the similitude of what mankind will experience on the Day of Judgment. Looking at the unique way in which pilgrims dress for Hajj and how they assemble at Arafat leaving their luggage behind in Makkah, one will realize how ephemeral this world is. Some of them never return to their luggage.

Purpose of Hajj

The various stages of preparation through which pilgrims pass before arriving at Arafat are symbolic of our peregrinations in life as human beings. Like the Day of Judgment, Arafat is the climax of Hajj performance. Anybody who misses Arafat misses Hajj. But Arafat is not by physical appearance alone. It takes a combination of factors to participate effectively in that great assembly at Arafah which serves as the climax of Hajj.

Steps to take

For Hajj to serve its spiritual purpose in the life of a pilgrim, certain steps must be taken before leaving home. They are as follows:

Fine-tuning the first four pillars of Islam very sincerely; Packaging one’s intention to perform Hajj; Ascertaining the security of the way; Providing adequately for the family and dependants

at home; Paying all outstanding debts including promises; Ascertaining the condition of health; Perfecting immigration procedures; Undergoing all necessary medical services including inoculation; Assuming a mood of humility like that of a servant approaching his Master; readiness to endure hardship and to tolerate fellow pilgrims’ attitudes. All these are the necessary steps to take by any genuine pilgrim.

Admonition

While admonishing Muslims on spiritual journey including Hajj, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) once said: “Actions shall be judged according to intentions. Whoever embarks on a spiritual journey for the sake of Allah will be adjudged on that basis. And whoever intends pilgrimage or Hajj for the purpose of marriage or material gains should not expect any reward beyond that for which he intends”.

Step by Step of Hajj

The spiritual steps to follow in the performance of Hajj are as follows:

The Miqat

Miqat is the specified place for the wearing of Ihram dress. There are five of such places in all. But the one earmarked for pilgrims from Nigeria cannot be reached by those travelling by air. It is over-flown while crossing the Red Sea. What most Nigerians do therefore is to wear their Ihram dress in Jeddah which has now been adjudged right through a Fatwah issued by highest scholarly authority in Saudi Arabian. Thus, Nigerian pilgrims can now wear their Ihram dress on arrival at the pilgrims’ airport in Jeddah if they fly directly to Jeddah. However, pilgrims whose first destination in Saudi Arabia is Madinah have no problem with Miqat. Such pilgrims should just wear their Ihram dresses at the Miqat in Madinat.

Tawaful-Qudum

Tawaf means circumambulation of the Ka’bah. The very first Tawaf to be performed by any pilgrim on entering Makkah is called Tawaful Qudum (meaning welcoming circumambulation). It is performed before the pilgrims settle down in their residences. Tawaful Qudum is an obligatory Sunnah from which only pilgrims from Makkah are exempted.

Residence in Makkah or Madinah

Most Nigerian pilgrims often seek their accommodations in Makkah or Madinah close to the Haram. This is to enable them to walk to and from the Haram conveniently at the times of any Salat. To minimize pilgrims’ regular occurrence of missing their ways, they are provided with hand bands bearing the addresses of their residences. And this enables official Hajj guides to show them the way. Pilgrims are therefore advized to wear such bands at all times. It is also important for pilgrims to always be with their identity cards provided by Nigeria’s National Hajj Commission (NAHCON).This is to enable them to be identified in case of sickness, accident or even death.

Movement to Muna

Pilgrims’ statutory movement to Muna is on the 8th of Dhul Hijjah. Such pilgrims must spend the night of the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah in Muna where they must observe Salatus-Subhi of the 9th day of Dhul Hijjah, which is Arafah Day, before proceeding to the Plain of Arafah.. Such movement must commence from Makkah after Tawaful Qudum. There is no movement to Muna from Madinah since there is no Tawaf in Madinah.

The Day of Arafah

All pilgrims proceeding to the Plain of Arafat are advised to stay under their tents and concentrate on the spiritual activities that take them to the place. They must reach Arafat before the mid day when Salatu-d-Dhuhr and ‘Asr should be observed combined and in congregation. Any pilhrim who is not at Arafat by mid day is considered not to have taken part in the assembly and therefore missed Hajj.

Immediately after observing the combined Salatu-d-Dhuhr and ‘Asr the Imam who led the two Salat is expected to give a sermon. Listening to such sermon is as compulsory as giving it by the Imam. The great assembly of Arafat terminates shortly before the sunset (Magrib) while the pilgrims return to Muna via Muzdalifah.

Muzdalifah

At Muzdalifah, pilgrims are expected to halt their journey to observe Magrib and ‘Ishai combined. They are also expected to pass the night there and observe the Salat-s-Subh of the following day before proceeding to Muna. Muzdalifah is adjacent to Muna and it is a walking distance to the Jamrat (the stonning place).

Jamrat

Stoning of the devils (Rajmu Jimar) begins a day after Arafat and continues for the next three or four days that the pilgrims are supposed to spend at Muna. This exercise is obligatory and without it Hajj is considered incomplete except when and where a pilgrim is hindered by certain inevitable conditions. There are three points at which stones are to be thrown. Seven pebbles are to be thrown at each point on every one of the three or four days to be spent in Muna. Only seven stones are to be thrown on the first day at Jamratul Kubrah.

Picking such pebbles at the point of throwing them is forbidden. All pebbles must have been picked before leaving the tent for the ‘Jamrat’ or on the way to the ‘Jamrat’. For pilgrims who deside to spend three days in Muna, the total number of pebbles to be thrown is 49 (7 for the first day, 21 for the second day and 21 for the third day). For pilgrims who choose to spend four days, the total number of pebbles to be thrown is 70.

Majzarah (Abattoir)

Slaughtering of all sacrificial animals is done at the abattoir in Muna. Pilgrims do not need to bother themselves by going to the abattoir for the purpose of carrying out this compulsory obligation. They can simply buy the guaranteed ticket sold by designated Saudi agents. The receipt is the evidence that one has performed that duty. The slaughtering is done on behalves of the pilgrims by some authorized artisans who are paid by the Saudi Hajj authorities from the money paid for those animals. The animals to be slaughtered at Jamrat range from rams to camels. A pilgrim should slaughter one ram or more while seven pilgrims may combine to slaughter one camel or five of them may jointly slaughter on cow.

Tawaful Ifadah

Tawaful Ifadah is compulsory fpr all pilgrims. Without it, ahajj is invalid.

Any pilgrim who chooses to go for Tawaful Ifadah on the fist day of Ayamut-Tashrik must return to Muna before the sundet. Such a pilrim must not break the camping rule at Muna by going to Makkah without performing Tawaf-ul- Ifadah. With the completion of the camping days in Muna which is climaxed by Tawaful-Ifadah and the arrival of all the pilgrims in Makkah, Hajj has come to an end except for Tawaf Wada’i otherwise called farewell Tawaf. That Tawaf is also obligatory.

Conclusion

Throughout the Hajj exercise, what should be uppermost in the mind of a pilgrim is the spiritual benefit. Hajj is made compulsory only once in a life time for those who have the wherewithal to undergo it and can satisfy the conditions attached to its performance.

On arriving home finally, pilgrims are not expected to start organizing parties in celebration of a successful Hajj performance as ignorantly done by some Nigerians. Maintaining Hajj is a necessity for those who know the value of doing that. Whoever is privileged to perform Hajj once should forever be grateful to Allah as no one is sure of getting another chance.

August 4, 2017
Restructuring in simple details

Why do we need to restructure our federation? Nigeria is not one nation but a country of many different nations, each of which, whether large or small, possesses its own ancestral homeland, its own culture and language and its own ethical norms, its own desires and expectations, cherishes its own existence and pride, and wants to be respected. Nigeria’s most fundamental need therefore is to organize itself, and to manage its affairs, in such ways as to ensure that these many nations, large and small, shall feel belonging, safe and respected in Nigeria.

If we continue to organize and run Nigeria (as we do now) in such a way that some of our nations feel disrespected, marginalized, ignored or neglected, robbed, discriminated against, suppressed, threatened, or fearful for their future, it will be impossible to keep Nigeria together. No amount of military force, propaganda, threats, deception, promises, prayers, bribing of prominent citizens, patriotic admonitions or appeals for unity, will suffice to keep Nigeria together harmoniously. The only way forward is to organize Nigeria as a true federation in which each federating unit shall control and manage most of its unique needs and concerns, control and develop its God-given resources for the benefit of its own people, control its own security, employ its culture and ethical norms to uphold orderliness and sanity among its own leaders and people, and be able to make its own kind of contributions to the progress and prosperity of Nigeria. The federal government must be a coordinator only, responsible for managing relations among the states of the federation, for defence, foreign relations, financial policy, international commerce, immigration, etc.

So, creating a federation like that is restructuring? Yes. The federation we had before independence and up to 1966 was like that. As part of Nigeria’s preparation in 1946-9 for independence, the British founders and colonial rulers of Nigeria determined that a federation was the best for Nigeria. But they did not care enough for our well-being, and so they simply split Nigeria into three large regions for the federation. Our founding fathers (led by Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello and Azikiwe) had to work with the three regions; but in the course of the 1950s, in conference after conference, they set out the details of the organization for the three-region federation. Under this arrangement, each region wrote its own constitution, and had the power to control and develop its resources. This proved very good for our country. Our three regions rivalled one another for development, our country experienced a lot of progress and wealth creation, and Nigerians generally lived in hope.

We should have had some more regions, to spread out the progress a little more. To that end, some local groups of our smaller nations (the group of small nations in each of the three regions) demanded their own regions. The British did not grant their demands; but it was generally understood that such regions would be created after independence, without changing the power sharing between regions and the centre. We entered into independence in 1960 under that constitution. In 1963, Nigeria created a fourth region, the Midwest Region, for the minorities of the Western Region.

But, unfortunately, immediately after independence, we began to lose this spirit of true federation. The reason for that was that the people in control of our federal government wanted to control the regions. They started by disrupting and taking control of the Western Region in 1962. Their further efforts along this line soon led to resistance, chaos, and ultimately to a military coup and a civil war. All of these only established the military as the rulers of Nigeria. Under successive military dictatorships between 1966 and 1999, power and resource control and development were relentlessly pulled together into the hands of the central government – until what we now have is essentially a unitary system of government. Under this unitary system, our federating units are impotent entities depending on the federal government for almost everything; the federal government is messily overburdened, chaotically scrambling around for more power and control, often mischievously dabbling in religious propagation and thereby generating fears and hostility, and hideously inefficient and corrupt. As a result, poverty holds sway over our country and people, and inter-ethnic and religious conflicts are ravaging our country. For stability, peace and progress to return to our country, we must return to the 1960 spirit of true federation, and we must now make our nations the basis of federating units in our federation. That is what we mean by restructuring.

Does this mean we should make every one of our 300 nations a federating unit or state? No. We cannot afford to have too many states. India, which is very similar to our Nigeria, and which has over a billion population and about 2000 nations, structured its federation into only 28 states. In what I write below, I am borrowing some wisdom from the Indian experience.

To restructure, what steps should we take? There are two steps – one, to restore the balance of powers (between the centre and the federating units) that Nigeria had at independence, and make the federating units again the dynamic and vital agencies of development; and two, to determine and delimit our federating units.

The first step is the easier one, because we know how power and resources were shared between our federal and regional governments by 1960. All we need to do is to restore that balance of sharing of power and resource-control. That arrangement served our country wonderfully; it was when we started to corrupt it after independence that we began to pollute our country and its political and economic life. And then the military dictatorships came from 1966 to turn the trend into a whole disaster.

So, how should we determine our federating units? We have different options. One option is to simply adopt our present 36 states, with some adjustments – like adding one more state in Igboland, and making some changes in the Middle Belt in order to give relief to nations that are being brutalized there by aggressive neighbours.

A better option is to adopt our six zones (North-west, North-east, North-central, South-west, South-east and South-south), and make each a region or federating unit. Each region shall be a regional federation in itself, with the present states in it (or states created by it) as its federating units. Again, in the North-central Region (the Middle Belt), we will need to adjust state boundaries and/or regional boundaries, for the relief of some endangered nations there. In fact, this may mean that we shall split the North-central into two regions – to make a total of seven regions in our federation.

We usually read that our restructured federation must be protected with certain important principles. What are those principles? First, no one federating unit shall be able to dominate, or to force its will on, our whole federation. In 1960-66, the Northern Region alone was larger than the Eastern and Western Regions together, and it often sought to dominate the whole federation. With the creation of more and more states from 1967, that danger passed – even though the leaders of the Arewa part of the then Northern Region still desire to dominate the federation today – and that is why they are still insisting that all power and resource control must belong to the federal government. In our restructured federation, there must be no residue of that danger left.

A second principle is that we must diligently ensure respect for every one of our nations, large or small. For instance, we must ensure that, as much as possible, no nation shall be split across regional or state boundaries – that is, that each nation shall be intact together in one region, and in one state in its region.

Thirdly, each federating unit shall have slightly more than the kind of autonomy that the regions had until 1966. Each shall write its own constitution – including formulating its own states and local governments; control and develop its own resources; manage its own development and progress for its people; manage its own security; and pay to the federal government the taxes and subventions constitutionally due from the regions to our federation. Local governments shall be empowered and structured in their regions’ constitutions to perform their tasks as frontline agencies of development. No region may be interfered with – in the way that the federal government was able to interfere with the Western Region in 1962. Under no circumstance may the federal government shut down and take over a region’s elected government, or seize any asset of a region. And the federal government shall not promote any religion whatsoever. We can make a success of this country.

July 20, 2017
Buhari awaits budget details

President Muhammadu Buhari is not in a hurry to sign the N6.06trn 2016 Appropriation Bill passed by the National Assembly last Wednesday, it was learnt yesterday.

Although the leadership of the National Assembly handed over the Bill to The Presidency for assent before it went on recess, our correspondent gathered that the Bill did not contain details and sectoral breakdown.

A Presidency source who confirmed the receipt of the Bill from the lawmakers last Thursday, explained that though the President is anxious to sign the Bill, he would only do so after the National Assembly avails him of the details which were not contained in what was handed over.

Asked if that could be done within the period that the National Assembly would be on recess, the source said it was a possibility as the relevant officers in the National. Assembly may be directed to send the details to the President.

“I can confirm to you that we have received the Bill since Wednesday but there were no sectoral details on what was appropriated.

“There is no way the President can sign the bill into law without a thorough knowledge of the details. He has asked for the details from the leadership of the National Assembly. As soon as he gets this, I’m sure members of his economic team will look at it and advise on whether to assent the bill or not.

“I know Nigerians are anxious to see the budget matter resolved as soon as possible. We are also anxious but we have to be pragmatic about it. Without the details, how do you expect the President to have a firm grasp of what he was signing? I know the National Assembly is on recess but it should be a problem as all that is required is an instruction to the relevant officers to dispatch the details of the bill to the Presidency.

March 28, 2016
Details of Hajj
Preamble

This is the season of Hajj. It comes up in the month of Dhul Hijjah every year. Hajj means aspiration towards a higher pedestal in spirituality. It is, divinely, a pillar of Islam made obligatory by Allah for Muslims who can afford it once in a lifetime. Hajj is an ordained pilgrimage and not a mere tourism. Thus, the visa issued to Muslims who perform Hajj annually is that of pilgrimage and not of tourism. Whilst pilgrimage is a spiritual exercise, tourism is a pleasurable journey.

Similitude of Hajj

The similitude of Hajj in the life of a Muslim is like that of pregnancy in the womb of an expectant mother. The experience may vary from woman to woman as the foetus in the womb undergoes various stages before reaching the stage of delivery. By the time the child is finally delivered, the mother feels a relief of her life while the child assumes a tabula rasa (clean slate) that makes him absolutely innocent.

Spiritually, a pilgrim is like a newly born baby if he strictly performs Hajj as prescribed by Allah. But if he returns into the world of vanity after Hajj, he automatically becomes like a person in snow-white attire who finds himself in a palm oil market. Unless he spiritually guides his loins, he may immediately become a tainted person both in body and in soul.

Rigours of Hajj

Muslim pilgrims who are going on Hajj must be prepared to go through series of rigour both spiritually and physically. The rigour of getting the money with which to perform Hajj; the rigour of getting the travelling documents including visa; the rigour of taking care of the home front before embarking on the Holy journey; the rigour of boarding the plane with a sense of high risk; the rigour of going through the security check at the embarkation point as well as the disembarkation point in Saudi Arabia; the rigour of performing the Tawaf and Sa’y; the rigour of moving from Makkah to Mina on the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, then to Arafah on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, and back to Mina via Muzdalifah on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah; the rigour of locating the tents at Arafah; the rigour of throwing the pebbles at the Jamrat in Mina on the three or four days known as Ayamu-t-Tashrik; The rigour of performing Tawaful Ifadah at the Sanctuary in Makkah after the first day of throwing pebbles; the rigour of shaving the head (by men) and slaughtering the rams by all; the rigour of performing the farewell circumambulation otherwise known as Tawaful Wida‘i all in the midst of millions of people can be too much to forget so soon after Hajj.

Whoever is not bothered by the money spent on Hajj should at least be bothered by the various stages of the rigour involved including that of visiting Madinah. To lose all these to the forces of Satan after Hajj is like losing one’s travelling passport after obtaining visa. The prayer of every genuine pilgrim is to retain the validity of Hajj forever.

Conditions for Hajj Performance

Performance of pilgrimage must be based on genuine intention and high spiritual standard. An intending pilgrim must have attained puberty. He must have been an ardent practitioner of the first four pillars of Islam: (Salat, Zakah, and Sawm) all of which are fervently based on faith (Iman). Hajj without these pre-requisites is like a tree without roots.

Money is a major pre-requisite for Hajj but it is not absolute.

Hajj, the last pillar of Islam shows very vividly, the similitude of what mankind will experience on the Day of Judgment. Looking at the unique way in which pilgrims dress for Hajj and how they assemble at Arafat leaving their luggage behind in Makkah, one will realize how ephemeral this world is.

Purpose of Hajj

The various stages of preparation through which pilgrims pass before arriving at Arafat are symbolic of our peregrinations in life as human beings. Like the Day of Judgment, Arafat is the climax of Hajj performance. Anybody who misses Arafat misses Hajj. But Arafat is not by physical appearance alone. It takes a combination of factors to participate effectively in that great assembly which serves as the climax of Hajj.

For Hajj to serve its spiritual purpose in the life of a pilgrim, certain steps must be taken before leaving home. They are as follows:
- Fine-tuning the first four pillars of
  Islam very sincerely
- Packaging the intention to perform Hajj
- Ensuring the security of the way
- Providing for the family and dependants
  at home
- Paying all the outstanding debts
  including promises
- Ascertaining the condition of health
- Perfecting immigration procedures and
  undergoing all necessary medical
  services including inoculation
- Assuming a mood of humility like that
  of a servant approaching his master.
- Readiness to endure hardship and to
  tolerate fellow pilgrims’ attitudes.
Admonishing Muslims on spiritual journey, including Hajj.

Prophet Muhammad once said: “Actions shall be judged according to intentions. Whoever embarks on a spiritual journey for the sake of Allah will be adjudged on that basis. And whoever bases his/her intention for pilgrimage on marriage or material gains should not expect any reward beyond that for which the intention is based”. The steps to follow in the performance of Hajj are as follows:

The Miqat

Miqat is the specified place for the wearing of Ihram dress. There are five of such places in all. But the one earmarked for pilgrims from Nigeria cannot be reached by pilgrims travelling by air. It is over-flown while crossing the Red Sea. What most Nigerians do therefore is to wear their Ihram dress in Jeddah which has now been adjudged right through a Fatwah. Thus, Nigerian pilgrims can now wear their Ihram dress on arrival at the pilgrims’ airport in Jeddah.

Tawaful Qudum

Tawaf means circumambulation of the Ka’bah. The very first Tawaf to be performed by any pilgrim on entering Makkah is Tawaful Qudum. It is performed before a pilgrim settles down in any residence. Tawaful Qudum is an obligatory Sunnah from which only residents of Makkah among pilgrims are exempted.

Residence in Makkah or Madinah

Most Nigerian pilgrims often seek their accommodations in Makkah or Madinah close to the Haram. This is to enable them walk to and back from the Haram conveniently at the time of any Salat. To minimise pilgrims’ regular occurrence of missing their ways, they are provided with hand bands bearing the addresses of their residences. Pilgrims are therefore advised to wear such bands at all times to enable them show it to either the Hajj guides or policemen when the road is missed. It is also important for pilgrims to always be with their identity cards provided by Nigerian Pilgrims’ Commission or private agents. This is to enable them to be identified in case of sickness, accident or even death.

Movement to Mina

Pilgrims must be ready to undergo some rigour in the process of moving to Mina from Makkah. The rigour which normally affects all pilgrims is engendered by limited time available for millions of pilgrims who must move to that spiritual camp before the sunset on the day preceding Arafah day.

The Day of Arafah

At the Plain of Arafat, pilgrims are advised to stay under their tents and concentrate on the spiritual activities that take them to the place.

They must reach Arafat by mid day when Salatu-d-Dhuhr and ‘Asr should be observed combined. Anybody who is not at Arafat by mid day is considered not to have taken part in the assembly and therefore missed Hajj. Immediately after observing the combined Salatu-d-Dhuhr and ‘Asr the Imam who led the two Salat is expected to give a sermon. Listening to such sermon is as compulsory as giving it.

The great assembly of Arafat terminates shortly before sunset (Magrib) and the pilgrims return to Mina via Muzdalifah.

Muzdalifah

At Muzdalifah, pilgrims are expected to halt their journey to observe Magrib and ‘Ishai combined. They are also expected to pass the night there and observe the Salat-s-Subh of the following day before proceeding to Mina. Muzdalifah is adjacent to Mina and is therefore a walking distance.

Jamrat

Stoning of the devils (Rajmu Jamrat) begins a day after Arafat and continues for the next three or four days that the pilgrims are supposed to spend at Mina. This exercise is obligatory and without it Hajj is incomplete. There three points at which stones are to be thrown. Seven pebbles are to be thrown at each point on every one of the three or four days to be spent in Mina.

While going for the pebble-throwing exercise, pilgrims are advised to take their pebbles along with them. Except for the first day when seven pebbles are supposed to be thrown at only one spot, pilgrims are required to throw twenty one pebbles each day in the three spots provided while they remain in Mina.

Picking such pebbles at the point of throwing them is forbidden. All pebbles must have been picked before leaving the tent for the ‘Jamrat’ or on the way.

Majzarah (Abattoir)

Slaughtering of all sacrificial animals is done at the abattoir in Mina. Pilgrims do not need to bother themselves by going to the abattoir for the purpose of carrying out this compulsory obligation. They can simply buy the guaranteed ticket sold by designated Saudi agents. The ticket is the evidence that one has performed that duty. The slaughtering is done on behalves of the pilgrims by some authorised artisans who are paid by the Saudi Hajj authorities from the money paid for those animals. The animals to be slaughtered at Jamrat range from rams to camels. A pilgrim should slaughter one ram or more while seven pilgrims may combine to slaughter one camel or five of them may jointly slaughter on cow.

Tawaful Ifadah

For pilgrims who can afford to go to Makkah after throwing the first seven pebbles, it is good to perform Tawaf-ul-Ifadah. For those who cannot, the exercise can be deferred till the end of Tashrik.

Pilgrims who have performed Tawaf-ul-Ifadah are free to shave their heads and change from their Ihram dress into civil or traditional dresses.

The only reason for any pilgrim to go to Makkah from Mina during the camping period is to perform Tawaf-ul-Ifadah. No pilgrim should break camping rule by going to Makkah without performing Tawaf-ul- Ifadah. And after performing Tawaful Ifadah, no pilgrim should remain in Makkah or elsewhere without returning to Mina before sunset.

With the completion of the camping days in Mina and the arrival of all the pilgrims in Makkah, Hajj has been completed except for Tawaf Wida‘i otherwise called farewell Tawaf. That Tawaf is compulsory.

It is then left for pilgrims to decide whether or not to go to Madinah. Going to Madinah is not compulsory. It can neither validate nor invalidate Hajj. But it will be spiritually odd for any pilgrim to choose not to visit the Prophet’s Mosque.

Conclusion

Throughout the Hajj exercise, what should be uppermost in the mind of a pilgrim is the spiritual benefit.

Hajj is made compulsory only once in a life’s time for those who have the wherewithal to undergo it and can satisfy the conditions attached to its performance.

On arriving home finally, pilgrims are not expected to start organising parties in celebration of a successful Hajj performance as ignorantly done by some Nigerians. Maintaining Hajj is a necessity for those who know the value of doing that. Whoever is privileged to perform Hajj once should forever be grateful to Allah as no one is sure of getting another chance.

Hajj Mabrur holds seminar

Hajj Mabrur Ventures Limited (HMV) will on Sunday hold a seminar for the would-be pilgrims.

The annual seminar will take place at the University of Lagos Mosque auditorium, Akoka, Lagos.

A statement by its HMVL Director Alhaji Dhulkifli Adewunmi, said the seminar is germane to the success of the religious exercise.

Pilgrims, he said, need adequate information about the dos and don’ts of the exercise.

“Aside this, Saudi Arabia is a no-nonsense country that hold strict her laws and would not hesitate to punish whoever flout those laws. So, we need to enlighten our pilgrims on this and other salient issues,” he said.

Alhaji Adewunmi assured the pilgrims of a successful pilgrimage once they obey the rules and regulations guiding the holy exercise.
August 28, 2015
Details of Hajj

Preamble

This article is not new. It was published in this column during Hajj period last year and the year before. Because of its relevance, it is being repeated with some alterations in response to readers’ popular demand. Here it goes:

Hajj in the life of a Muslim is like pregnancy in the womb of an expectant mother. The experience varies from woman to woman. The foetus in the womb undergoes various stages before reaching the stage of delivery. But by the time the child is finally delivered the mother feels a relief of her life. And the child assumes a tabula rasa (clean slate) that makes him absolutely innocent. A pilgrim is spiritually like a newly born child if he strictly performs Hajj as prescribed by Allah. But if he returns into the world of vanity after Hajj, he automatically becomes like a person in snow-white attire who finds himself in a palm oil market. Unless he spiritually guides his loins, he may immediately become a tainted person both in body and in soul.

Pilgrims who are going on Hajj must be prepared to go through series of rigour both spiritually and physically. The rigour of getting the legitimate money with which to perform Hajj; the rigour of getting the travelling documents including visa; the rigour of taking care of the home front before embarking on the Holy journey; the rigour of boarding the plane with a sense of high risk; the rigour of going through the security search at the embarkation point as well as the disembarkation point in Saudi Arabia when entering and departing; the rigour of performing the Tawaf and Sa’y; the rigour of moving from Makkah to Mina on the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, then to Arafah on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, and back to Mina via Muzdalifah on the 10th of Dhul-Hijjah; the rigour of locating the tents at Arafah; the rigour of throwing the pebbles at the Jamrat in Mina on the three or four days known as Ayamu-t-Tashrik; the rigour of performing Tawaful Ifadah at the Sanctuary in Makkah after the first day of throwing pebbles; the rigour of shaving the head and slaughtering the rams, the rigour of performing the farewell circumambulation otherwise known as Tawaful Wida‘i – all in the midst of millions of people can be too much to forget so soon after Hajj.

Whoever is not bothered by the money spent on Hajj should at least be bothered by the various stages of the rigour involved including that of visiting Madinah. To lose all these to the forces of Satan after Hajj is like losing one’s travelling passport after obtaining visa.

The prayer of every genuine pilgrim is to retain the validity of Hajj forever.

Qualifications

Performance of pilgrimage must be based on certain qualifications one of which is genuine intention and high spiritual standard. An intending pilgrim must have attained puberty. He must have been an ardent practitioner of the first four pillars of Islam: (Iman, Salat, Zakah, and Sawm) all of which are fervently based on faith (Iman) which is the first pillar. Hajj without these pre-requisites is like a tree without roots.

Money is a major pre-requisite for Hajj but it is not absolute.

Hajj, the last pillar of Islam shows very vividly, the similitude of what mankind will experience on the Day of Judgment. Looking at the unique way in which pilgrims dress for Hajj and how they assemble at Arafat leaving their luggage behind in Makkah, one will realize how euphemeral this world is.

The various stages of preparation through which pilgrims pass before arriving at Arafat are symbolic of our peregrination in life as human beings. Like the Day of Judgment, Arafat is the climax of Hajj performance. Anybody who misses Arafat misses Hajj. But Arafat is not by physical appearance alone. It takes a combination of factors to participate effectively in that great assembly which serves as the climax of Hajj.

Preparation

For Hajj to serve its spiritual purpose in the life of a pilgrim, certain steps must be taken before leaving home. They are as follows:

• Fine-tuning the first four pillars of

Islam very sincerely

• Packaging the intention to perform Hajj

• Ensuring the security of the way

• Providing for the family and                                      dependants at home

• Paying all the outstanding debts

including promises

• Ascertaining the condition of health

• Perfecting immigration procedures and                  undergoing all necessary medical

services including inoculation

• Assuming a mood of humility like that                    of a servant approaching his master.

• Readiness to endure hardship and to      tolerate fellow pilgrims’ attitudes.

Admonishing Muslims on spiritual journey, including Hajj, Prophet Muhammad once said: “Actions shall be judged according to intentions. Whoever embarks on a spiritual journey for the sake of Allah will be adjudged on that basis. And whoever bases his/her intention for pilgrimage on marriage or material gains should not expect any reward beyond that for which the intention is based”. The steps to follow in the performance of Hajj are as follows:

The Miqat

Miqat is the specified place for the wearing of Ihram dress. There are five of such places in all. But the one earmarked for pilgrims from Nigeria (Qarnul Manazil) cannot be reached by pilgrims who are travelling by air. It is over-flown shortly after crossing the Red Sea. What most Nigerians do therefore is to wear their Ihram dress in Jeddah which has now been adjudged right through a Fatwah. Thus, Nigerian pilgrims can now wear their Ihram dress on arrival at the pilgrims’ airport in Jeddah.

Tawaful Qudum

Tawaf means circumambulation (walking round the Ka’bah). The very first Tawaf to be performed by any pilgrim on entering Makkah is Tawaful Qudum. It is performed before a pilgrim settles down in any residence. Tawaful Qudum is an obligatory Sunnah from which only residential pilgrims are exempted.

Residence in Makkah or Madinah Most Nigerian pilgrims often seek their accommodations in Makkah or Madinah close to the Haram. This is to enable them walk to and back from the Haram conveniently at the times of Salat. To minimise pilgrim’s regular occurrence of missing their ways they are provided with hand bands bearing the addresses of their residences. Pilgrims are therefore advised to wear such bands at all times to enable them show it to either the Hajj guides or policemen when they miss the road. It is also important for pilgrims to always be with the identity cards provided for them by Nigerian Pilgrims’ Commission or private agents. This is to enable them to be identified in case of sickness, accident or even death.

Movement to Mina

Pilgrims must be ready to undergo some rigour in the process of moving to Mina from Makkah. The rigour which normally affects all pilgrims is engendered by limited time available for millions of pilgrims who must move to that spiritual camp before the sunset on the day preceding Arafah day (8th of Dhul Hijjah).

Arafah

At the Plain of Arafat, pilgrims are advised to stay under their tents and concentrate on the spiritual activities that take them to the place.

They must reach Arafat by mid day when Salatu-d-Dhuhr and ‘Asr should be observed combined. Anybody who is not at Arafat by mid day is considered not to have taken part in the assembly and has therefore missed Hajj. Immediately after observing the combined Salatu-d-Dhuhr and ‘Asr the Imam who led the two Salat is expected to give a sermon.

Listening to such sermon is as compulsory as giving it.

The great assembly of Arafat terminates shortly before sunset (Magrib) and the pilgrims return to Mina via Muzdalifah.

Muzdalifah

At Muzdalifah, pilgrims are expected to halt their journey to observe Magrib and ‘Ishai combined. They are also expected to pass the night there and observe the Salat-s-Subh of the following day before proceeding to Mina. Muzdalifah is adjacent to Mina and is therefore a walking distance.

Jamrat

Stoning the symbolic devils (Rajmu Jamrat) begins a day after Arafat and continues for the next three days that the pilgrims are supposed to spend at Mina. This exercise is obligatory and without it Hajj is incomplete. There are three points at which stones are to be thrown. Seven pebbles are thrown at each point on every one of the three or four days to be spent in Mina.

While going for the pebble-throwing exercise, pilgrims are advised to take their pebbles along with them. Except for the first day when seven pebbles are supposed to be thrown at only one spot, pilgrims are required to throw twenty one pebbles each day at the three spots provided while they remain in Mina.

Picking such pebbles at the point of throwing them is forbidden. All pebbles must have been picked before leaving the tent for the ‘Jamrat’ or on the way.

Majzarah (Abattoir)

Slaughtering of all sacrificial animals is done at the abattoir in Mina. Pilgrims do not need to bother themselves by going to the abattoir for the purpose of carrying out this compulsory obligation.

They can simply buy the guaranteed ticket sold by designated Saudi agents (Mu’assasah). The ticket is the evidence that one has performed that duty. The slaughtering is done on behalves of the pilgrims by some authorised artisans who are paid by the Saudi Hajj authorities from the money paid for those animals. The animals to be slaughtered at Jamrat range from rams to camels. A pilgrim should slaughter one ram or more while seven pilgrims may combine to slaughter one camel or five of them may jointly slaughter one cow.

Tawaful Ifadah

For pilgrims who can afford to go to Makkah after throwing the first seven pebbles, it is good to perform Tawaf-ul-Ifadah. For those who cannot, the exercise can be deferred till the end of Tashrik.

Pilgrims who have performed Tawaful Ifadah are free to shave their heads and change from their Ihram dress into civil or traditional dresses.

The only reason for any pilgrim to go to Makkah from Mina during the camping period is to perform Tawaf-ul-Ifadah. No pilgrim should break camping rule by going to Makkah without performing Tawaful Ifadah. And after performing Tawaful Ifadah, no pilgrim should remain in Makkah or elsewhere without returning to Mina before sunset.

With the completion of the camping days in Mina and the arrival of all the pilgrims in Makkah, Hajj has been completed except for Tawaf Wida‘i otherwise called Fare well Tawaf. That Tawaf is also compulsory.

Visit to Madinah

It is then left for pilgrims to decide whether or not to go to Madinah. Going to Madinah is not compulsory. It can neither validate nor vitiate Hajj. But it will be spiritually odd for any pilgrim to choose not to visit the Prophet’s Mosque during the period of Hajj.

Throughout the Hajj exercise, what should be uppermost in the mind of a pilgrim is the spiritual benefit. Hajj is made compulsory only once in a life’s time for those who have the wherewithal to undergo it and can satisfy the conditions attached to its performance.

Returning Home

On returning home finally, pilgrims are not supposed to start organising parties in celebration of a successful Hajj performance as ignorantly done by some Nigerians. Maintaining Hajj is a necessity for those who know its value. Whoever is privileged to perform Hajj once should therefore be grateful to Allah as no one is sure of getting another chance.

September 12, 2014
‘We don’t joke with details’

Bayo Adio, an engineer by training, joined the services of Optimum Exposures, a frontline outdoor advertising agency and member of Troyka Holdings in September 1995, from where he rose through the ranks to become the Managing Director/Chief Executive recently. In this interview with IBRAHIM APEKHADE YUSUF, he speaks on the company’s investment in digital media, pros and cons of digital marketing and his management style.

Your company set up an iconic billboard along the Adeniji Adele axis. Why did you choose that strategic location?

The iconic billboard on Adeniji Adele is not just an iconic billboard but at an iconic location. Prior to what you have there now, we had a billboard there that was the biggest billboard in Africa. In the last few months, it was upgraded to a digital billboard, so it is an iconic billboard in an iconic location. It’s actually a location that is at the descent of the 3rd mainland bridge.

So what is the unique selling point of this billboard?

It is unique because it is a digital billboard with a platform that is very interactive, engaging and flexible and efficient. It provides a lot of social platform; you can tweet on it, have interactive messages and you can also display public information to the audience. You also have the current time and temperature on it. It’s the biggest free-standing billboard in sub-Saharan Africa. We partnered with a leading supplier of digital billboard in the world; Daktronics. Daktronics has 30 percent of LED market in the world; it is the leading manufacturer of LED in the world.

Besides, this product is equipped with what we call an Intelligent Device Management System that ensures that from a remote location, we can put in each of these adverts the time bound that is needed in that platform. What I am saying to you, in essence, is that as many brands that are on the platform, we ensure that they have equal amount of exposure on the platform. So, there is equity and that is ensured. This is what we stand for. The core values of this company are integrity, innovation and quality service. And that we ensure that we provide to our clients.

What really informed the installment of this board and what do prospective brands stand to achieve by signing onto it?

In out-of-home, we are pioneers in the business; we pioneered the biggest billboard, the flexi material, the unfold spectacular, from the single to the double and triple face. So what actually motivated that billboard was that what is the next level to take the business? So we looked at that location and said we wanted to digitalise this billboard. It is the biggest in sub-Sahara today; so it’s something that is really raising the bar of out-of-home in the region.

In some countries, firms are dragged to the court for erecting distractive structures in form of billboards. Don’t you think the iconic billboard might be open to such?

Thank you for that question. We affiliate with agencies outside this country; like the outdoor Advertising Association of America. Studies were conducted but the fifth study found out those digital billboards do not cause road accidents. I can give you a reference. A recent story on state and local roads shows that it’s not a cause for road accidents. There is an ambience that the digital billboard gives to the environment. This is one of those things we are also working on. I am also a chairman of a committee in OAAN saddled with the responsibility of formulating a practice manual for out-of-home ads in Nigeria. Let me say to you that there is always a good and a bad side of everything. I have said to my team and other practitioners of out-of- home that there are things you need to do to ensure that the environment is not impacted negatively on this platform, and this is what we need in this country. And I believe that we must practice in a way that it enhances the environment and when we do that, the benefit will be to the practitioners, advertisers and the environment as a whole.

The industry has been in turbulence in the last few years due to stringent policies from regulators. Many agencies have closed shop, can you share your experience regarding the regulations and regulators?

The regulator of outdoor adverts in Lagos is LASSA. I can say to us that the advent of LASSA has brought sanity into out-of-home practice. Be that as it may, it has also affected a lot of practitioners due to the removal of billboards in Lagos. We also suffered from it but the truth is that it brought sanity and we can practice with the confidence that you are doing it professionally. Before LASSA came in, you can wake up on a morning and see a billboard blocking your billboard. That cannot happen now. I think that the good side of LASSA has brought in strict regulation and it has been replicated in all the states of the federation. Then coming into regulation is the issue of fees and taxes from the regulatory agencies. The taxes are still high and we are engaging them to ensure that they are reduced. And I must also say that LASSA has been very approachable and are also practitioners. There was a signage conference organised recently and we were part of it. That shows that they are approachable. The issue of regulation is good for the business but the issue of taxes and rates is what we are negotiating on and they are open to it.

You mentioned earlier that the digital marketing structure is still emerging in Nigeria. As an insider, can you tell us the level of business we can harness from this sector going forward?

You know that the media fact reported that in 2012, digital out-of-home was about 18billion that was lower than 2011 which was about 28billion. You can see that the 18billion is huge but I am saying to us that it would increase. The way to also explain that decrease in 2012 is what is the scenario playing out in our airports. In the airports, the advertising concession there was reviewed and there was no practice in the airport during that period, that I am sure lowered the spending. But in the next few months, who knows what will happen in the airports? So I am sure that with the advent of the digital out-of-home which is more flexible, time sensitive and targeted towards consumers, more spending is going to come in. When we brought in that our iconic billboard, it was not the first in that industry, but a lot of brands want to play on it. You can see that brands we have on it; Mastercard, Nigerian Breweries, Glo and MTN, they are all big brands. And more of that is still going to come. We are opening up the opportunities as we have done in the past. Lagos is a mega city and mega signs are coming in, of which this iconic billboard shows that this can be done here.

As the Managing Director/Chief Executive, you lead a team of experts. So would you let us in on what your management style is?

Our emphasis is on results. We set our targets and we ensure we meet up with the targets. With the crop of experts we have, we know what we want to do; we go into the depth of it and ensure that whatever we are putting out there will stand the test of time. So we are professionals who deal with details and also relate with all the stakeholders in ensuring that when these products are there, there is no fear of attack from regulatory agencies, the environment and even the consumers. So we ensure that our consumers, advertisers and the environment are all satisfied. We are driven by results, have penchant for innovation and innovation drives us.

Do you micromanage or you allow your team to hit the ground up and running?

When you say micromanage, we have professionals here in all fields and when you see our products out there, it is a complement of professionals. We have project managers, accountants, engineers, information technologists and other services within the company. And if there are additional resources needed to complete a project, we go outside to source those. So we engage the best in order to achieve the best.

Still talking about management, can you let us into how you motivate your staff? Do you make use of the stick and carrot approach?

I can say that the staff of this company are the envy of competitors because when I go into meetings of associations and I see old staff of Optimum Exposure in other companies, I know that it’s a way to say that this company has affected all the practice. As regards motivation, our staff are highly motivated. We motivate them by ensuring that we train them internally and externally. You know that there is no university of out-of-home anywhere that I know of, but we train our staff because we know what knowledge is required. And when we see that the knowledge available is not up to par, we bridge the gap and send them for training. And there are also other motivational things apart from training such as salary increase, performance; we have key performance indices which are reviewed yearly.

Talking about challenges, what has been the toughest decision you have made so far as the Chief Executive?

When you are bringing in an innovative product that you have seen outside the shores of the country and you have that challenge of ensuring that the industry here can actually ascribe to it. It has been a hard sell to sell a product that the industry has not seen, but really, it should not be so.

August 3, 2014