The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Hajj

  • About Hajj

    About Hajj

    This article is not new. It was published in this column during Hajj period last year. It is being repeated here today 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 like a newly born child, spiritually, if he strictly performs Hajj as prescribed by Allah. But if he returns into the world of vanity, 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 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 in Saudi Arabia when entering and when 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 involved rigour 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.

    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 realise how ephemeral 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.

    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 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 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.

     

    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 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.

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

    Hajj is 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: Agency to bar female pilgrims with over 3 months pregnancy

    Prospective female pilgrims from Sokoto state who are more than three months pregnant will be barred from performing this year’s pilgrimage to Mecca, an official has said.

    The Chairman, Sokoto State Pilgrims’ Welfare Agency, Alhaji Muntari Maigona, disclosed this in Sokoto on Wednesday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said the agency had commenced medical screening of prospective pilgrims to ensure that women who were more than three months pregnant are not allowed to perform the pilgrimage.

    Maigona said the decision was taken after the agency held a meeting recently with hajj officials from the state’s 23 local government areas (LGAs) and other stakeholders.

    “There was an agreement at the meeting that any woman who is more than three months pregnant may face some difficulties during the rigorous exercise.

    “The decision was taken to safeguard the lives of pregnant women and their unborn babies,” he said.

    The chairman said a medical team would soon travel round the state to conduct the screening.

    Maigona added that members of the various sub-committees established by the agency to conduct the 2013 pilgrimage were also going round the 23 LGAs to ensure the success of the exercise.

  • 76,000 Nigerians for Hajj

    The Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, has said 76,000 Nigerians will perform this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

    He gave the figure when he addressed representatives of approved Hajj air carriers and service providers in the aviation sector at the NCAA Headquarters in Lagos.

    The NCAA chief warned service providers to abide by the law, adding that the agency would ground any airline that violates its rules.

    He said safety and security should be key in their operations.

    Akinkuotu said the NCAA would not accept any shortcoming in the operations of the carriers.

    According to him, all aircraft, equipment and crew must be of the stipulated standard while passengers must be treated with dignity.

    He advised the National Hajj Commission (NAHCOM) and airline operators involved in the Hajj operations to ensure proper planning and orderliness.

    Akinkuotu reminded airline operators that the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia has warned that every woman pilgrim under 45 years must be accompanied by a legal male escort listed on their Hajj visa.

    The NCAA chief said flight operators are not allowed to carry “goro”, fruits or similar products”.

  • 5,180 for Hajj in Sokoto

    5,180 for Hajj in Sokoto

    A total of 5,180 intending pilgrims from Sokoto State are expected to perform this year’s Hajj in the holy land of Makkah. This year’s number fell short of 20 after reduction of allocated seats nation-wide.

    The chairman of state’s Pilgrim’s Welfare Agency (PWA), Alhaji Muntari Maigona disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto.

    Maigona said: “It was arrived at after the reduction of the 20 per cent of all the intending pilgrims from the 36 states and the FCT by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).”

    According to him, the state was initially allocated 6, 450 seats for its 23 local government areas.

    “But, when the need to reduce the number by 20 per cent arose, we conducted balloting across the state and successfully effected the reduction,” he added.

    He further said that the agency had already concluded all necessary arrangements to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

    Maigona said: “The local government areas had refunded the hajj fares of all the intending pilgrims who were affected by the 20 per cent reduction.

    “All those who were affected and needed their money back had since been refunded across the 23 local government areas.

    He maintained that “for those who want the agency and the local government areas to keep the money until the 2014 hajj exercise, would be given automatic seats next year.”

    However, Maigona announced that the state government had since given the agency the funds required to successfully conduct the hajj exercise.

    Similarly, the agency’s Media Assistant, Alhaji Faruk Umar, said that public enlightenment has been intensified by the media unit.

    Umar said the aim was to sensitise the intending pilgrims from the state on how to perform the basic hajj rites, be law-abiding and know how to safeguard their basic travelling allowances, among others.

  • Hajj: Nigerian pilgrims’ death toll reaches 21

    Hajj: Nigerian pilgrims’ death toll reaches 21

     

    The death toll of Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia has risen to 21 from 14, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

    NAN quotes the National Hajj Commission’s weekly public health bulletin “No one’’ dated October 29, which showed that the male pilgrims had the highest mortality rate of 13.

    The bulletin shows that Katsina State has the highest figure of four; Sokoto, three, Kano, Lagos, Zamfara and Ogun recorded two deaths each.

    Oyo, Gombe, Yobe and the Nigerian armed forces recorded one death each.

    It also stated that 53 patients had been referred to Saudi hospitals with 39 cases recorded in Medina, four in Jeddah and 10 in Mecca.

    The bulletin states that 90 per cent of the patients had been discharged.

    “So far, no single case of delivery has been reported, however, there are two cases of spontaneous abortion reported from Misfallah Clinic in Mecca by female pilgrims from Sokoto and Adamawa states, all mothers are in satisfactory conditions,’’ it added.

    The bulletin shows that 7,496 Nigerian pilgrims have so far visited the six clinics being operated by the medical mission in Jeddah, Medina and Mecca, with common cold and hypertension topping the list of cases reported at the clinics.

    It also highlighted the problems faced during the Arafat and Muna operations, blaming the Saudi authority’s poor response to distress calls and blocked road networks to evacuate sick pilgrims by security operatives.

     

  • Hajj: Saudi Arabia deports another seven female pilgrims

    Hajj: Saudi Arabia deports another seven female pilgrims

    Saudi Arabian Authorities on Tuesday deported another seven female pilgrims for alleged incomplete travelling documents, barely two days to the Arafat.

    The pilgrims arrived the country through the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport at about 4:30am aboard a Boeing 747 Kabo Aircraft.

    An Airport official told the News Agency of Nigeria on condition of anonymity that, the pilgrims were deported from Saudi Arabia for not having complete travelling documents.

    He said the identities of the pilgrims could not be ascertained immediately.

    Effort to contact the NAHCON officials in Kano failed as they were said to be in the Holy land for the Hajj.

    It could be recalled that two weeks ago, the Saudi authorities also deported about 20 Nigerian pilgrims through the same airport for similar offence.

     

  • The Hajj conundrum

    The Hajj conundrum

    Going on pilgrimage is a religious obligation that every Muslim is expected to perform, at least, once in his or her lifetime if he/she has the means. For the Christians, it is Jerusalem, in Israel, that they head to every year to perform their pilgrimage. The Muslims go to Mecca and Medina to observe theirs.

    But by far, it is the Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia that attracts the highest number of faithful all over the world every year. With this also comes the high publicity that is attached to the yearly ritual. Apart from the yearly pilgrimage, many Muslim faithful also visit the Holy land for Umrah or “Lesser Hajj”. However, this is done at anytime of the year without really engaging the attention or the probing eyes of journalists and other media commentators.

    The popular yearly hajj, which culminates in ram-slaughtering, the Id-El- Kabir festival, is undertaken two months and a few days after the Muslim’s 30-day fasting period known as Ramadan. This yearly hajj is a very big event as so many activities are involved in it. Good enough, the Saudi Arabian government has put several measures in place to accommodate the large influx of Muslims to the country on the annual religious ritual. But in spite of all the measures put in place to ensure hitch-free hajj operations, some of the pilgrims have run into one problem or another while in the Holy Land. In most cases, the Saudi Arabian government has always risen up to the occasion by attending to any issues that may arise during the annual pilgrimage.

    Surprisingly, this year’s pilgrimage by Nigerian pilgrims has attracted a huge controversy because of the forced deportation of some female pilgrims. The dust raised by the action taken by the Saudis is just about to settle with the flurry of diplomatic meetings and shuttles embarked upon by the Nigerian government, particularly the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Aminu Tambuwal, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and his team also dashed to the Kingdom on a one-day fence-mending visit. Finally, the Saudi government softened its stand on some of the pilgrims who had earlier been repatriated to Nigeria. That incident itself is the crux of this discourse.

    The first thing is that, side-by-side our generally accepted Western attitudes and values that lay emphasis on the freedom of the individual adult to act according to his or her own needs and general personal desires, Islam is a different ball game, especially with regards to women. Simply put, women are generally seen as minors who require permission from their husbands or father or the adult male equivalent in the family. Generally speaking, choices for women in Islam on a lot of things simply follow a well-guarded path with little or no room for any ‘creativity’ on the part of the woman. Of course, this tradition is most jealously upheld and guarded in Islamic environments were Wahabism – a stricter, more extreme version of Islam – is practised such as you find in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Taliban-controlled-Afghanistan and a few other places, including among many Muslims in northern Nigeria.

    This is where, in hajj, the issue of mahram (chaperon/guardian) comes into the picture. One thing though, it is not true that the issue of a chaperon has only just come to be recognised in hajj. It’s just that the practice has, over the decades, been bent to accommodate modern political and social nuances. In short, the practice of mahram for women on hajj has merely learned to recognise the fact that because of the peculiarity regarding the number of pilgrims of various backgrounds from even one country, it cannot be practical for every single woman going on hajj to necessarily have access to a family member who is an adult male to act as chaperon. Hence the waiver that had been in existence for Nigeria’s female pilgrims since the 1980s. Under this arrangement, the leader of the delegation (the Amir-ul Hajj) from each country is sufficient to act as the chaperon/guardian of all female pilgrims from that country.

    So, what went wrong this time? Well, an exhaustive answer may only be provided by both the Saudi authorities and their Nigerian counterparts. But it is first worthy to note that even by the regulations on hajj and the chaperon/guardian issue, it is permissible for any woman who is 45 years old or older to go on hajj without a mahram. This also brings us to the issue of the category of women who have so far been denied entry into Saudi Arabia in the current controversy. It is, perhaps, not ordinary happenstance that while some older women have been granted entry with the minimum of fuss, most of the ones who have been denied entry are young women all under 34 years of age and even much younger. In the case of one contingent from Kano, it was allegedly discovered that a whole plane only had three male passengers, with all the other passengers being female.

    And it certainly begets curiosity as to why a passenger plane could have such a lopsided composition of passengers. It becomes more interesting when we throw into the fray Nigeria’s history with regards to the behaviour of some members of our contingents at such gatherings of mass proportions abroad. It is a well-documented development that it is usually a hard battle preventing some members of our contingents from absconding during sports meets anywhere in the world. And unless we are bent on calling a spade by some other name, we cannot feign ignorance of such incidents often taking place with our contingents on pilgrimage whether to Jerusalem or Mecca. Even where some of these people – in this case, the women – do not abscond outright, there have been alleged cases of various unwholesome activities on their parts such as prostitution, begging and the like. And unless we insist on wallowing in self-denial, many such stories abound about our pilgrims’ conduct in Saudi Arabia.

    Therefore, it might be safe to assume that in the case of the current controversy, our legacy has simply preceded us. In essence, the Saudis may have finally caught on to the antics of our people and decided to try and put a stop to it, starting, of course, with the crackdown on that (in)famous three-male-out-of-hundreds aeroplane incident from Kano.

    If this is the case, then perhaps the Saudi authorities are absolved of all blame, right? Well, not quite. Firstly, it is highly implausible that the Saudis have only recently caught on to this attitude and have, even more belatedly, found a noose to throw around the problem. In addition, as a retort to a question on why more and more men are becoming adulterous around the world, a psychologist once asked: “Who do you think these men are sleeping with?” Perhaps, it is similarly legitimate for us to ask: After all other pilgrims have returned to their countries, which men then patronise the Nigerian women who often decide to stay behind and hawk their bodies for money in Saudi Arabia? What usually happens to the hordes of women who are reportedly ‘arrested’ by Saudi security forces for breaches of the social and moral rule only to be off the streets for the night or a couple of days and be back ‘doing their thing’ afterwards? Could the possible answers to these questions be the main reason the Saudis have allegedly not given any reason for their new-found brazenness in injuring their country’s diplomatic ties with Nigeria while not offering any explanation for the sudden aggressive treatment of Nigeria’s female pilgrims this year? Well, maybe, as they say in Yoruba, oro p’esije (too serious beyond response).

     

  • About Hajj

    About Hajj

    This article is not new. It was published in this column during Hajj period last year. It is being repeated here today 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 like a newly born child, spiritually, if he strictly performs Hajj as prescribed by Allah. But if he returns into the world of vanity 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 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 in Saudi Arabia when entering and when 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.

    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 realise how ephemeral 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.

    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 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 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.

    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 leds 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 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 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 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 a 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.

    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.

     

  • That Hajj humiliation

    That Hajj humiliation

    Nigeria’s fading image abroad took a further battering last week when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia sent back home some of our women who had gone to the holy lands of Makkah and Madinah to perform this year’s hajj.

    No fewer than one thousand of them mainly from the northern states as you know, were deported so to speak because they were not accompanied by any male guardian, either husband or close relation as prescribed by Islam. The refusal of the Saudis to accept our explanation led the Federal Government to temporarily call a halt to further airlift of Nigerian pilgrims to the Arab country.

    But as the weekend was drawing to a close, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to the relieve of most Nigerians, particularly Muslims announced that the Saudis have opened their doors again to allow the near 100,000 Nigerian pilgrims billed for the hajj to perform/observe their religious obligation to Almighty ALLAH.

    The hajj, one of five pillars of Islam is enjoined to all Muslim adults male or female who are fit, able and capable at least once in their lifetime. Some have performed the pilgrimage more than once either in quick succession or at some intervals. Majority of the more than one billion Muslims in the world have never been on hajj and are not likely to, given the limited number of pilgrims allocated to each country by Saudi Arabia. Their main constraint however is their inability to fund the pilgrimage themselves due to their poor financial status.

    A would be pilgrim must not only be physically fit and of sound mind, but must also be financially able to sustain him/herself in the holy land as well as provide enough for those left back home. For the female pilgrim, she is required to be accompanied by a male guardian or Muharam who should either be her husband or close relation. This additional condition on the female pilgrim has been part of the pilgrimage from inception and therefore known to all Muslims.

    But then the nature of today’s world has made this a huge burden on the Muslim woman, especially if she’s not married for whatever reason or husband not buoyant enough to accompany her or sponsor a male relation to accompany her.

    And to take care of situations like this, we are told such Islamic bodies as NAHCON are allowed to give a shield to women pilgrims who find themselves in this kind of situation by acting as their Muharam so to speak. So if NAHCON could do this why then were our women turned back in Saudi Arabia? Could it be that the Saudis had added more conditions without telling or alerting us? We may never know why or told why as the Saudis, given the secrecy with which they conduct their affairs are likely to keep the reasons to their chest. This will no doubt suit Nigerian officials very well as they are never inclined to giving information, especially ones that could embarrass or nail them. May be the Federal Government delegation being sent to Saudi Arabia to ‘smoothen things out” with the Kingdom and prevent a further diplomatic spat between both countries would do a good job of getting to the root of this national embarrassment.

    Being led by Speaker House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal, the delegation would do well to go beyond unravelling why our female pilgrims were turned back in Saudi Arabia but also look into the operations of NAHCON itself and how we handle our pilgrims both here and in Saudi Arabia, as well as the conduct of our pilgrims.

    I want to believe that NAHCON and to some extent, the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards in each of the states have a hand in this unfortunate situation either as collaborators or main perpetrators. But then we need to look at how these pilgrims emerged in the first instance. Apart from those who paid for the pilgrimage with their hard earned money, the rest are mainly sponsored by State governments, political parties, mosques, religious organizations and in few instances by wealthy individuals who regards such as an act of Ibadah. Among these sponsored pilgrims, especially those ones bankrolled by either the federal or state governments or political parties could be found party loyalists, male and female who were being paid with hajj sponsorship by their principals for their political support in the past as well as anticipated future support. Regrettably it is among this group of pilgrims that you find the bad eggs that the Saudis are always looking for to prevent from entering their country under the guise of hajj. Some of these people constitute nuisance to themselves and embarrassment to Nigeria in the holy land. Some of them, male and female do engage in acts that are clearly not compatible with Islamic tenets and not in tune with the mood of hajj. There are some of them whose interest is anything but hajj. While some go there for business or in some cases tourism, quite a few are only interested in immoral activities. Perhaps this was what was on the mind of the Saudis when those Nigerian women landed in their country for hajj without their Muharram so to speak. Do not get me wrong and I am certainly not trying to bring down my brothers and sisters in Islam in Nigeria. Certainly not. Such bad eggs abound everywhere and I am sure the Saudis will do a similar thing to pilgrims from other countries in similar circumstances. But my grouse with the Saudis is that they tend to treat issues concerning Nigerian pilgrims and their counterparts from non-Arab speaking African countries with extreme application of the law. First most of them pretend not to understand you if you speak to them in any other language but Arabic, but they understand even if they cannot respond fluently. So you are left at their mercy if you run into trouble with them or they decided to put you in trouble.

    I can imagine what those our women must have gone through there especially the illeterates among them. This is where NAHCON and to some extent the state Pilgrims Welfare Boards are at fault in my opinion. Why put such a large number of female pilgrims on board without competent Muharram or authority to assist them, knowing full well how erratic and unreasonable some of these Saudis could be? How much screening did we do here of our pilgrims to ascertain their fitness and genuineness of their intentions before dispatching them to the holy land? Some NAHCON and Pilgrims Board officials actually collaborate with some of these undesirable elements who find their way from here to Saudi Arabia for activities other than hajj. Last year a female pilgrim that came via Kano gave birth on arrival at Jeddah airport. So, how did a pregnant woman board the flight in Kano when pregnancy of that state ought to have disqualified her from the pilgrimage. Another woman lost her pregnancy and her friends were lamenting that she was in for trouble on her return to Nigeria as her husband had warned her not to embark on the pilgrimage. So, how did she pass through the screening here if at all there was one.

    Agreed that the Saudis could be excessive in the application of the law when it come to Nigerian or black African pilgrims and even erratic at times, we should not blame them too much when we fail or neglect to enforce the same law here rigorously by doing the right thing. There are regulations for instance concerning food items that can be taken along but some of our people go there with such large number of food items as if they are going for a feast. If the Saudis decide to clamp down on this now we’ll begin to shout again. I think we need to do more of our home work here before we send our pilgrims to Saudi Arabia rather than blame the Arabs for maltreating us each time we fell foul of their law. We could do this first by being strict with our screening. We should stop sending or sponsoring thugs and other undesirable elements to hajj just to dispense political patronage. If at all government or whoever wants to send people on hajj they must be people of impeccable character who know what the hajj is all about and are going there to worship Almighty ALLAH. Secondly there should be rigorous application of the five-year interval rule where one can only go on hajj every five years (if one can afford it) and not every year as is the case with some people now.

    Thirdly,our pilgrims need to better organized, both here and in Saudi Arabia and pilgrimage ought to be better funded and not just relying on government sponsorship. In largely Muslim countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, people save for years to fund their pilgrimage and attend classes regularly to prepare them for the once in a life time opportunity. Here people can go straight from a beer parlour to the airport to board a hajj flight simply because they were being sponsored by government, why won’t they misbehave?

    Lets get our acts together and do the right thing and see whether anybody would want to mess with us. But as long as we open ourselves up for ridicule, even small rats will trample on our rights. This must stop. The Federal Government must in line with our foreign policy tell Saudi Arabia or any other country for that matter that Nigeria will not tolerate any maltreatment of her citizens in their country and that punishment for any infraction of the law must be commensurate with the offense committed. But can we really do this in our present situation? Let’s wait for Speaker Tambuwall’s report.

     

  • FG suspends pilgrims’ airlift over women row

    FG suspends pilgrims’ airlift over women row

     

    Nigeria has suspended flights to Saudi Arabia for the annual hajj pilgrimage, following a diplomatic spat over the detention of hundreds of female pilgrims for arriving unaccompanied by men.

    Saudi authorities have deported more than 600 female Nigerian pilgrims and detained hundreds for trying to visit the holy city of Mecca without male relatives.

    The Speaker of House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, was due to visit Saudi Arabia on Friday to try to resolve the spat.

    “The airlift operations have been temporary stopped … It does not make sense to airlift people to be detained on landing. We will resume when all outstanding issues are resolved,” Uba Mana, spokesman of National Hajj Commission, told Reuters on telephone.

    Women in Saudi Arabia are regarded as minors and require the permission of their guardian – father, brother, or husband – to leave the country, receive some kinds of medical treatment or work. They are not allowed to drive and are usually expected to be accompanied by a male chaperone.

    “The Nigerian pilgrims came with their visas stating that they have to have a male guardian accompanying them, either a brother, a husband, or another relative,” Saudi Hajj Ministry spokesman Hatim Kadi said.

    “Some came with their guardians and were allowed to enter. Those who came without their guardians were not. They violated the regulations which were clearly printed on their passports.”

    In Nigeria, where there are 80 Million Muslims, many practice a less restrictive form of Islam in which women are more or less free to move around as they like.

    “I use this platform to plead with our compatriots, to leaders in Nigeria to be mindful of statements that we make on this issue so that we don’t aggravate the situation,” Tambuwal said late on Thursday.

    All Muslims who are able are required to perform the hajj at least once, as one of the five pillars of Islam.

    The numbers taking part have risen sharply over the last 80 years from around 20,000 in 1932 to nearly three million in 2011.