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Tag: haj

  • Saudi Man Circumambulated The Kaaba 700 Times, But Not To Perform The Haj

    Saudi Man Circumambulated The Kaaba 700 Times, But Not To Perform The Haj

    Adham Al-Hawwash, a Saudi in his middle age, had circumambulated the Kaaba about 700 times during this year’s Haj season but did not do the Haj. “I rent my wheelchair to the pilgrims and push them seven times around the Kaaba. This is how I make a living,” he said. He said he was obliged to circumambulate the Kaaba to enable the old or disabled pilgrims do their tawaf so he had no time to think of doing the Haj himself. Al-Hawwash said he was not in a good financial position that would have enabled him to do the fifth pillar of Islam and had to continue working hard to provide for his family.

    He said he started this job some years back on the advice of his mother, whose head he kisses every time he leaves his house. “I tie my waist with a piece of cloth to reduce my back pain. I also wear heavy stocking to avoid foot ache,” he said on how he prepares for work. Hawwash said he has pushed more than 100 pilgrims around the House of God at SR350-SR500 per head. “This is a tiring job but it earns me good money to spend on my family and save for the future,” he said.

    Hawwash said his job is seasonal climaxing during Ramadan and the Haj when pilgrims come in large numbers to the Grand Mosque. He also said he guides his customers to the best dua (supplication) according to the Prophet’s Sunnah. “The pushing of wheelchairs needs tactics, fair knowledge of the peak hours and a balanced distribution of strength to avoid exhaustion,” he said. Al-Hawwash said he eats dates and bananas to provide him energy, which he needs in his job.

     

    Source: Saudi Gazette

  • Pilgrims To Fly In Style With Malaysia Airlines’ Six Haj Charter Jets

    Pilgrims To Fly In Style With Malaysia Airlines’ Six Haj Charter Jets

    Malaysia Airlines Bhd’s (MAB) chief executive Peter Bellew has revealed more details on the flag carrier’s plan to offer charter flights for Muslims to perform the Haj and Umrah pilgrimages in Saudi Arabia.

    In an interview with CNN Money, Bellew said six Airbus A380 jetliners will be retired from service and refurbished to include prayer areas and ablution rooms for its passengers.

    “I think this will be the greatest turnaround in the history of aviation and maybe even of any business,” Bellew was quoted saying.

    Bellew said the jumbo jets will carry 715 passengers, compared to 525 people in the usual three-class configuration or 853 in an all-economy class configuration.

    “We are trying to capture 5 to 6 per cent of the global market, which is growing all the time,” said Bellew, a former executive at low-cost Irish carrier Ryanair.

    “People save to go to this for up to 30 years, and we’ve got great interest in the product already.”

    In Malaysia, most Muslims fund their pilgrimages using deposits in Lembaga Tabung Haji, and adhere to a national quota imposed by the Saudi kingdom. The wait could take decades before they actually perform the pilgrimage.

    Last month, Bellew said MAB could form a new airline to serve the Haj and Umrah charter market.

    “Interviews for key positions, for this airline, have already been initiated with plans underway with Airbus to increase the seat capacity to 720 seats on aircraft,” he told state news agency Bernama.

    The airline said it recorded a stronger performance in the fourth quarter of last year on the back of higher bookings and driven by a greater focus on the premium business traveller as well as all-inclusive economy fares.

     

    Rilek1Corner

    Source: http://www.themalaymailonline.com

  • Saudi Arabia Approves Increase In Singapore’s Haj Quota To 800 Pilgrims

    Saudi Arabia Approves Increase In Singapore’s Haj Quota To 800 Pilgrims

    More than four years after Singapore appealed for an increase in its official Haj quota, Saudi Arabia has agreed to the request, raising the number of places from 680 to 800.

    The news, which will be welcomed by the Muslim community here, was announced by Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Dr Yaacob Ibrahim on Friday (Feb 17).

    He noted that Singapore had appealed for an increase from 680 since 2012, in light of the reduction in quota for domestic and foreign pilgrims, due to the major development and upgrading projects taking place in the vicinity of the Holy Mosque in Mecca.

    Thanking Saudi Arabia for the increase in the Haj quota, Dr Yaacob said the Saudi authorities would also consider Singapore’s requests for additional Haj visas for this year.

    Dr Yaacob, who is also Minister for Communications and Information, was speaking on the sidelines of a visit to Al-Khair Mosque at Teck Whye Crescent.

    Upgrading works at the mosque are due to be completed by the second quarter of this year, and will result in an increase of 500 new prayer spaces, he said.

    Singapore’s current Haj quota is based on a 1987 formula by the Organisation of Islamic Conference, which set it at 0.1 per cent of the Muslim population here.

    Since then, the Muslim community here has grown by about 20 per cent, but the quota for the Haj, the fifth pillar of Islam, has remained unchanged. Currently, there are about 800,000 Muslims in Singapore.

    The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore will contact eligible Haj registrants regarding the additional vacancies available.

    Hari Raya Haji will be celebrated on Sept 1 in Singapore this year, and pilgrims tend to leave for the Haj about a month before in order to perform the necessary rituals in Mecca.
    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Jemaah Umrah Yang Terkandas Masih Menanti Penerbangan Ke Tanah Suci

    Jemaah Umrah Yang Terkandas Masih Menanti Penerbangan Ke Tanah Suci

    NILAI: Seramai 200 jemaah umrah masih terus menanti peluang menjejakkan kaki ke Tanah Suci selepas kegagalan syarikat penerbangan sewa khas mendapatkan permit kebenaran mendarat pada Isnin (12 Dis).

    Seorang jemaah, A. Husaini Rahman, 41 tahun, yang ditempatkan di sebuah hotel di Nilai bersama jemaah lain berkata, sehingga kini mereka masih lagi tidak mendapat sebarang maklumat mengenai status penerbangan mereka.

    “Sehingga kini, kami masih belum menerima apa-apa berita, saya dan jemaah lain hanya berhubung dengan pihak Eagleexpress Al-Fajr melalui panggilan telefon dan aplikasi WhatsApp sahaja yang mana hanya menyatakan masih belum menerima sebarang arahan kelulusan untuk melakukan penerbangan,” katanya kepada Bernama semalam (14 Dis).

    “Saya dan jemaah lain bingung dan sebagai orang Islam kami beramai-ramai berdoa agar diberi petunjuk dan berharap mendapat perkhabaran baik dalam masa terdekat,” katanya.

    Media pada Isnin melaporkan kira-kira 200 jemaah umrah yang dijadual berlepas bagi mengerjakan umrah pada hari berkenaan terkandas selepas penerbangan mereka ditangguhkan berikutan permit kebenaran mendarat masih belum diperoleh syarikat penerbangan sewa khas itu untuk membawa rombongan berkenaan.

    Bagaimanapun, usaha untuk mendapatkan penjelasan lanjut daripada pihak Eaglexpress gagal.

    Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

  • Jemaah Haji Singapura Selamat Berlepas Ke Arab Saudi

    Jemaah Haji Singapura Selamat Berlepas Ke Arab Saudi

    Kumpulan terbesar jemaah haji Singapura seramai 467 orang berangkat ke Arab Saudi, petang tadi (5 Sep).

    Menteri Bertanggungjawab bagi Ehwal masyarakat Islam, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim bertemu dengan mereka di kedua-dua terminal 2 dan 3 Lapangan Terbang Changi untuk mengucapkan selamat berangkat.

    Dr Yaacob juga berkata beliau optimis dengan meningkatnya jumlah penduduk Islam di Singapura, kuota haji 680 orang sekarang akan ditambah pada masa akan datang. Ini sungguhpun rayuan untuk menambah kuota haji bagi jemaah Singapura tahun ini tidak dipenuhi.

    “Kita juga buat rayuan untuk menambahkan lagi kuota yang kita telah diberikan untuk mendapatkan 1,000 setahun.

    “Dengan itu kita akan mempercepatkan lagi peluang bagi jemaah kita untuk memenuhi keperluan haji oleh kerana kita tahu bahawa ada banyak keinginan di kalangan masyarakat kita,” ujarnya.

    BERI JAMINAN MUIS SIAP SIAGA SEDIAKAN PASUKAN PERUBATAN

    Dalam pada itu, Dr Yaacob juga memberi jaminan bahawa Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) bersiap siaga menyediakan pasukan perubatan untuk para jemaah terutamanya di tengah-tengah penularan jangkitan Zika.

    MUIS menghantar 21 anggota delegasi untuk memelihara kesihatan, kebajikan dan keselamatan para jemaah haji Singapura.

    “Lebih penting ialah tanggungjawab setiap jemaah untuk menjaga diri mereka dengan baik, mengambil langkah-langkah berjaga yang tertentu.

    “Tapi kalau ia (sebarang insiden tidak diingini) berlaku, kita ada pasukan perubatan di Arab Saudi untuk menolong jemaah kita untuk mengatasi cabaran-cabaran kesihatan mereka,” kata Dr Yaacob.

    Antara jemaah haji yang berangkat ke tanah suci hari ini ialah Cik Siti ‘Alawiyah Johari, 26 tahun berserta ibu dan ayahnya. Tahun ini merupakan kali pertama mereka menunaikan haji. Segala persiapan dari segi mental dan fizikal sudah dilakukan sebaiknya.

    “Dalam segi persiapan, kita tahu informasi dari segi apa yang kita perlu buat di sana dan juga dari segi mengambil langkah-langkah berjaga tambahan,” ujarnya.

    141 JEMAAH NAIK SCOOT

    Daripada 467 jemaah hari ini, 141 daripadanya berangkat menaiki penerbangan Scoot – tahun pertama ia menyediakan penerbangan ke Jeddah.

    (Gambar-gambar: MUIS)

    Lebih menarik lagi bagi seorang lagi jemaah haji, Cik Sharifah Salmah Alhabshi, 60 tahun, ini merupakan pengalaman pertamanya menaiki Scoot memandangkan kali pertama beliau ke Makkah adalah dengan menaiki kapal laut.

    “Itu dalam akhir tahun 1974, 1975 saya masih budak lagi, saya pergi naik kapal dengan ibu, bapa dengan kakak saya. Jadi kita pergi haji dengan kapal Eastern Malaysia Raya, ia memakan masa 16 hari sampai ke Jeddah,” ujarnya.

    Kumpulan terakhir jemaah haji Singapura dijadual berangkat, lusa.

    Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg