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Tag: Madinah

  • Saudi Arabia Bans Selfies, Photos & Videos At Islam’s Two Holiest Mosques

    Saudi Arabia Bans Selfies, Photos & Videos At Islam’s Two Holiest Mosques

    The Hajj just became a bit less hip: Saudi Arabia has banned pilgrims from taking selfies at Islam’s two holiest mosques, effective immediately.

    Visitors to Mecca’s Masjid al-Haram, known as the Great Mosque of Mecca, and Medina’s Masjid an-Nabawi, or ‘The Prophet’s Mosque,’ will be prohibited from taking photographs or videos at the two holy sites.

    Saudi authorities stated that the ban will prevent unnecessary disturbances for those who wish to worship without distractions.

    While pilgrims may now be deprived of photographic mementos, security guards at the two holy sites have traditionally always been hostile toward people taking photos.

    Now that selfies and photographs of all varieties are officially prohibited, security guards have been instructed to “confiscate the photos and the camera if needed,” according to reports.

    Historically, Saudi Arabia has had a complicated relationship with selfies.

    Last year, Prominent cleric Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan, a member of the powerful Saudi Council of Senior Scholars, denounced those who enjoy “taking pictures with cats,” lamenting that feline photoshoots had been “spreading among people who like to be like the Westerners.”

    The revered cleric later clarified that “taking pictures is prohibited if not for a necessity – not with cats, not with dogs, not with wolves, not with anything,” he said.

    However, as recently as October, photographic evidence of a serious selfie habit was found on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Instagram account. The Saudi royal had taken an estimated 500 selfies in the span of less than two hours.

     

     

    Source: RT

  • ‘Bas Pelancong’ Madinah Sedia Bawa Anda Ke 11 Tapak Bersejarah Bandar Itu

    ‘Bas Pelancong’ Madinah Sedia Bawa Anda Ke 11 Tapak Bersejarah Bandar Itu

    Pihak berkuasa Arab Saudi kini mengenalkan satu khidmat baru di bandar Madinah, bagi para jemaah yang ke bandar bersejarah itu. Dipanggil “Bas Pelancong”, perjalanannya bermula di Masjid Nabawi, membawa para pengunjung ke 11 tapak di Madinah.

    Ini termasuklah ke tempat-tempat dan tanda mercu bersejarah seperti Jannat al-Baqi, Gunung Uhud, Masjid Qiblatain, Jalan Sultan dan pusat-pusat beli-belah.

    Menurut Saudi Gazette, khidmat bas terbaru itu memulakan perjalanan pertamanya pada Selasa (6 Jun) dan dikendalikan sebuah syarikat pelancongan yang mewakili Penguasa Pembangunan Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah.

    Laman akhbar itu juga melaporkan, dengan menyasarkan para pengunjung dari seluruh pelusuk dunia, perjalanan itu menawarkan para pemandu yang dapat bertutur dalam lapan bahasa.

    Fahad Al-Bayti, pegawai hubungan awam penguasa itu, ditukil Saudi Gazette sebagai berkata perjalanan sulung itu, yang disaksikan pihak media dan para peniaga sedang dalam peringkat persediaan untuk pelancaran rasmi projek berkenaan di masa-masa akan datang.

    Bas dua tingkat itu juga mesra penumpang kurang upaya supaya orang berkeperluan khas juga dapat menikmati manfaat projek unik berkenaan, menurut laporan Saudi Gazette.

    Encik Al-Bayti menarik perhatian bahawa pertimbangan dilakukan dalam menetapkan harga tiket supaya ia mudah diakses orang ramai.

    Projek tersebut juga termasuk lima bas pada fasa pertama, sebelum ia ditambahkan kepada 15 bas selepas itu. Ia akan beroperasi selama 14 jam setiap hari.

     

    Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

  • Projek Pembangunan Di Madinah Ditangguhkan 3 Tahun Lagi

    Projek Pembangunan Di Madinah Ditangguhkan 3 Tahun Lagi

    Projek pembangunan bernilai 50 bilion Riyal Saudi (S$18 bilion) di kota Madinah, yang dijangka dimulakan tahun ini, kemungkinan besar ditangguhkan sehingga tiga tahun lagi.

    Menurut para pengendali hotel di sekeliling Masjidil Nabawi, mereka dimaklumkan hal itu, baru-baru ini.

    Mereka sebelum ini menunggu notis untuk berpindah dari kawasan berkenaan untuk kerana kerja-kerja pembangunan tersebut.

    Pada awal tahun lalu, pihak berkuasa Saudi mula merobohkan hotel-hotel seperti Hotel Green Palace yang sederet dengan kubur Baqi’ bagi projek pembangunan kota Madinah dan Masjid Nabawi.

    Ini mencetuskan kebimbangan apabila hotel-hotel berdekatan Masjid Nabawi berkurangan, harga hotel yang masih ada tentu naik.

    Tetapi kini ada berita baik. Pihak hotel dimaklumkan bahawa notis roboh pihak berkuasa Saudi bagi baki hotel-hotel yang belum dirobohkan di Madinah, ditangguhkan mungkin sehingga tiga tahun lagi.

    Ini mungkin untuk mengelakkan kekurangan bilik hotel yang dekat dengan Masjidil Nabawi dan rombakan dasar kerajaan Saudi.

    Kawasan selatan Masjidil Nabawi kini sudahpun ada hotel-hotel lima bintang yang akan dapat menggantikan hotel-hotel biasa yang menjadi pilihan para jemaah umrah dan haji Singapura selama ini.

    Tetapi sama ada jumlah hotel di bahagian selatan Masjidil Nabawi itu mencukupi untuk memenuhi permintaan yang semakin bertambah, masih menjadi tanda tanya.

    Hanya selepas robohnya kesemua 26 hotel di kawasan utara Masjidil Nabawi, barulah perluasan Masjidil Nabawi sendiri dimulakan.

    Source: Berita MediaCorp

  • Antara Kelakuan Jemaah Haji Indonesia Buat Pegawai Haji Geleng Kepala

    Antara Kelakuan Jemaah Haji Indonesia Buat Pegawai Haji Geleng Kepala

    INDONESIA: Ibadah haji merupakan seruan Ilahi bagi umat Islam yang memiliki kemampuan baik dari segi kewangan ataupun jasmani.

    Namun, menurut pengalaman Panitia Penyelenggara Ibadah Haji (IPHI) Kota Cirebon, Indonesia, terdapat pelbagai kelakuan para jemaah dari negara itu yang boleh membuat sesiapa sahaja geleng kepala.

    Malah sebahagian daripadanya terpaksa melibatkan campur tangan polis.

    BAWA BERKOTAK-KOTAK ROKOK, UBAT KUAT UNTUK DIJUAL

    Menurut Ketua IPHI kota itu, Slamet, jemaah haji dari Indonesia, khususnya Jawa Barat adalah yang paling menyusahkan.

    Mereka seringkali membawa pelbagai barangan yang tidak perlu kerana mahu berjimat.

    Ada yang membawa periuk nasi, termos, berkotak-kotak rokok dan juga ‘ubat kuat’ untuk dijual di tanah suci.

    “Rokok dibawa berkotak-kotak. Demikian juga ubat kuat. Di tanah suci harganya mahal, jadi mereka boleh menjualnya dengan harga lima kali ganda berbanding harga di Indonesia,” menurut Encik Slamet.

    Selain itu, pernah juga terjadi pada tahun 2011, di mana seorang petugas ibadah haji (PPIH) di Arab Saudi menjumpai beras dan periuk nasi di dalam beg seorang jemaah yang berasal dari Solo.

    BAWA LEBIH 5 KILOGRAM BERAS, PERIUK NASI

    Ketua Sektor PPIH Arab Saudi, Aranto berkata, beg yang dibawa jemaah berkenaan terlalu berat.

    Rupa-rupanya, bukan sahaja pakaian, malah terdapat juga beras melebihi lima kilogram dan juga makanan kering serta telur.

    “Itu yang membuatkan beg beliau lebih berat berbanding beg-beg jemaah lain,” jelas Encik Aranto.

    Menurut salah seorang jemaah yang menginap di Hotel Holiday Villa, Madinah, jemaah itu membawa peralatan dan makanan tersebut bagi menyiapkan sarapan pagi setiap hari.

    “Kalau sarapan, beliau mahu masak mi segera atau nasi,” ujar jemaah tersebut.

    Pada tahun 2014, kerajaan Arab Saudi menetapkan undang-undang baru di mana para jemaah haji tidak dibenarkan memasak makanan sendiri.

    “Undang-undang dari kerajaan Arab Saudi dikuatkuasakan sebagai mencegah daripada kebakaran dan dimaklumkan kepada para jemaah Indonesia. Sekiranya jemaah haji tetap memasak nasi atau membawa masakan sehingga mengeluarkan aroma, sistem penggera akan berbunyi,” menurut Ketua Daker Makkah Endang Jumali.

    Meskipun begitu, masih terdapat jemaah haji dari Indonesia yang tidak bersetuju dengan undang-undang baru tersebut dan menentangnya.

    LANGGAR UNDANG-UNDANG BAWA MINUMAN KERAS

    Malah, seorang bakal jemaah haji yang akan berangkat ke tanah suci didapati membawa sekitar setengah liter minuman keras hasil penapaian yang dimasukkan ke dalam botol.

    Menurut jemaah berkenaan, minuman itu adalah ubat kuat, anti-penat supaya beliau lebih bertenaga untuk menjalankan ibadah haji di tanah suci.

    Minuman tersebut dijumpai petugas semasa melakukan pemeriksaan ke atas beg-beg jemaah, pada Jumaat (26 Ogos), lantas merampasnya sebagai bukti.

    Menurut seorang petugas bernama Avsec Bandara, jemaah yang membawa minuman keras itu merupakan seorang lelaki yang berasal dari Sulawesi Barat.

    Beliau menambah, minuman tersebut dirampas bukan sahaja kerana ia mengandungi alkohol malah ia boleh menyebabkan letupan di dalam pesawat.

    Selain minuman keras, petugas turut merampas beberapa barangan lain milik bakal jemaah.

    Source: berita.mediacorp.sg

  • Significance And Consequences Of ISIS Attack In Madinah

    Significance And Consequences Of ISIS Attack In Madinah

    Just when you thought Daesh (so-called IS) militants couldn’t add anything more gruesome to their image, they proved us all wrong again on Tuesday when they targeted the Prophet Mohammad’s Mosque in Madinah. The Mosque (known in Arabic as Al-Masjid Al-Nabawi) is one of two holy shrines the Kingdom hosts, and was one of three locations in Saudi Arabia targeted by terrorists on the same day.

    Internal investigations are under way to reveal the identity of perpetrators and whether or not the attacks were coordinated. Until then, it is safe to say that all three cases carry Daesh-like fingerprints, both in terms of execution and motives.

    More importantly, and contrary to what some may think, Daesh does declare the Kingdom an enemy, and only a few weeks ago, a Daesh leader called upon his horrid clan worldwide to launch attacks against their foes throughout Ramadan (the Muslim holy month of fasting which concluded Tuesday).

    The first attack, which occurred near the American Consulate in the coastal city of Jeddah, may have not only been meant as a jab at the West; but had it not been prevented it would have definitely ‘poisoned the water’ between Saudi Arabia and the United States.

    The second attack targeted two Shiite mosques in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The Shiite sect are a minority in the Kingdom and have previously had their own issues with the government. However, they (Shiites) are also a declared enemy of Daesh. As such, had this attack been successful it would have also managed to achieve two things: kill Shiites while also creating tension between this minority and the government by making it seem as if they weren’t properly protected by the Kingdom’s security forces.

    Yet, the most significant of all three attacks was definitely the attempt on the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. There are no words that could describe the horrific impact this attack — had it been successful — both in terms of symbolic significance and the potential number of casualties.

    So far, media reports have carried the following scenario: the bomber arrived to the mosque from the southern side during the sunset prayers (the time of breaking the Muslim fast). He was then stopped by Saudi security forces, who informed him that he was attempting to enter a restricted area which is only meant to be used as an exit passage for the people praying inside the mosque.

    Assuming that he (the bomber) was there to pray and break his fast, the officers offered him to join them for iftar. However, the bomber ran towards the mosque before he was stopped by the guards.

    Surrounded with nowhere to run, the terrorist detonated the bomb killing himself and the officers whose bravery and sacrifice prevented the attack from harming tens of thousands of innocent worshipers.

    As expected, the Madinah attack resulted in a wave of solidarity and condemnation across the globe. However, just because it was foiled, we shouldn’t simply move on or ignore its significance.

    Indeed, this is an attack that — literally — targeted the heart of Islam itself. As such, it must serve as an eye-opener to any remaining Daesh sympathizers among us who may still believe that their evil creed has anything to do with humanity, let alone Islam.

    And to those who are not Daesh sympathizers, but remain silent or indifferent… now is the time to speak up. Most definitely, if this horrid attack doesn’t stir unprecedented worldwide protests, then we — Muslims — deserve to be called nothing less than ‘hypocritical’.

    Why do protests only occur only when ‘the West’ is perceived to have humiliated Islam with, for example, a Danish cartoon or by something as trivial a British schoolteacher innocently agreeing that her Muslim students call their teddy bear Muhammad?

    Isn’t an attack on a holy mosque, which contains the prophet’s resting place, a far bigger insult to Islam? Or does an insult become acceptable if the perpetrator was “one of us?” (Obviously, the answer is ‘no’)

    However, it could also be argued that what is needed now is not anger nor protests. All we need is to apply and accept common sense; after all, it wouldn’t be logical to believe that someone would attack the prophet… in the name of this same prophet!

    Faisal J Abbas

     

    Source: http://saudigazette.com.sa