"Makkah and Madinah News and Updates"

[Arabian Legend]

 

[elszADaQ]

 

[al-Hasani]

Time for me to update this important thread.

Madinah Haramain station

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[al-Hasani]

Old Makkah during the days of the Sharifate and early days of KSA

 

[al-Hasani]

1,000 from families of Palestinian martyrs to be king’s guests at Haj

Monday 8 September 2014

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will sponsor the Haj pilgrimage of 1,000 Palestinians whose family members were killed during the latest Israeli offensive on Gaza.

This brings to 12,000 the number of Palestinians, whose family members had either died or gone to prison, who have been personally sponsored by King Abdullah to perform the pilgrimage.

Saleh Al-Asheikh, minister of Islamic affairs, endowments, call and guidance, appreciated the king for his support to Palestinians.

“This display of hospitality by our leader emphasizes that our Kingdom is tasked with serving Islam, Muslims and the holy sites,” said Al-Asheikh.

The minister said this is the sixth such initiative in a row and is part of continued Saudi support for the Palestinian people.

“The ministry has come up with a special program to host the Palestinian pilgrims and help them perform the religious rituals comfortably,” he said.

“The ministry will make every effort to ensure that their stay is comfortable and their pilgrimage successful.”

1,000 from families of Palestinian martyrs to be king’s guests at Haj | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

King hosts 1,400 pilgrims from 70 countries

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
​

Wednesday 10 September 2014

A total of 1,400 Muslim leaders from more than 70 countries will perform Haj this year as guests of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, said Islamic Affairs Minister Saleh Al-Asheikh on Tuesday.

“King Abdullah has instructed us to make arrangements for hosting 1,400 pilgrims from different countries around the world to perform Haj this year as his guests,” said Al-Asheikh.

He said the king’s gesture reflects his care and support for Muslims all over the world and his keenness to strengthen Islamic solidarity by enhancing relations between Muslims in different countries.

The royal guests will come from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Maldives and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Muslim leaders from Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, India, Serbia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Ireland, Iceland, Niger, Uganda, Rwanda, Madagascar, Zambia, Comoros Islands, Kenya and Tanzania are also among royal invitees.

“We have hosted more than 22,000 Muslim leaders, including women, to perform Haj as royal guests in recent years,” the minister said, adding that new people are selected for the program every year. “This year’s guests include pilgrims from 40 African countries,” he said.

The ministry has taken every measure to make the program a big success and take care of the royal guests. “We have set up several committees for this purpose,” said Al-Asheikh.

King hosts 1,400 pilgrims from 70 countries | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

Notorious Makkah district to be demolished

TIME'S UP: The Al-Nakasa district, home to scores of Burmese
and other illegal expats, is known for its squalid living conditions.​

Thursday 11 September 2014

More than 100,000 Burmese nationals living in Makkah’s Al-Nakasa district will be forced to vacate the area to make way for a mass redevelopment initiative.

Authorities intend to demolish more than 1,200 buildings and properties, which had been built without acquiring a license from Makkah’s municipality.
Earth-moving equipment has already been deployed at the site to remove the buildings as part of a massive project to redevelop random areas in the region at large.

Several residents in the district, located in a mountainous area, choose a random spot to live and then build their own makeshift homes using red bricks and other basic construction material without permission from government agencies concerened.

“This district is a Burmese stronghold,” Abu Talal, a Burmese resident who has lived in Makkah for over 20 years, told Arab News. “The Saudi government did not take action against these illegal buildings for a long time, but has since come up with new plans to redevelop the entire region,” he said.

The red buildings can be seen dotting the mountainous landscapes they juxtapose.
“This district is a high-crime area and an illegal expat stronghold,” he said.

Makkah’s development projects will cost an estimated SR300 billion in coming years, with a third of this money allocated to public transportation and to the King Abdullah Project, which is devoted to upgrading the city.

Makkah Mayor Osama Al-Bar said that the government would also build 260 new residential districts in the city over the next 20 years.

Al-Bar said the city is currently working on implementing projects worth an estimated SR6 billion, including the fourth circular road, underpasses and overpasses, pavements, a lighting system, gardens, sports centers and other services for citizens and visitors.

Makkah is the Kingdom’s most attractive site for such projects. However, investment conditions need to be enhanced to help boost this sector, said several experts.

The mayor admitted that there have been delays in implementing the projects, but that authorities were looking into ways to resolve these issues.
The Al-Nakasa district is renowned for its poor-quality living conditions. Garbage can be seen piling up all over the area, while the area also has no sewage network.

The district’s low-income residents have, nevertheless, adapted to living in such squalid conditions.

Makkah’s municipality, meanwhile, had accused several citizens of using land without government permission, putting them in clear violation of regulations since they have no proof of ownership of these pieces of land.

Notorious Makkah district to be demolished | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

Thank God. Should have been done long ago but better late than never as they say.

Arafat will have permanent fireproof tents

Arafat​

Monday 15 September 2014

The holy site of Arafat, where more than two million pilgrims stand in prayer at the peak of the annual Haj pilgrimage, will have permanent fireproof tents next year like Mina, said Maj. Gen. Sulaiman Al-Amr, director-general of the Civil Defense Department.

“The fireproof tent project for Arafat will be implemented next year or the year after,” Al-Amr said in comments published on Sunday. He said specialized committees that were set up to conduct a study on the project have recommended its implementation.

The Arafat tents, to be designed like the Haj Terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport, will have two floors and will accommodate nearly eight million pilgrims. The project is estimated to cost about SR2 billion.

Habeeb Zainul Abideen, undersecretary at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, said the project would change the face of Arafat completely. “It will cover an area of eight million square meters,” he said, adding that the double-story tents would increase Arafat’s capacity by 71 percent.

Saud bin Hamdan Al-Dikri, director of projects at the ministry, said the Arafat tents would be fire-resistant with a minimum height of 15 meters. The ground floor of these tents will be for common and pedestrian use as well as for first aid, food, maintenance and cleaning services. “The project will eliminate the risk of fire hazards posed by cotton tents currently in use,” he added.

Some domestic Haj service firms, meanwhile, said they are planning to sign contracts with specialist companies to set up 100-percent heat-resistant German-made tents in Arafat. Some groups have invited bids for the purpose.

Ali Muqallid, manager of a company that supplies European tents, said his company rents high quality fire-resistant to Haj service firms.

He said the Civil Defense has no objections on erecting the tents in Arafat so long as they comply with the safety regulations. Specialized companies set up 400,000 meters of tents for Tawafa organizations and domestic Haj service firms in Arafat during the last Haj season, one source said.

Arafat to have permanent tents | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

 

[al-Hasani]

Journey of faith: Asir Haji about to touch finish line​

DETERMINED: Al-Qahtani during his pilgrimage walk that also aims to boost local tourism.​

Tuesday 16 September 2014

A 60-year-old Saudi man who embarked on a journey by foot from Asir, south of the Kingdom, plans to reach Makkah by next week.

Nasir Al-Qahtani, who reached Taif on Sunday morning, is performing Haj on behalf of his late mother and plans to celebrate the Kingdom’s National Day in Jeddah.

Al-Qahtani passed by several governorates in the Asir region, carrying the Saudi flag and the logo of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities in support of national tourism.

He is also carrying a popular logo to raise awareness about traffic safety. “I wanted to embark on the Haj pilgrimage by foot to be able to enjoy my country’s natural beauty and to cheer on development,” said Al-Qahtani.

“I want to promote the idea of spending time within the country and confirm the role played by SCTA chief Prince Sultan bin Salman in encouraging domestic tourism.”

He added: “I timed my arrival next week because I love Makkah, its governor and its people and thank them for serving Umrah and Haj pilgrims,” he said.

Journey of faith: Asir Haji about to touch finish line | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

Field teams to clean Jabal Al-Noor

Jabal Al-Noor​

Monday, 22 September 2014

MAKKAH — The municipality of the holy city has deployed a number of field teams to clean the Jabal (mountain) Al-Noor, which is one of the religious and historic areas pilgrims usually prefer to visit when they come to do Haj.

Assistant mayor for services, Abdul Salam Bin Solaiman Al-Mashshat, said the municipality has doubled its cleaning and environmental correction efforts in all areas these days using modern vacuum cleaners and solar garbage bins in addition to golf cars and other equipment.

"The municipality has deployed more than 8,500 cleaners to work in Makkah during the Haj season," he said.

Director general of the municipality's department of cleaning Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Morqi said the municipality has deployed a number of teams to do manual and electric cleansing of Jabal Al-Noor and the surrounding areas.

"We are using garbage trucks of various sizes to collect the garbage and dump it outside the holy city," he added.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140922218934

A dream travel destination for centuries

Tuesday 23 September 2014

The incredible land of Saudi Arabia has been a dream travel destination for centuries and millions of people visit the Kingdom each year from around the world to see this wonderful land.

Most of the visitors have historically been Muslims undertaking pilgrimages to perform their religious duty of Haj and Umrah, however, there are others in substantial numbers who come to experience the scenic beauty spread across the beautiful. Of course the citizens and expatriates have been traveling to experience domestic tourism.

Apart from the two holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, the most favorite and popular destinations of religious tourism in the world with around two million pilgrims performing Haj every year and millions performing Umrah around the year, the Kingdom offers both natural and historical wonders, from the mountain resorts of Taif and Abha, the majesty of ancient Nabatean tombs and the historic Jeddah and Madain Saleh in Madinah province to the multicolored coral reefs of the Red Sea.

Majed bin Ali Al-Sheddi, director general of information and official spokesperson of SCTA, in this context recently pointed out that the number of visitors to the Kingdom, which exceed 14 million in a year, are mostly Haj and Umrah pilgrims, as Haj and Umrah are the two important religious rites that the Kingdom is proud to serve their seekers and saves no efforts in their service.

The others who visit the Kingdom are for the various purposes of work and along with the citizens these residents constitute the visitors for domestic tourism, which is witnessing rapid growth.

A recently released report for 2014 by the Tourism Information and Research Center (MAS), the statistical arm of the SCTA, revealed that the number of domestic tourist trips during the current summer (June to August), were over 5.8 million, compared to 5.5 million tourist trips during the same period last year, registering a growth of 5.4 percent.

The report also said that the expenditure by domestic tourist trips for current summer was over SR6.2 billion, compared to SR 5 billion during the same period last year with a growth rate of 24 percent.

Moreover, the statistical data for the current summer (June to August) indicates that the number of outbound tourist trips have reached 5.5 million with a growth rate of 2 percent.

Moreover, the outbound trips expenditure, as per the report, has exceeded SR 29.6 billion, compared to SR 22.3 billion for the same period in 2013, registering a growth rate of 32.7 percent.

Furthermore, with the ongoing multi-sectoral rapid developments under the visionary leadership of Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, the Kingdom has entered a new phase of comprehensive development with focus on travel and tourism sector under the able leadership Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of SCTA, with the tourism commission entering a new stage of comprehensive tourism development, through which it focuses on a number of vital sectors and job and investment opportunities at its forefront.

According to the World Travel and Tourism Council projections, the Saudi travel and tourism sector has the potential to generate an income of more than $48 billion (SR180 billion) by 2022.

Commenting on domestic tourism Al-Sheddi underlined, “As SCTA strongly believes that the most important tourism that it should focus on is the domestic tourist, it persistently seeks to meet its aspirations and is committed to provide highly integrated tourism experience in a manner that suits the Kingdom’s status, name and displays the level of its progress.”

He asserted that thousands of expatriates of different nationalities also constitute an important tourism market.

Meanwhile, in a major step forward to develop geo-tourism in the Kingdom, Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) joined with the SCTA to review the list of geological sites in the Kingdom and work out a comprehensive formula on it and the two government agencies have begun work to determine a number of sites for development under the geological tourism project.

Geo-tourism is a kind of tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place, its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents and in tourism industry parlance it is considered as a niche market and significantly growing at the global level.

SCTA explored the international experiences for utilizing them in the development of geo-tourism in the Kingdom, as the tourism sector is witnessing unprecedented growth and handsomely contributing to the national GDP and job market with new opportunities for the Saudi youth.
This new dimension of tourism is under serious consideration to take the tourism sector to new highs by transforming deserts in the Kingdom from empty wastelands into a source of revenue generation and employment opportunities.

Commenting on geo-tourism, Osama Al-Khelaiwi, director general of tourism sites development, SCTA, recently said: “Development of geo-tourism is a strategic goal for SCTA as it has promising future and indeed a source for domestic and international tourism in the Kingdom.”

According to him two projects will be selected as model and a nucleus for the development of geological tourism in the short term and also will locate a geological site for registration

in the UNESCO’s list as the first geological park in the Kingdom.

Notably, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) in a report recently announced that Saudi deserts have a huge potential and appeal when it comes to environmental and geo-tourism.

“For a country like Saudi Arabia, where a huge segment of its geographical area is covered by desert, there is great potential to develop geological tourism,” the world tourism body said.

Interestingly, according to the annual report of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) for 2012-2013, the tourism sector is set to create about 1.3 million jobs by 2015 and about 1.8 million by 2020, offering direct employment opportunities in its sub-sectors and indirect jobs in areas induced by tourism-related activity.

The 49th SAMA report released recently said: “The SCTA evaluation has confirmed the tourism sector’s ability to provide a growing number of direct jobs in the tourism sub-sectors as well as indirect employment opportunities induced by tourism activity in other economic sectors linked to the tourism sector, in addition to job opportunities that could be developed in subsequent periods as a result of the economic spending cycle in all the sectors that are related to tourism development.”

The report also refers to the SCTA’s efforts in the development of the hotel sector, as the number of hotels operating in the Kingdom by the end of 2012 reached 1,098 of different grades, and the number of furnished residential units in the Kingdom by the end of 2012 reached 1,971, distributed across various cities in the Kingdom.

The biggest share of these are found in the Makkah province reaching 522 units (26.5 percent), followed by the Riyadh region (26.3 percent) with 519 units.

Significanlty, in order to promote local tourism SCTA has come together with the commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (CPVPV) to strengthen ethical part and work for the rapid development of the tourism sector by jointly working on ways to enhance cooperation and integrating efforts in the tourism events and festivals across the Kingdom and has signed agreements with several public funds such as the Saudi Credit and Saving Bank, the Saudi Industrial Development Fund, Agricultural Development Fund, Centennial Fund and the Human Resource Development Fund to finance the tourism medium and small enterprises.

The cooperation between SCTA and the Saudi Credit and Saving Bank and a number of other funds have resulted in the financing of a number of tourism and heritage projects worth over SR250 million.

They include Masjid Al-Haram, Makkah; Masjid e Nabwi, Madinah; Entertainment cities boosting local cities; Scenic beauty of Abha; Resort city of Taif; Historic Jeddah; and A collage on Saudi Tourism

A dream travel destination for centuries | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

Let me recommend this website​

http://www.hajj-umrah-media.com/index.php​

 

[al-Hasani]

Some photos

Nimrah Mosque may be rebuilt
​

Saturday, 27 September 2014 - 3 Dhul-Hijjah 1435

MAKKAH — The Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Dawah, and Guidance is considering whether or not Nimrah Mosque and several other historical mosques in the ritual sites should be rebuilt.

All mosques, once rebuilt, will have multiple floors and will be renovated to accommodate a larger number of pilgrims.

The other mosques include Al-Mashar Al-Haram Mosque in Muzdalifah and Al-Kheef Mosque in Mina.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20140927219482​

Namirah Masjid in Arafat

​

 

[al-Hasani]

Jabal Uhud Park

Illumination at Jabal Uhud

The authorities must urgently do the same with Jabal al-Noor mountain which is not in the best of states and even has cracks on top of it. Both are very important historical places in Islamic history.

More photos

سبحان الله​

 

[al-Hasani]

More than 8,000 Iraqi pilgrims smuggled out of IS-controlled areas​

Wednesday, 01 October 2014

MAKKAH — Around 8,345 Iraqis who live in areas controlled by Islamic State were smuggled out in order to leave for the Kingdom to perform Haj, said the head of Iraqi Haj delegation and the country’s undersecretary of Haj, Makkah daily reported.

The trip was risky and pilgrims had to put their lives on line for the sake of performing the pilgrimage, Kamal Issawi said.

“Some of them marched through the Euphrates River in pitch-black darkness and had to walk over wood bridges to get to the other end while some were taken to remote areas then whisked away by military airplanes to Baghdad airport,” Issawi said.

It was an arduous task to get the Sunni pilgrims unscathed out of the areas that have been witnessing fierce clashes, he said.

Some pilgrims were transported to Kirkuk Governorate, north Iraq, which is currently under the control of Kurdistan, and were asked to stay inside mosques until they had been taken to Al-Sulaimaniya Airport, despite the fact Kurdistani authorities initially refused to transport them to the airport, he claimed.

“We didn’t lose hope and were determined to accomplish our task. “We succeeded in convincing Kurdistan authorities to help us.”

During the era of former Prime Minister Noori Al-Malki, Mosul’s Sunni population was banned from performing Haj. However, the ban was lifted.

This year there are 26,922 Iraqi pilgrims, 50 percent of whom come from Sunni and Kurdish areas.

They all arrived through Prince Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Madinah. Issawi thanked Saudi authorities for all facilities provided to Iraqi pilgrims.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20141001219954

@1000​

More photos

Pilgrims in Mina

 

[Zarvan]

More than 8,000 Iraqi pilgrims smuggled out of IS-controlled areas​

Wednesday, 01 October 2014

MAKKAH — Around 8,345 Iraqis who live in areas controlled by Islamic State were smuggled out in order to leave for the Kingdom to perform Haj, said the head of Iraqi Haj delegation and the country’s undersecretary of Haj, Makkah daily reported.

The trip was risky and pilgrims had to put their lives on line for the sake of performing the pilgrimage, Kamal Issawi said.

“Some of them marched through the Euphrates River in pitch-black darkness and had to walk over wood bridges to get to the other end while some were taken to remote areas then whisked away by military airplanes to Baghdad airport,” Issawi said.

It was an arduous task to get the Sunni pilgrims unscathed out of the areas that have been witnessing fierce clashes, he said.

Some pilgrims were transported to Kirkuk Governorate, north Iraq, which is currently under the control of Kurdistan, and were asked to stay inside mosques until they had been taken to Al-Sulaimaniya Airport, despite the fact Kurdistani authorities initially refused to transport them to the airport, he claimed.

“We didn’t lose hope and were determined to accomplish our task. “We succeeded in convincing Kurdistan authorities to help us.”

During the era of former Prime Minister Noori Al-Malki, Mosul’s Sunni population was banned from performing Haj. However, the ban was lifted.

This year there are 26,922 Iraqi pilgrims, 50 percent of whom come from Sunni and Kurdish areas.

They all arrived through Prince Muhammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport in Madinah. Issawi thanked Saudi authorities for all facilities provided to Iraqi pilgrims.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20141001219954

@1000​

More photos

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Pilgrims in Mina

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Thanks for the pictures brother @Horus

 

[al-Hasani]

Thanks for the pictures brother @Horus

The pleasure is on my side, brother.

Al-Asheikh to deliver Arafat sermon for 34th year in a row​

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Asheikh delivering a sermon in Arafat in this file photo.​

Friday, 03 October 2014 - 9 Thul-Hijjah 1435

JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Asheikh will deliver sermon on Friday prior to the standing (wuqoof) at Arafat, the most important ritual of Haj. He is delivering the Arafat sermon for the 34th year in a row. Asheikh, who lost his vision at the age of 17, sees this unique honor as a great blessing from Almighty Allah as a result of his mother’s supplication. When Asheikh lost his vision, his mother consoled him not to disappoint, saying that the infinite mercy of God may shower on him. “May Allah bless you through giving an opportunity to address the Islamic world,” she prayed. Her words produced an electrifying impact on him and encouraged him to devote fully to acquire more and more knowledge and disseminate it to a large section of the people. The supplication of mother became a reality after two decades when he started delivering Arafat sermon.

In an Arafat sermon, Asheikh said: “I am standing on this site where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stood and addressed his companions during his farewell Haj. Following the Prophetic tradition, I am undertaking a great responsibility of getting the Arafat sermon heard not only by around three million pilgrims but also to nearly 1.5 billion Muslims all over the world.”

It was from this spot, where now Nimrah Mosque is situated, more than 100,000 companions of the Prophet (pbuh) embraced the basic tenets of Islam from his farewell sermon and set out across the four corners of the world preaching and spreading the sublime message of the divine religion.

The Prophet (pbuh) preached about the oneness of Allah and talked about piety being the only barometer of one’s closeness to Allah during the sermon.

Reenacting this tradition, Asheikh, 73, started delivering Arafat sermon from the Hijri year of 1402. He continued delivering the sermon even during the period of the former grand mufti and world renowned scholar Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Baz.

Asheikh was appointed as the grand mufti and head of the Board of Senior Ulema and the Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Ifta in June 1999 after the death of Bin Baz on May 13 the same year.

Born as a member of the Kingdom’s leading religious family of Al Asheikh in Makkah in 1941, Asheikh memorized the Holy Qur’an at the age of 11. Asheikh’s father died while he was 8. He had optical problems while he was a child but this did not stand in the way of his passion to acquire knowledge. Asheikh lost his vision totally while he was a graduate student at the Scientific Propagation Institute, Riyadh.

After graduation at the age of 19, he joined the Shariah college under Riyadh’s Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University and obtained a degree in Arabic language and Shariah sciences. Later, he served as a teacher both at the Riyadh institute and Shariah college. For nearly quarter of a century, he has been serving as the imam and khateeb of Riyadh’s Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Mosque.

It takes more than two months for Asheikh to draft the Arafat sermon. He starts preparations immediately after the holy month of Ramadan. At the outset, he visualizes the content of the speech after going thoroughly through the farewell sermon of the Prophet (pbuh) and pondering over the major contemporary challenges facing the Islamic Ummah and the ideal solutions for them.

He also holds discussions with other eminent scholars. In Dhul Qada, he finalizes the ideas and dictates them to his aide. In the days before Haj, he memorizes the speech and recollects them repeatedly. Asheikh enjoys a spiritual mood until after finishing the speech. He rarely sleeps the previous night of Arafat sermon and does not take much food before delivering the sermon. He engages mostly in prayers and supplications as well as in recollection of the memorized speech.

In recent years, a major thrust in his sermons has been focusing on Islam’s moderation and tolerance as well as Islam’s unequivocal position against extremism and terrorism.

The Islamic world’s core issue of Palestine has been another major highlight. He also came up with Islamic solutions for the global economic crisis, besides warning against the dangers involved in misusing the satellite channels and Internet especially by the younger generation. Asheikh cites several Qur’anic verses and Traditions (Ahadith) of the Prophet (pbuh) to substantiate the ideas he shares with pilgrims in the sermon.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20141003220152

Changing of the Kiswa

Prayer at Numirah Masjid in Arafat

​

 

[al-Hasani]

Arafat day - 9th Dhu al-Hijjah
3 October 2014​

The video by Al Arabiya captures the act of humanity of Saudi Arabian female guides who volunteered to work in the Holy Sites and take care of children who get lost during Haj. One of the aides recounts the reuniting of the lost boy Idriss, who was lost in Arafat while his mother was praying at the Nimrah Mosque. His family claimed him on Saturday at the Jamarat Center, one of the two such centers with the other in Mina. The centers has reunited 41 lost children with the families with nine children still being looked after.

Female guides volunteer to take care of children during Haj | Kingdom | Saudi Gazette​

 

[al-Hasani]

Rains excite Hajis as Jamrat ritual progresses

Monday 6 October 2014

Pilgrims symbolically stoned the devil on Day 4 of the Haj on Sunday. Chanting “God is Greatest,” pilgrims threw seven small pebbles at each of three gray stone walls in the last ritual of Haj. The ritual, will be repeated on Monday as the Haj winds down.

Throughout the day, the weather remained cool with overcast skies. To add to the happiness of the pilgrims, a steady stream of cool winds was blowing across the valley sending excitement among the more than two million pilgrims who are camping in Mina.

As soon as we got off at the Jamrat train station, we were welcomed by a cool draft of air," said Ahmad Sayeed, a Sudanese pilgrim. "And when we started walking toward the Jamrat complex to carry out the stoning ritual, it looked as if a divine shade had been created to protect the pilgrims," he said. For the pilgrims, it was the shade of Allah and a sign of His mercy.

The stoning ritual was done with absolute ease. There were no bottlenecks. Even elderly pilgrims could stone the devil with ease and comfort. Huge fans at the Jamrat complex blew humidified air to keep the area cool. At around 4 p.m., the skies opened up and Mina experienced light showers. Pilgrims expressed their joy by coming out of their tents, and exclaiming, SubhaAllah, in unison.

"This is Allah's sign that our Haj has been accepted," said Abdul Bari, from Dhaka, Bangladesh. "This means our sins are being washed away."

With just one day to go for the completion of this year’s Haj, many pilgrims were seen engaged in supplication and prayers.

Kamal Ahmad from London said the whole exercise required mental preparation.

Overcoming the stresses of Haj is a metaphor for what must be done in life, he said. “The aim is to always seek the peace of Allah,” he said. “It teaches us that all of life is a spiritual quest.”

The pilgrims will stream out of Mina today after performing what for many will be a once-in-lifetime journey of faith.

Rains excite Hajis as Jamrat ritual progresses | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

Pilgrims in Mina

Aerial view of Mina & Jamarat bridge

_______________

 

[al-Hasani]

Aerial view of Mashair Metro

Most successful Haj ever

Tuesday 7 October 2014

Authorities have described this year’s Haj as the most successful ever as more than two million pilgrims performed their religious rites with peace.
“The Haj 1435 was a big success,” said Makkah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah. “I thank the Almighty for helping the pilgrims perform their Haj rituals easily and comfortably,” he said.

He congratulated Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, Crown Prince Salman and Deputy Crown Prince Muqrin for the successful Haj operation.

Pilgrims from across the world were full of praise for the Saudi government's arrangements while foreign media persons commended Saudi security forces’ crowd management capability.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims streamed out of the tent city of Mina on Monday at the culmination of this year’s Haj. They performed the symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing seven pebbles at each of the wall-like structures of the Jamrat.

It was extremely hot, but the movement near the Jamrat was orderly and uninterrupted. As part of the tradition, pilgrims have to leave Mina before sunset on Dul Hijjah 12. If for some reason they cannot do so, then the tradition is that they have to stay one more night and perform the stoning ritual.

The Jamrat Bridge was packed from 1 p.m. as a steady stream of pilgrims were brought in from different stations in Mina to the complex. Nearly one million made the trip on the final day of the stoning. Many went to the bridge on foot from their camps in various parts of Mina.

A pilgrim from Egypt, Ahmad Al-Masri, told Arab News that this was his third Haj. “The first time I came was in 1994. You cannot imagine how difficult Haj was in those days,” he said, while walking about the Jamrat complex.

“There was no train at that time and we had to walk many miles between the holy sites. The Saudi government deserves praise for having done a meticulous job. They have expanded Mina beyond imagination.”

Mohamed Al-Bunyan, an elderly pilgrim, said: “Haj demands physical and financial ability. If you have the money and no physical strength, then you cannot perform Haj. It demands personal sacrifice,” he said.

Mohammed Javed Rahman, from Bijnor, India, had his two-and-a-half-year-old son, Mubashir, with him while performing the stoning. Asked why he brought the little one, he said: “He wouldn’t stay with any of my relatives. He insisted and so I brought him. This is my first Haj and everyone tried to dissuade me from taking him, but I must tell you that he did not bother me at all. I took him on my shoulders for all the rituals and he’d laugh all the time. In fact, he was my strength at Haj.”

Rahman also praised the Saudi government for having done such a wonderful job organizing two million people. He said the only hitch was when he had to take the train from Arafat to Muzdalifa. The crowd was too much to handle for the train managers. “Save for that, everything else went well.”

The pilgrims moved out to the Grand Mosque in Makkah to perform the farewell circumambulation or Tawaf Al-Wida. Later in the night, domestic pilgrims left for their hometowns in various Saudi cities including Taif, Riyadh Jeddah, Dammam and Jazan. Most of the pilgrims from abroad went to Jeddah International Airport to catch their flights home.

Most successful Haj ever | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

Triplets born in Makkah on Haj

Members of the medical staff of the Maternity and Children's Hospital's
delivery section pose for a souvenir picture with the triplets.​

Tuesday 7 October 2014

A Makkah couple were blessed with triplets on Sunday, officials of the Maternity and Children's Hospital said on Monday.

The mother of the male triplets delivered her babies as more than two million pilgrims from 163 countries performed Haj in the holy city.

Hospital director Dr. Anas Sadayo said the mother gave birth 15 minutes after she was rushed to the hospital as she started having labor pains.

Anas said the "complication rate in the birth of triplets is high, but with the grace of God Almighty the medical team performed the delivery process smoothly."

The babies each weighed between one to one-and-a-half kilograms, said Dr. Suhair Mahjoub, an obstetrician and gynecologist.

Triplets born in Makkah on Haj | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

Health Ministry declares Haj 2014 free of Ebola, MERS

Health Minister Adel Fakeih fields questions during a press conference in Makkah on Monday.​

Monday 6 October 2014

MINA: Health Minister Adel Fakeih has declared this year's Haj epidemic-free as he announced that 70 people who were considered as possibly having MERS have all tested negative of the coronavirus.

“I am pleased to announce the Haj was free of all epidemic diseases,” Fakeih told reporters in Mina as pilgrims performed the last rituals of the Haj and began leaving the holy sites.

About two million Muslims from 163 countries have performed Haj this year. The Haj drew a cross-section of humanity, from presidents to commoners, including a wounded Syrian rebel war veteran.

The health ministry employed thousands of health workers to make sure pilgrims were protected from two deadly viruses, Ebola and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus.

Fakeih set up of a “command and control” center to direct the Haj health operation, and required every pilgrim to complete a health screening questionnaire.

Passengers were monitored by thermal cameras that detect high body temperature, and 15 isolation rooms were set up to hold any suspicious cases at the airport in the city of Jeddah.

Saudi Arabia is the country hardest hit by MERS, which has killed 322 people in the kingdom since it first appeared in September 2012.

The health ministry on Sunday reported two more MERS deaths, one in Riyadh and another in the mountain city of Taif, 80 kilometers east of Makkah.

Because of the Ebola epidemic that has killed more than 3,000 people in West Africa, pilgrims from the hardest-hit countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone were not allowed to perform Haj this year.

The Saudi Red Crescent Authority also declared the emergency response plan for the Haj season a success. Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, president of Saudi Red Crescent Authority, said emergency air and ground teams responded to about 15,000 cases in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.

The Red Crescent employed some 3,600 emergency personnel, including doctors, technicians and support services, with some 536 ambulance teams scattered in the holy sites.

Health Ministry declares Haj 2014 free of Ebola, MERS | Arab News — Saudi Arabia News, Middle East News, Opinion, Economy and more.

 

[al-Hasani]

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