A successful Haj

source: whatisislamabout.com

A successful Haj

THE 2016 Haj season recently concluded with the pilgrims and officials alike terming it a safe, convenient and successful Haj— all the ingredients that go into the recipe called success. All pilgrims performed their fifth pillar rituals in peace and security. It was by far a very smooth Haj that concluded with no accidents. The sight of 1.8 million pilgrims traveling in unison to the holy sites at specified times, gathering and praying to Allah, was breathtaking. We all wish these pilgrims a safe journey back home and we are looking forward to host millions of pilgrims to perform their rituals in peace next year.

What was amazing about this year’s Haj, which is a seamless continuation of last year’s edition, the year before and previous ones, is the participation of our youth to serve the guests of Allah. We have seen them in all ages, men and women, not hesitating to provide any and every help the pilgrims may need. The concept of volunteering to serve pilgrims at holy sites only shows that our youth’s sense of responsibility is growing. The hard work they displayed at the holy sites is only an indication that a bright future is awaiting this country when this generation comes of age and joins the workforce by bringing this quality of hard work to their careers. I have seen and been told by many who performed Haj this year that our scouts played an important and vital role in providing guidance to lost pilgrims, helping families to find their missing children and loved ones and transporting injured and older pilgrims on wheelchair.

Our security officers — the eyes that never sleep — should be thanked for their efforts to ensure a safe and smooth Haj. In every corner, they were there watching, round the clock, and organizing the pilgrims’ movements in sync with the established plans for various sites. Despite bound by their duty, they went beyond the call of duty to assist those in need. They even carried pilgrims on their backs if they were not able to walk. We have seen hundreds of pictures and many video clips of officers providing assistance to those in need without them knowing that they were being filmed or photographed. They seek no reward but the reward from Allah to serve His guests with honor.

We have seen tired police officers and security forces beat their exhaustion with a quick shuteye and are back on their feet for yet another round of selfless service. They rest or sleep under bridges on the hard concrete in hot weather for a brief period and come back rejuvenated before joining the line of their fellow officers to organize, guide and protect pilgrims. The scene on the last day of Haj as pilgrims were exiting Mina with the officers standing on the side of the road waving goodbye to pilgrims was a heart-rending one, especially with the pilgrims greeting the officers back and some shaking their hands. In addition many were praying to Allah that they would come back one day to perform the pilgrimage again, while officers wished them a safe journey back home.

The Health Ministry played an integral role in this year’s Haj by providing treatment for sick and infirm pilgrims and even transporting and accompanying sick pilgrims all the way across the holy sites with a complete medical team, until they completed their pilgrimage. I watched the other day a special coverage on the efforts by the Health Ministry through the Snapchat account of Fares Al-Turki, Saudi entrepreneur, who revealed the whole gamut of the ministry’s efforts in keeping the pilgrims healthy and safe. He said that heart catheterization and open-heart surgeries are taking place alongside the prompt treatment for light and sunstroke cases.
While Al-Turki was filming, a doctor said that they had performed 27 open-heart surgeries on pilgrims and 300 heart catheterization operations.
Pilgrims who come form poor countries take advantage of the free medical services provided to pilgrims to get these operations done at no cost. It is said that some of the machines installed in the heart of pilgrims cost more than SR100,000 and it is provided free to pilgrims. The government, represented by the Health Ministry here, does not ask for their nationalities or where they come from, but provide all help to keep the pilgrims safe and healthy.

We thank all the other related authorities that participated in contributing to the success of this year’s Haj, all in their posts, working diligently and selflessly. I cannot highlight the services of every individual or authority as the space for this article is limited to mention all their efforts. But we acknowledge their efforts that energized the journey of a lifetime for a pilgrim. At the same time, we feel sorry for the Iranian pilgrims, who were deprived by their own government from performing Haj this year. We wish that Iran would come to its senses, if they have any, and finally understand that Haj is not a political occasion to push their ideology, but a spiritual journey of devotees and many stages of servitude in their worship of Allah.

The authorities are to be thanked that the squatting problem, which was a major one in the past, has dropped dramatically this year following a clampdown on illegal pilgrims. The numbers are also down sharply due to the awareness campaign on squatting as a problem and the tough punishment imposed on violating people.
Our aim to serve the guests of Allah will continue forever and whatever suggestions for improvement or ways to better serve pilgrims will be implemented next year. The only thing I wish is to see next year is the cost of performing Haj to drop to an affordable level. Once again all our thanks to those who participated and made sure that our guests are safe and sound.

5 Star Hajj Packages & 5 star Umrah Packages: For over a period of 15 years, British Hajj Travel is consistently offering top quality Hajj and Umrah tour packages.

Golden Umrah Package     Deluxe Umrah Package      Economic Umrah Package

Super Deluxe Umrah Package     Umrah Package      Ramadan Umrah Package

Source: saudigazette.com.sa