Hajj and the British Muslims - A Historical Perspective

Hajj and the British Muslim Community

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Hajj is an obligatory duty in a lifetime for every capable, both physically and financially to perform Hajj in a lifetime. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. As it is an obligatory duty, it is essential that every Muslim who is planning to go for Hajj is to make himself abreast about different aspects of Hajj. It is necessary to know about the social, economical, moral, educational and religious aspects of Hajj.

British Muslim Community
25,000 British Muslims go for Hajj every year and many thousands do Umrah and there was a need for British Muslims facilities not only consular advice but more important health advice and other kind of advice. These intending pilgrims have to understand the challenges and the rules and requirements during the Hajj. There are health and safety issues; booking traveling and accommodation issues and more importantly to make them aware about the tour operators and travel agencies.

Hajj Awareness
Feeling the pain of some losses of British Muslim lives during the tragedy which occurred during Hajj in 1989 and realising the importance of proper preparation for Hajj, the Union of Muslim Organisations (UMO) passed a resolution as early as 1990 calling upon the British Foreign Office to consider the establishment of an official Hajj Mission in coordination with the UMO. Some organisations, later on, were also started thinking about the desperate need to make an appropriate arrangement to promote Health & Safety Awareness of the British Pilgrims.

Thus, two organisations came up, one Association of British Hujjaj (ABH), a charity organisation, and another initially Hajj Advisory Committee, composed of major Muslim organisations, later became British Hajj Delegation. Let us begin with the Association of British Hujjaj.

Association of British Hujjaj (ABH)
In order to prevent any future loss of human life amongst British Hajj pilgrims, the Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK (ABH) the only National Hajj specific voluntary organisation in the United Kingdom, National charity, was formed in 1998 by professionals, senior doctors, religious scholars, and people from all walks of life to research and develop a positive plan to address these issues.

The aim of the Association of British Hujjaj is to provide up to date training and practical advice to pilgrims to perform a safe Hajj by distinguishing health and safety risks and devising strategies to curtail them and to create and update information regarding health and safety matters amongst the community, especially amongst those from relatively lesser educational background.

Hajj Awareness Week
The Association of British Hujjaj (pilgrims) U.K. has taken another initiative to launch first ever National Hajj Umrah (Health and Safety) Awareness Week in December 2004. It was launched by Lord Ahmed of Rotherham (Patron of ABH) at the House of Lords, London. Every year the ABH launches Hajj Awareness Week throughout the United Kingdom to make aware those persons who want to perform Hajj well ahead of the Hajj season immediately after the month of Ramadan.

The purpose of this national event was to raise awareness of the Health & Safety issues amongst the 25,000 prospective British Hajj & Umrah pilgrims who will start travelling from UK to join over 2 million other pilgrims in Makkah to perform Hajj. Every year after the month of Ramadan, the Association of British Hujjaj held a National Hajj (Health & Safety) Awareness Week at the House of Lords.

THE Association of British Hujjaj also carried out Meningitis Awareness Campaign every year. To make Meningitis Awareness Campaign a success, several events were organised, including the extremely successful re-launch of the meningitis campaign at the occasion of its annual conference in Birmingham, before the Hajj in January 2002.

Friends of the Association of British Hujjaj Award
This year, 2011, as usual, the National Hajj and Umrah (Health & Safety) Awareness Week was launched on 14 September, at the House of Lords by the Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK (ABH). For the first time in 12 years the Association of British Hujjaj has decided to present its special Award for the community services and for the noble cause of Hajj. While announcing the Award, Dr. Syed Raza Hussain, senior doctor from the Association of British Hujjaj, UK, said, “ABH is totally dedicated and committed to provide up to date knowledge and information to British Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.”

Dr. Hussain said, “Today’s selected “Friends of the Association of British Hujjaj, UK” are both well-respected in the community for their integrity, sincerity, loyalty, reliability and upright dedication to their community voluntary services and the noble cause of the ABH.” Today’s chosen two Friends of ABH are Mr. Sarbuland and Dr. Mozammel Haque,” declared Dr. Hussain.

Lord Ahmed, the Patron of the ABH (UK), presented the Award to Dr. Mozammel Haque, Media Advisor of the Islamic Cultural Centre, London, on behalf the Association of British Hujjaj (ABH), UK, at the House of Lords, in recognition of his community services and the noble cause of Hujjaj.

British Hajj Delegation: Background
Another organisation which is devoted to the service of British Hujjaj is the British Hajj Delegation. Let us go back to the background history of the formation of British Hajj Delegation. It may be mentioned that as early as September, 1990, the Twentieth Annual Conference of the Union of Muslim Organizations, UK & Eire (UMO), under the leadership of Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha, held in London, called upon the UMO to “continue its negotiations with the British Government to establish an official Hajj Mission to assist the increasing number of British Muslims who are performing Hajj every year.” Next year, again in September, 1991, at its Twenty-First Annual Conference held at the Cavendish Conference Centre, London under the chairmanship of Dr. Syed Aziz Pasha, UMO General Secretary, passed resolution to the effect that this conference “called upon the British Foreign Office to reconsider its position with regard to the establishment of an official Hajj Mission in coordination with the UMO.”

The Association of British Hujjaj (ABH) approached the Foreign Office, and the first meeting between the ABH and Foreign Office Minister Baroness Symons was held on 15th July 1999, in the House of Lords. The Minister agreed to facilitate Hajj arrangements to provide healthcare, welfare and support services, such as bereavement, lost pilgrims, loss of luggage, passport, flight tickets and money etc. for British Hujjaj at Makkah in Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Pasha had been continuing calling upon the government till Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham was appointed a Peer in the House of Lords when Lord Ahmed, as he has been in the House of Lords, asked the British government to form a delegation that can lead the Muslim members of the British community to Hajj. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office at that time under the leadership of Baroness Symons first established this service for the British Hujjaj. As a result, the British government was the first European or rather first Western government that actually appointed the British Hajj Delegation in 1999.

After a series of meetings at the Foreign Office, the first ever British Hajj Delegation, headed by Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, went to Saudi Arabia to help British Pilgrims at Makkah during the Hajj period in 2000. This delegation set up a camp in Makkah during Hajj 2000 to provide full range of free medical, safety and consular facilities to the British Hajj pilgrims. This delegation has dedicated services to the British Hajj pilgrims on annual basis each year since 2000.

Hajj Advisory Committee
After returning back from Hajj, Lord Ahmed resigned. And just one and a half month before the Hajj of 2001, Baroness Scotland sent the British Hajj Delegation led by Lord Adam Patel of Blackburn in 2001. There was no official launching of the Delegation as there was not enough time to do that.

In 2002, a Hajj Advisory Committee was formed. This Committee consisted of representatives of different shades of the Muslim community and representatives of the major Muslim organisations, such as Union of Muslim Organisations (UMO), Islamic Cultural Centre (ICC), Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), Al-Khoei Foundation and others. At that time, the office of the British Hajj Delegation was at the Islamic Cultural Centre, London. Even the British Hajj Delegation used to launch from the Islamic Cultural Centre, London. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw launched the British Hajj Delegation from the Islamic Cultural Centre, London, and addressed by Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan, Director General of the Centre and Lord Patel the leader of the delegation.

British Hajj Delegation
From the very beginning, the British Hajj Delegation was sent to Saudi Arabia by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in partnership with the British Muslim Community. From 2002 to 2006, every year, the British Hajj Delegation was launched by the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw from the Islamic Cultural Centre, Regents Park Mosque, London and it was attended by Lord Patel and Dr. Ahmed al-Dubayan, Director General of the Centre. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office in partnership with the British Muslim community was sending British Hajj Delegation to Makkah to provide help and support to the thousands of British pilgrims.

In 2006, Margaret Beckett, the then Foreign Secretary, launched the British Hajj Delegation from the Islamic Cultural Centre and Dr. al-Dubayan and Lord Patel addressed the launching event. The British Hajj Delegation represented an exemplary cooperation between the British Government, the Saudi Government, and the British Muslim Community. When David Miliband, MP, became Foreign Secretary he moved the office of the delegation and launched the British Hajj Delegation from the House of Parliament in 2007 and it was addressed by Lord Patel only. In 2008, the British Hajj Delegation was launched again by Foreign Secretary David Miliband from the Lancaster House and addressed by Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the United Kingdom and Lord Patel. And in 2009, it was again launched by David Miliband and addressed by Ambassador Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf and Lord Patel; but this time from the Blue Room of the Foreign Secretary’s Residence.

Thus British Hajj Delegation was started in 1999 and Lord Ahmed led the first British Hajj Delegation to Saudi Arabia in 2000 and from 2001 to 2009, Lord Adam Patel of Blackburn led the British Hajj Delegation. The British Hajj Delegation, since it has started, has directly supported over 23,000 British Pilgrims over the last 13 years.

The British Hajj Delegation, like the Association of British Hujjaj, used to launch every year its delegation before the Hajj. .The British Hajj Delegation used to go to Saudi Arabia every year; hold medical clinics, free medical treatment and offer consular advice in Makkah. There was a partnership among the British Government, the Saudi Government and the British Muslim Community. The Delegation used to comprise of 9 doctors, 3 consular officials and Lord Adam Patel of Blackburn, the leader of the Delegation.

Recollecting those days, Baroness Lady Symons of Vernham said at the House of Lords on 9 April, 2003, “Since 2000, we have supported and funded Hajj delegations. I remember well the valuable help that the noble Lord, Lord Ahmed, gave me in trying to set up that initiative. It involves a partnership between government and the Muslim community and has also been led by the noble Lord, Lord Patel of Blackburn. This year's delegation, which included eight medical staff, helped about 10 per cent of 15,000 British pilgrims. The noble Lord can take much credit for having been part of the trigger that got that going. We have also been running successful Islamic awareness training courses for our staff.”

British Hajj Consular Delegation 2011
In 2010, the British Hajj Delegation was launched from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) by the Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Minister without Portfolio. “Lord Patel has done tremendous amount of work and Lord Ahmed who set up the delegation also did tremendous amount of work,” said Baroness Warsi, at the launching of the British Hajj Delegation on 27th of October 2010 from the Durbar Court, Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) London.

This year, 2011, the British Hajj Consular Delegation was launched from the Durbar Court of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in the presence of Baroness Warsi, Jeremy Browne, Foreign Office Minister and Ambassador Prince Mohammad bin Nawaf on Monday, the 10th of October, 2011. The launching event was attended by Ambassadors, diplomatic representatives of different Muslim Embassies in London, Community leaders and media personnel. This year Ms. Nagina Akhtar, an experienced Consular Officer from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) will be leading the British Hajj Consular Delegation.

While launching this year British Hajj Consular Delegation, Minister Browne, thanked the Saudi Government for their “excellent services to all pilgrims”. Mr. Browne said, “The government of Saudi Arabia provides excellent services to all pilgrims. We are very grateful for their close cooperation with the British Embassy and the Consulate Directorate here in London.”

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has distributed a leaflet entitled “HAJJIS” which instructs and informs British Muslims what they have to do. The aim of the FCO Hajjis leaflet is to assist British Hajjis in preparing for the Hajj and to explain what services the British Hajj Delegation can offer British pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

Mosque seminars and training programme
Generally, Mosques play an important role everywhere irrespective of Muslim majority and Muslim minority countries to inform pilgrims, train them, giving them a brief introduction and training how to perform Hajj and what are its different rites.

With special reference to United Kingdom, besides the above two organisations, many Mosques hold seminars and training programme throughout the different regions of the United Kingdom, particularly in Midland, in Yorkshire and Scotland to make people become more aware and mentally prepared.

Hajj Awareness Week 2010 launches at the House of Lords

Hajj Awareness Week 2010
Launches at the House of Lords

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Hajj Awareness Week, like every year, was launched in the House of Lords on the 6th of October, 2010 by the Association of British Hujjaj (ABH). This is a preparation campaign for the British Hujjaj who will be travelling for pilgrimage to Makkah. The ABH is the only national Hajj specific organisation which organises high profile publicity campaigning throughout the year through the printed and electronic media, by special Television programmes on various TV channels, and also held seminars. The ABH will have grand annual seminar in Birmingham.

Hajj
Let us begin with the two terms or words used in the title; Hajj and Awareness. First of all, what is Hajj? It is the fifth pillar of Islam, the peak of the spiritual exercise. It has every aspect in itself, social, moral, physical, hygienic and spiritual. Whosoever wants to perform Hajj should prepare himself with information for Hajj. There are stages through which Allah the Almighty prepares Muslims to reach to that stage of Hajj.

Shahada or belief in the Oneness of God, monotheism is the basic, the foundation of Islam. Once the foundation is laid, the other actions start. After Shahada comes the Salat, the five times prayer. I think you know how the command comes from Allah for the prayer. Prayer is actually a gift from Allah through the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to meet our Creator, to be close to Him. It comes after the meeting of Our Prophet with Allah the Almighty in the night of Miraj. This prayer has all the aspects to prepare Muslims socially, morally, ethically, spiritually to be in front of Allah. The ablution cleans the body and prayer purifies the heart and prepares the worshiper to be in front of Allah the Almighty.

The third stage is Zakat. It is again the act of purification, the purification of wealth by sacrificing some portion of the wealth for the poor people, for the community. Just as the performance of the salat (prayer) is both an individual and a communal obligation, so payment of the zakat instills a sense of communal identity and responsibility.

Zakat purifies the property of the people with means and clears it from the shares which do not belong to it anymore, the shares which must be distributed among the due beneficiaries.

Zakat does not only purify the property of the contributor but also purifies his heart from selfishness and greed for wealth. In return, it purifies the heart of the recipient from envy and jealousy, from hatred and uneasiness; and it fosters in his heart, instead, good will and warm wishes for the giver. As a result, the society at large will purify and free itself from class warfare and suspicion, from ill feelings and distrust, from corruption and disintegration, and from all such evils.

Again, at this stage Allah the Almighty prepares Muslims to be able to make greater sacrifice to meet Allah. Here again, there are social, ethical, spiritual dimensions involved. Zakat is thus a vivid manifestation of the spiritual and humanitarian spirit of responsive interactions between the individual and society.

After Salah and Zakat comes Sawm, fasting, the next stage to come near to Allah, the self-control, restraining oneself from all evil deeds, thinking, and wrong doings in remembering the presence of Allah the Almighty. All adult Muslims, whose health permits, are to abstain completely from food, drink, and sexual activity. Ramadan is a time for reflection and spiritual discipline, for expressing gratitude for God's guidance and atoning for past sins, for awareness of human frailty and dependence on God, as well as for remembering and responding to the needs of the poor and hungry.

This is not only the physical training but also the ethical, moral and spiritual training before reaching to the highest, the peak of the spiritual exercise. This is the fourth stage which prepares Muslims again socially, ethically, morally and spiritually to meet his Creator.

The fifth pillar of Islam, the peak of the spiritual, social and ethical exercise is the pilgrimage. It is the highest order of sacrifice to come closer to Allah the Almighty spiritually, that’s why, the Hajjis come to the House of Allah with only two pieces of cloth and saying Labbaika Allahumma Laik. Allah I am here, Allah I am here. Every adult Muslim physically and financially able is expected to perform the annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah at least once in his or her lifetime.

Hajj was made a model of piety, fear of God, purity, simplicity and austerity. The pilgrims were ordered to purify themselves spiritually, to give up worldly things, to avoid all sexual desires, even refrain from intercourse with their wives, and to totally refrain from using bad and abusive language.

Combined with the Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving, and looked at as a whole, you will see that Hajj constitutes a preparation for the great task which Islam wants Muslims to do. This is why it has been made compulsory for all who have the money and the physical fitness for the journey to the Ka’ba.

Allah the Almighty prepares human beings from the day one, after the Shahada, the belief in the Oneness of Allah the Almighty (Tawheed), monotheism, to meet him. As I said earlier, in Hajj, there are Prayers, sacrifices and circumambulation (tawaf) of the Ka’ba. The only cry that one could hear was that which arose from the heart of the pilgrim: Labbyk, Allahumma labbayk, labbayk, la sharika laka labbauyk, inna ‘l-hamda wa‘n-ni’mata laka wa ‘l-mulka la sharika lak

Here am I before Thee, O God, doubly at Thy service. Before Thee I am, there is no partner unto Thee, doubly at Thy service here am I. All praise and blessings are Thine, and power. There is no partner unto Thee.

Hajj Awareness
That is what Hajj actually is and the pilgrim must have knowledge and information related to Hajj. Hajj is such a duty that the pilgrims have to know many aspects about this before travelling to Makkah. People were prohibited from starting out on Hajj without taking adequate provisions. Clarification was made that not taking provisions of a journey in this world did not mean, as was popularly believed, that one was thereby taking provisions for the Hereafter: And take provision for yourselves, but the best provision is God-consciousness (al-Baqarah 2: 197).

Nobody can be prepared to undertake this journey until and unless he has love of Allah in his heart as well as fear of Him, and is convinced that Allah wants him to do what he is doing. From the time of deciding and preparing for Hajj to the time of returning home, a tremendous impact is made on the hearts and minds of pilgrims. The process entails sacrifice of time, sacrifice of money, sacrifice of comfort, and sacrifice of many physical desires and pleasures---and all this simply for the sake of Allah, with no worldly or selfish motive.

The first is the physical fitness. It means not only medical but it includes everything; pilgrim must be physically fit to travel to Saudi Arabia and to complete every rite of Hajj, such as Tawaf and Saie, go to Mina and staying there and travelling to Arafat, Muzdalifah and back to Mina. All these pilgrims have to perform within a very short period of five or six days. That’s why you need to be physically fit.

It requires that Pilgrim must consult his GP about his health and take all other medicines that he requires. For this, it is necessary to make the pilgrims aware about their health and safety. For the last twelve years, the ABH has been carrying out this voluntary service of making people aware about the necessity of health and safety.

The second important thing is financial and economic aspects about which the pilgrims must have information. It is already said that those who are financially solvent Hajj is only obligatory for them, not for those who are not financially capable to bear their expenses. So far as the financial aspect is concerned, it is not only the financial solvency, it requires to have information and knowledge of all other relevant aspects and issues related to it, such as tickets, accommodation and also the expenses to be incurred during the period of staying. Nowadays, travel agents or tour operators are offering Hajj package. Pilgrims need to know about the terms and conditions of the Hajj package, the genuineness of the tour operators and all other issues related to it.

The third important thing is the religious aspect, i.e. to know the details bits and pieces about different rites of Hajj from Makkah, Mina, Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina and other related issues.

Fourthly, pilgrims must be aware about the service and benefits they can get when they are in Saudi Arabia. About this, there is British Hajj Delegation which has been operating since 1998 and for the last twelve years, the British Hajj Delegation in cooperation with the British Consular officials and staff carried out both the medical and consular services. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has already distributed a leaflet – Hajjis – which informs, instructs and explains pilgrims what they have to do (see below).

Besides these, I think and I have seen many people want to know about the situation in tawaf, saie, tents in Arafat and stoning in Jamarat. Recently, people also wanted to know about the transportation. About this, they must be informed. The facilities provided by the Saudi Authorities in Makkah, Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat, I would like to inform and aware the pilgrims in the next issue.

Hajj is an obligatory duty in a lifetime for every capable, both physically and financially to perform Hajj in a lifetime. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. As it is an obligatory duty, it is essential that every Muslim who is planning to go for Hajj is to make himself abreast about different aspects of Hajj. It is necessary to know about the social, economical, moral, educational and religious aspects of Hajj.

That’s why there is a necessity to create awareness among the pilgrims. In both Muslim and Muslim minority countries, there is arrangement to give some training to the pilgrims about Hajj. It is done both at the government level as well as at the non-governmental level, by voluntary organisation or at the travel tours level.

Mosques played an important role everywhere irrespective of Muslim majority and Muslim minority countries to inform pilgrims, train them, giving them a brief introduction and training how to perform Hajj and what are its different rites.

British Hajj Delegation
Recently, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has distributed a leaflet entitled “HAJJIS” which instructs and informs British Muslims what they have to do. Let us begin with what it said to British Muslims:

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) know how deeply important the Hajj is to all those who attend it. This year thousands of British Nationals will attend the Hajj. The aim of the FCO Hajjis leaflet is to assist British Hajjis in preparing for the Hajj and to explain what services the British Hajj Delegation can offer British pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

Health
The Saudi Ministry of Health has now established 21 hospitals to provide health care to pilgrims free of charge. Make sure that you have been vaccinated with the quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine (ACWY). You will be required to produce a valid vaccination certificate. Consult your GP if you are in any doubt.

The FCO also strongly recommends that travellers to the Hajj have a seasonal influenza vaccination prior to embarking on the trip.

For more information on health advice for travellers, visit http://www.nathnac.org/Hajj and http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/

Arrival and Departure
Travel within Saudi Arabia will be limited to Makkah, Madinah, Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. If you choose to travel elsewhere your travel agent will need to inform the Tawafa Establishment giving at least 24 hours notice. Pilgrims travel by buses provided by the General Cars Syndicate, using coupons provided by the Tawafa Establishment.

Help and Assistance
This year thousands of British Nationals will attend the Hajj. We hope that, like many thousands of Hajjis, you will have a trouble-free Hajj. However, if something does go wrong, the British Hajj Delegation, working with the British Consulate-General can provide you with a range of consular services. The information on this website can also be found on our Hajj leaflet which can be downloaded in English, Urdu, Bengali and Arabic.

The British Hajj delegation will be located at the Elaf Al Khalil Hotel (see Useful Contact Details below).

The Delegation can:
*provide information on how to transfer money
*arrange for replacement passports
*provide appropriate help if you are a victim of crime or are ill or in hospital
*do all we properly can to contact you within 24 hours of being told that you have been detained
*make special arrangements in case of civil disturbances or natural disasters
*provide contact details for local lawyers and provide a list of medical facilities
*arrange for next of kin to be told of an accident or a death and advise on procedures

The Delegation cannot:
*provide medical care
*become involved in private disagreements e.g. pilgrim and tour operator disputes
*rearrange travel bookings
*pay your hotel, legal, medical or travel bills
*get you out of prison
*give legal advice
*intervene in court cases
*investigate a crime

Travellers Checklist
Check the FCO travel advice to make sure that you are up-to-date with the situation in Saudi Arabia at www.fco.gov/travel or call 0845 850 2829. Check that you have the correct tickets and ticket details. Make sure that you book your tickets through an ATOL registered tour operator to avoid unnecessary difficulties. For more information please visit www.atol.org.uk.

Have contact details for your tour operator in the UK and their representatives in Makkah. Get travel insurance for all aspects of your journey. Shariah compliant insurance policies are available.

Check that you have had the required vaccinations for your pilgrimage and that you have vaccination cards with you.

Ensure that your passport is in good condition and the necessary visas are in place. Make copies of your passport, insurance policy plus emergency numbers and ticket details. Leave these copies, your itinerary and correct contact details with family and friends.

Individuals on medication should make sure that they have adequate quantities to get them through the Hajj period. Existing medication should be clearly labelled for each individual.

Ensure you have good quality footwear as you may have to walk long distances.

Ensure all your luggage is clearly labelled by placing stickers both on the outside and inside of your luggage showing your name, nationality, passport number, air carrier, flight number, hotel name and a contact telephone number.

Make sure you have the contact details of the Hajj Delegation and local consulate.

Please note any kind of photography (still or video) is strictly prohibited inside and around the two Holy Mosques. Anybody violating this will have their equipment and material confiscated.

Useful Contact Information in Saudi Arabia
Elaf Al-Khalil Hotel
Ibrahim Al-Khaleel Street
Al-Misfalah
Behind the Hilton Towers
Tel: 02 573 2555
Fax: 02 573 2666
British Consulate General, Jeddah:
Tel.: 02 622 5550
Fax: 02 622 6249

Launch of Hajj Awareness Week at House of Lords

Launch of National Hajj Awareness
Week at House of Lords

Dr. Mozammel Haque

Lord Nazir Ahmed of Rotherham, Patron of the Association of British Hujjaj (ABH) launched the National Hajj Awareness Week at the House of Lords on Wednesday, the 21 October 2008. While launching the Hajj Awareness Week, Lord Ahmed mentioned some of the achievements of the ABH: 25,000 British Muslims go for Hajj every year and many thousands do Umrah and there was a need for British Muslims facilities not only consular advice but more important health advice and other kind of advice which is now available in Mina, Muzdalifa and Arafat and particularly in Makkah.

The purpose of this national event was to raise awareness of the Health & Safety issues amongst the 25000 prospective British Hajj & Umrah pilgrims who will start travelling from next week to join over 2 million other pilgrims in Makkah to perform Hajj. Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, Steve McCabe MP, Roger Godsiff MP, Hazza Al Hasher from Saudi Embassy (London) and officials from various Government departments were present to support this event.

The British Pilgrims are at greater risk of accidents and contracting infectious diseases such as meningitis, hepatitis, influenza etc. “It is particularly important that pilgrims must be aware of the precautionary measures towards the recent Swine flu threat and that they must get vaccinated before their departure to Saudi”, said Lord Ahmed of Rotherham.

I had the opportunity to interview Lord Ahmed, the patron of the Association of British Hujjaj. Speaking about the importance of launching this event, Lord Ahmed said, “Every year the ABH launches the Hajj Awareness Week. It is important that we raise awareness because hundreds and thousands Muslims from the United Kingdom go for Hajj and Umrah every year 25, 000 of them for Hajj. We are unique in the sense that Government provides facilities in Makkah, Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafah through the Hajj Delegation which was established ten years ago.”

Lord Ahmed also congratulated the efforts of the Saudi Government saying, “the Saudi Government has been very kind in supporting this effort too.”

Lord Ahmed advised to take Meningitis and Swine Flu jab. “Sometime health and safety issues are not the priority of our community; we want to make sure that people are aware that Meningitis is a killer and people should be protected against the Meningitis jab. Secondly, Swine Flu is also a killer now and the government expects thousands of people are contracting it, so therefore it is important that people have a flu jab against that,.” advised Lord Ahmed.

Lord Ahmed also mentioned about fraud tour operators. “There are great majority of the tour operators they provide an excellent service and they do very hard work; but occasionally we get total fraud like last year in East London a Bengali gentleman who committed a fraud; he called himself a Kibla Hajj Services. That man, rightly so, Thank God, he was sentenced for six years. And I hope that the money he transferred to Bangladesh should be returned. 350 people were stunned with 2500 pounds per head. This is a lot of money and these are poor people and they had lost their passports. They saved the money for their life time. Unfortunately these types of things happened. And that should not be allowed.”

Lord Ahmed advised people to be vigilant and also to obtain a receipt from tour operators. “People need to be vigilant and they should report this matter if this happens to the police and also to the Trading Standard offices. But the most important thing is we know some people do not use credit cards or cheque books. Any money you give you must obtain a receipt from the tour operators.”

Lord Ahmed also mentioned that the people should make sure that these tour operators are ATOL registered, they should have some certification from the BIS and the Aviation Authority. “They should have government approval as well as a company which is responsible for looking after their things,” said Lord Ahmed.

Lord Ahmed also said that cheapest is not necessarily the best. “I think people should look at this year packages which are being offered. Cheapest is not necessarily the best. We know every body should go for cost effective but they should go for quality,” advised Lord Ahmed.

Another aspect which Lord Ahmed emphasized is about the religiosity of Hajj itself. “Hajj does not mean suffering; it does not mean hardship, it means worship. This is not an option, this is not going for holiday, this is part of Islam and people should be looking for the fulfilment of that spirituality,” mentioned Lord Ahmed.

Lord Ahmed would like to see more mosques to hold seminars and training programme so people should be mentally prepared. “We need to make sure that we should have host these events in regions. Next Sunday, in Midland, they are launching this event and then in Yorkshire and Scotland. So people become more aware. We would like more mosques to hold seminars and training programmes so people should be mentally prepared,” said Lord Ahmed.

Officials from Business, Innovation & Skills Department (BIS) and Metropolitan police also highlighted the issue of exploitation of the pilgrims by some tour operators. Members of Parliament Steve McCabe and Roger Godsiff commended the hard work of the ABH, UK towards the welfare and well being of the pilgrims. They strongly urged the British Muslim community that they should be aware of the illegal activities of some unscrupulous and rogue Hajj tour operators who are causing tremendous hardship and difficulties to the British Hajj & Umrah pilgrims and they also expressed their full support to ensure that the Hajj & Umrah travel industry is regulated.

“The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK (A.B.H) the National Hajj specific organisation is organising high profile publicity campaign during this week through press and electronic media, and also organising seminars and educational training programs to raise awareness of pre-travel Health & Safety issues amongst prospective Hajj pilgrims to prevent such tragic incidents in future”, said Khalid Pervez, General Secretary of the Association of British Hujjaj.

Recent Expansion of Haramain

This is the season of Hajj. It is necessary to write something about the developments and expansion of the Haramain, The Masjid al-Haram in Makkah and the Masjid al-Nabawi in Madinah al-Munawwarah.

Expansion of Masjid al-Haram
In 1988 King Fahd laid the foundation stone for the third Saudi expansion of the Sacred Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. The prime aim of the multi-million dollar programme was to make the places of Hajj more safely accessible to ever greater numbers. The development incorporated an expansion of the western wing of the existing Masjid al-Haram and a subsequent enlargement of the building to hold more than a million worshippers. The expansion included over 60,000 square metre of prayer area on the enlarged roof, in addition to another almost 86,000 square metre in the surrounding plaza. An elaborate new entrance and 18 smaller entranceways have also been built.

The safety and comfort of the Hajjis has become a major concern for the authorities. The newly laid floor titles are made of specially developed heat-resistant marble and the whole structure is cooled by one of the world’s largest air-conditioning units. To facilitate the movement of the worshippers to the newly developed of area of the Masjid al-Haram during the busiest seasons, additional escalators are incorporated along side a number of fixed stairways in the northern and southern sides of the building.

In November 2004, King Abdullah announced the launching of the giant development projects in Makkah al-Mukarramah at a total cost of more than 35 billion Saudi Riyals. The seven projects include Jabal Omar Development Project, Parallel Road Development Project, Jabal Khandamah Development Project, Shi’b Amir Development Project, Northern Haram (Al-Shamiyah) Development Project and Ajyad Hospital Development Project. In April 2007, the Makkah Development Authority, the Makkah Municipality and the Presidency of the Haramain Affairs announced a further expansion project, to be completed by 2020. The master plan for the development of the city’s central district aims at accommodating three million residents and eight million pilgrims. Further expansion of the Masaa will reduce overcrowding and will be completed before the next Hajj season. Plans are also under way to air-condition the entire built-up area of the Masjid al-Haram.

The 55-year old Ajyad Hospital in Makkah which is located close to the Grand Masjid has been demolished. The 3,000 square meter space where the hospital was located will be added to the Masjid al-Haram’s courtyard, creating prayer space for some 7,000 worshippers. A modern high-tech hospital is being built on a 110,000 square foot plot to the south east of the Masjid to satisfy the needs of pilgrims, Umrah performers and visitors of the Holy Haram.

Expansion of Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah
Work on the Prophet’s Mosque began in 1985 and was completed in 1994. It increased the total area of the Mosque almost five-fold. A unique feature of the expansion project was the development of the 27 main plazas. Each plaza is now capped by a state-of-the-art sliding dome, which can be rapidly opened or closed according to the weather and can be used in unison or separately as required. The project also necessitated the building of six additional minarets, the most powerful visual sign of the Mosque, each 105 metre high construction being crowned with a 4 ton gold-plated crescent.

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah laid the foundation stone for a SR. 4.7 billion ($1.25 billion) expansion project at the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. The expansion project includes the installation of 182 sunshades in the Mosque’s courtyards which will give shade to more than 200,000 worshippers visiting the Mosque at any time. The development project also includes the expansion of the Mosque’s eastern courtyard by a further 37,000 square metres creating additional prayer space for 70,000 worshippers.

First Hajj flights arrived in Jeddah
More than 3,000 foreign pilgrims on 19 flights arrived at the King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) on Tuesday, 20th of October, the first day for the arrival of Hajj flights in the present Hajj season. Director General of King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA) Mazen Khashoggi told reporters that this year’s Hajj would witness a qualitative shift in pilgrim services. Pilgrims are being received at 13 gates. Eight new air bridges will be ready for serving them shortly, the official said.

Regarding the new arrangement for the smooth arrival and departure of pilgrim aircraft, the director said, “The peak season of arrivals and departures of pilgrims this year has been extended to 21 days instead of 10 days as in the past. The number of inbound flights each hour at the beginning of Hajj will be limited to six for arrival and five for departure at the end.”