Tag Archives: HAJJ

Hajj: Medview Airline rounds off operations with 772 pilgrims

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Medview Airline completed the airlift of Pilgrims for the 2016 Hajj back to Nigeria yesterday with a successful airlift of about 772 pilgrims.

The airline last two flights for the NAHCON assignment arrived Port Harcourt International airport and Kaduna International airport respectively on Monday.

The flight to Port Harcourt had 452 pilgrims from Rivers, Edo, Delta , Abia, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi and Cross River states while that of Kaduna had 320 pilgrims on board.

While giving praise to Allah for a successful Hajj operations, the Managing Director/CEO of the airline Alhaji Muneer Bankole commended NAHCON and the Federal Government for the necessary structures put in place to ensure a hitch-free Hajj exercise.

He also commended the Federal Government for all the efforts it is making to bring about peace and stability in all parts of the country.

Medview airline deployed 3 wide body aircraft – B747-300, B777-200 and B767-300 for the hajj operations.

Medview Airline is among the three carriers contracted by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for the 2016 Hajj operations. The airline has also made the record of being the first to carry out the NAHCON assignment at a record time.

Apart from the last batch of pilgrims, Med-View Airlines had few weeks ago hit 300,000 milestone of successful airlifting of pilgrims to and fro the Holy Land since 2006.

The figure was disclosed recently by the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Med-View, Alhaji Muneer Bankole.

According to Bankole, the fast growing airline had airlifted over 300,000 pilgrims since it started Hajj operations 10 years ago, while attributing the airline’s successes in the past decade to sincerity, honesty and commitment to the job.

He commended the cooperation and maturity displayed by the pilgrims during the Hajj exercise which coincided with the 10th anniversary of the airline’s foray into Hajj operations.

Meanwhile, pilgrims who travelled through Med-View Konsult have hailed the services provided by the agency which is an arm of Med-View Airline, saying the agency, through its various initiatives ensured they had a remarkable Hajj experience.

One novel initiative of Med-View Airline, according to the pilgrims, was the provision of free feeding for them in the morning and evening both in Makkah and Madinah.

They said they were able to perform all the rites of Hajj without stress owing to the ample enlightenment and lecture provided by Med-View team.

According to Mr. Ahmed Ojikutu, one of the pilgrims, in as much as there is always room for improvement, Med-View Travels Konsult had done excellently well in ensuring that the pilgrims performed the religious obligations in line with the dictates of Almighty Allah and traditions of Prophet Mohammad.

Med-View Head of Enlightenment, Imam Abdulsalam Abdulraheem had also advised the pilgrims not to return to their old bad ways of life which they had vowed to relinquish during the Hajj, saying they are now like new born babies without any sin.

2016 Hajj: Saudi Authority commends Nigerian pilgrims

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A Saudi minister in charge of Hajj on Thursday commended Nigerian pilgrims to this year’s pilgrimage for their discipline and comportment at the airport in Jeddah.

Abdullah Marghalani, who is the Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Affairs, made the commendation when he received the Chairman, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed, in his office at King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah.

He said since the start of the operation, he had not received any information of any misbehaviour by any Nigerian pilgrim.

The minister also commended the dedication and hardwork of officials of the commission at the airport, adding that their action had contributed to the smooth flight operation being experienced in the homebound journey.

“Both your pilgrims and staff have been cooperating with us in the task of delivering seemless service at the airport,’’ Marghalani said.

The official pledged to continue to work closely with the officials to ensure smooth operation.

He suggested for more enlightenment programmes for the pilgrims to enable them understand activities involved in the pilgrimage to ensure smooth operation at all levels.

Earlier, the chairman of the commission had commended the minister and his staff for their cooperation, which he said had greatly eased the operation at the airport.

He assured the official that Nigerian pilgrims and officials would continue to cooperate with the Saudi authorities to ensure improvement in the activities of the pilgrimage.

Mohammed congratulated the Saudi government and citizens on the occasion of the Saudi National Day, which was observed on Thursday.

Write Your Will Before Travelling For Hajj – Abuja Islamic Cleric Tells Pilgrims

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An Abuja-based Islamic scholar, Sheikh Yahya Al-Yolawi, has advised intending pilgrims to settle their debts and leave their wills behind before travelling to Saudi Arabia.

Al-yolawi, who is the Chief Imam of Area 10 Mosque, made the call while delivering Jumma’at sermon title:“ Essential tips for Hajj Preparations“ on Friday in Abuja.

“An intending pilgrim should settle his debts and leave behind him a clear record as well as writing all his wills or what he intends to pass to his family,’’ he said.

According to the cleric, the need to leave a will behind is because the journey to Holy land may be the final journey for a pilgrim.

He explained that hajj was a unique and extra ordinary journey in the life time of all pilgrims, adding that it was an invitation from Allah to the most famous acts of worship.

The cleric said that journey to hajj required high level of patience as it was always accompanied with difficulties, fatigue, physical and social abnormalities as well as intolerance from other pilgrims.

“One should not allow Shaitan (devil) to hijack him and spoil his hajj out of ignorance or annoyance,” he said.

Mr. Al-Yolawi said there was need for pilgrims to fulfill all the hajj requirements and avoid all things that would nullify his hajj rites with a view to getting all the spiritual benefits of pilgrimage.

“This emphasises on the importance of piety as first ingredient of one’s journey to Mecca, which means to maintain good relationship with your Lord by devoting yourself to obey him.

“The intention behind one’s journey to hajj must be for the sake of Allah alone as whoever performs any act of worship in order to please people or gain popularity has spoilt his action.

“Prophets Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: learn your rituals from me, for I do not know whether I would be performing Hajj after this Hajj of mine,” (Muslim Hadith no 1297).

Mr. Al-Yolawi admonished pilgrims to ensure that their sources of finance and other materials things were clean and legitimate because “Allah accepts only that which is pure’’.

He also warned pilgrims against taking photographs for whatever purpose while observing hajj rite, saying that such action could contradict pilgrims’ sincerity of performing hajj for the sake of Allah.

Similarly, the cleric said women having their monthly period should be in a state of Ihram when they pass the Miqat, adding that they should shower and do Talbiyah like everyone else.

Mr. Al-Yolawi, therefore, prayed to Allah to continue to protect Islam and safeguard Nigerian pilgrims as they take off to Saudi Arabia.

“May the Lord accept their Hajj, prayers, grant their supplications and bring them back to us safely and peacefully,’’ he said.

Hajj Stoning To Be Shortened After Deadly Stampede

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A stoning ritual which led to the deaths of about 2,300 people during last year’s hajj will be more tightly controlled during next month’s pilgrimage, Saudi newspapers reported on Wednesday.

The period during which pilgrims can perform the Jamarat ritual will be reduced by 12 hours, the Saudi Gazette and Arab News said.

The symbolic stoning of the devil will be performed as usual over three days beginning September 11 at Mina, about five kilometres (three miles) east of Mecca’s Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site.

But this year there will be no stoning allowed from 6:00 to 10:30 am on the first day, from 2:00 to 6:00 pm on the second day and from 10:30 am to 2:00 pm on the final day, the hajj ministry said.

“This procedure will enable the pilgrims to throw stones easily and will prevent any stampede that may result from overcrowding,” the Saudi Gazette quoted ministry undersecretary Hussain al-Sharif as saying.

He did not elaborate on how the new time restrictions would reduce the potential for overcrowding.

The stampede was the worst disaster in hajj history.

It occurred outside the five-storey Jamarat Bridge, a structure resembling a huge parking garage which hosts the stoning ritual and cost more than $1 billion to build.

It is almost one kilometre (more than half a mile) long and allows 300,000 pilgrims an hour to carry out the ritual.

Pilgrims blamed the stampede on police road closures and poor management of the flow of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims in searing temperatures.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, the interior minister who also chairs the hajj committee, ordered a probe immediately after the disaster but there has been no word on its findings.

However, officials have announced a number of safety measures including the revised stoning schedules.

At least 2,297 pilgrims died during the stampede on September 24, according to data from foreign officials, some of whom expressed concerns about difficulty in identifying the victims.

Read More:

http://guardian.ng/news/hajj-stoning-to-be-shortened-after-deadly-stampede/

2016 Hajj: Buhari Urged To Seek Quota Increase For Nigeria

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The Independent Hajj Reporters (IHR), an NGO, on Tuesday advised President Muhammadu Buhari to appeal to the Saudi Arabian Government to increase Hajj quota for the country.

 

This is contained in a statement jointly issued in Abuja by the National Coordinator and Publicity Secretary of the group, Messrs Ibrahim Muhammed and Abubakar Mahmoud, respectively.
The statement noted that the visit of Buhari to Saudi Arabia provided an opportunity for him to plead for Hajj quota increment for the country because of its large number of Muslim population.
It said that in 2015, Indonesia Hajj quota was increased by 10,000 after Indonesia’s president pleaded with the then King Salman during their bilateral meeting.

“In the last three years, the number of Hajj seats allocation to Nigeria stands at 76,000 due to the 20 per cent cut necessitated by the Grand Mosque expansion project,’’ said the statement.

It also recalled that prior to the 20 per cent slash Nigeria’s annual allocation was about 92,000; which the group noted was grossly inadequate.

Within the same period, however, countries like Pakistan, India and Indonesia are allocated 94,000; 143,000 and 160,000, respectively. But as for Nigeria, a country with over 60 million Muslim population, got 76,000 Hajj seats,” the statement said.

It therefore urged the president to request for more Hajj seats for Nigeria as more than a million Nigerian Muslims compete for the 76,000 available slots allocated to the country yearly.
The statement observed that the reduction had made it difficult for those who have the capacity and ability to perform their religious obligation.
It suggested that seats that were not fully utilised by other nations could be given to Nigeria to ease the challenge of scarcity of Hajj seats.
It also urged Saudi Hajj Authorities to consider the request for increase in Hajj seats in view of the tremendous progress made by Nigeria in terms of compliance with Hajj rules.

 


(NAN)

Hajj Stampede: Nigeria’s Death Toll Rises To 222, DNA Analysis To Be Used

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The grim figures keep rising and is expected to keep rising as scores of pilgrims still are unaccounted for. The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has disclosed that the number of Nigerian pilgrims who died as a result of the September 24 Hajj stampede in Mina, Saudi Arabia, has gone up to 222 even as Sokoto and Kano states still top the list of casualties.
Speaking all the way from Saudi Arabia on Sunday, NAHCON official Dr. Ibrahim Kana, said 355 Nigerians were affected in the tragedy, Daily Trust reports.

“By the latest figures we have so far identified 222 bodies, 130 missing and three recuperating in the hospital. We are not leaving any stone unturned until we account for all Nigerians, dead or alive. Majority have been buried in Makkah. We have all the records of graves of Nigerians. The idea is that
we would share this with relations who may want to visit and pray for them.

“But the DNA analysis that we would be carrying out in Nigeria in the coming weeks would provide identity for everyone. The DNA kits that we collected from the Saudi authority would be used on relations back in Nigeria. The DNA analysis would be conducted in Riyadh and we would go round the country to take blood samples from the victims’ relationships either father, mother, son or daughter,” Kana, who is the commissioner in charge of Health for the Hajj 2015, said.

He said two female pilgrims who became unconscious due to the stampede had since regained consciousness. Though they were formerly tagged unknown, they had now been found to come from Kano State, he said.

As at October 21, the death toll from the stampede was put at 2097, based on tallies by French news AFP.

However, Saudi Arabian Authority has yet to provide an updated death toll from the 769 it earlier mentioned.