1.8m Muslims left Arafat, sleep in Muzdalifah

• NAHCON prays for Nigeria

It was a solemn atmosphere yesterday as 1,833,164 Muslims thronged Mount Arafah to conduct a major rite of the Hajj.

The pilgrims, who could not wait for the twilight of the sun to lighten their path, moved to the rocky plains to seek the mercy of their Lord in obeisance and remorse, hoping to be among those that will be cleansed of their sins after the Hajj.

Setting out with umbrellas against the searing sun when at its peak in the afternoon, the pilgrims from different nations could not hold back their tears as they sought for forgiveness, the goodness of this earth, the hereafter, as well as other blessings from their creator.

The Namirah Mosque which saw the shortening and combination of the Zuh’r and Asr prayers was filled to capacity and, despite the blazing sun which hit 48 degrees Celsius, Mount Arafah was overflowing with devoted pilgrims.

Despite its rocky terrain, both men and women were full of zeal to reach the top of Mount Arafah.

The presence of security personnel brought sanity in controlling the crowd of people all trying to pray at the peak of the hill and the sounds of helicopters hovering above also gave a sense of security to pilgrims.

The journey to Mount Arafat began much earlier as usual with pilgrims leaving their camps before midnight of Saturday.

This was to ensure every pilgrim was able to get there on time – before the noon prayers.

However, those who didn’t brave the scorching sun did their prayers in their camp tents.

At the Muna camp, Nigerian pilgrims received a treat as each of them was given a hand fan, an umbrella, pillow, blanket and a dhkir counter to prepare them for the journey and rite ahead.

Unlike previous years, Mount Arafah was bereft of illegal pilgrims who were said to have created chaos during last year’s Hajj. This is owing to innovations by the authorities in Saudi Arabia.

63.3% of pilgrims from Asia

According to the Saudi Press Agency, 63.3 per  cent of the total number of pilgrims for the 2924 Hajj came from Asia; followed by pilgrims from Arab countries, with 22.3 percent.

Pilgrims from African countries, and other than Arab countries, numbered 11.3 per cent, and pilgrims from European, American, Australian and other unclassified countries totaled 3.2 per cent.

The agency quoted the Kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) which gave a figure of 1,611,310 foreign pilgrims and 221,854 domestic pilgrims, both citizens and expatriates.

It added that the total number of male foreign and domestic pilgrims stood at 958,137, while the number of female pilgrims was 875,027.

“An overwhelming majority of more than 1.5 million pilgrims came by air. The number of foreign pilgrims who landed via Saudi airports reached 1,546,345 while 60,251 pilgrims arrived via land ports, and 4,714 arrived via seaports.”

‘I am here to seek Allah’s mercies’

Ibrahim Adam, a pilgrim from Sokoto State, said he climbed the hill to pray and to seek for Allah’s mercy.

“I have been looking forward to this day and thank God for sparing my life to witness it. The sun was hot but I needed to ascend the hill to feel the spirituality and touch the structure on it,” he added.

For, Halima Abubakar, a pilgrim from Kebbi State, said she started out for the hill as early as 6am.

“Coming here early has not been an issue. There are people sharing snacks and drinks for free so they made the whole experience easy. I pray to visit here again next year no matter the challenge I encounter. As humans, we are all sinners and I hope to be forgiven for my sins.”

Digitising Hajj process prevented illegal access

–NAHCON chair

Speaking on the smooth Hajj process in Mina and Arafah this year, the chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Jalal Arabi, said it was due to the digitisation pf Hajj process by the Kingdom.

“If we are talking about last year or the previous one, we could have seen faces of people who were not supposed to be here. With the new technology, you can’t be here unless you are a pilgrim and a genuine one.

“What people tend to forget is that any illegible pilgrim that has found his way here is displacing an eligible pilgrim, in other words, all the pilgrims that are here paid their money for the services. The money they paid includes where they will sleep, the bus they will ride and the food they will eat.”

“So imagine people coming and along the way displacing a person that has paid. That is a cheat, but part of this innovation that was introduced is that you have to have a card that gives you access for coming, you have to carry your visa, which will be scanned before even getting to your accommodation, the bus, that’s labelled in so many ways.

“With the much improvement in the services in the tent, you will know that if you do this according to plan, you are bound to have your space and enjoyment without any hindrance. So the digital Hajj introduced will be the best for everybody.”

On why Nigerians enjoyed better service this year despite getting discounts from service providers, Arabi said it was due to determination, the spirit of team work and patriotism.

“It is not an indictment in any way of our predecessors. We came in with a different strategy to see whether we are going to get other results and thinking positively. Collectively we have put all that it is on the table until we get desired result.”

The commission also organised a national prayer for Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other Nigerian leaders.

Arabi in his opening remarks expressed profound gratitude to Allah for counting those present worthy to be at Mount Arafat for the Hajj rites and the national prayer.

He urged all stakeholders present to continue to partner NAHCON with useful suggestions and activities for better service for the Nigerian pilgrims.

Selected Ulamas then took turns to offer supplications in Arabic, English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo,  Fulfude, Kanuri and some other Nigerian languages.

They all prayed for the restoration of peace and security in Nigeria and an end to kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes.

They prayed for Allah’s guidance for President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, the leadership of the National Assembly, state governors, local government chairmen and other Nigerian leaders so that they can successfully pilot the affairs of the country to a safe harbour.

Why there was no camp for Katsina State pilgrims

On why pilgrims from Katsina State did not have a camp in Muna, NAHCON said the problem arose due to the newly computerized Muna slot allocation system to individual pilgrims by Saudi Arabia’s Hajj authorities.

“Due to its novelty, the system did not achieve full synchrony with the human angle. It is for this reason that the Saudi Hajj Ministry created emergency units to accommodate affected pilgrims when identified.”

It added that investigation shows that other essential supplies would then follow identification of such pilgrims and communication with the respective office.

“What the viral video did not show was the presence of some Pakistani pilgrims also accommodated in the same location. In Nigeria’s case, however, the complaints were channeled to the social media instead of contacting their state or NAHCON officials directly.

“The NAHCON chairman, Malam Jalal Ahmad Arabi personally supervised the movement of pilgrims to Muna until the early hours of the morning. The chairman promised to ensure standard delivery of services paid for by the pilgrims,” the commission stated.

Borno clerics, pilgrims pray for peace as Borno records hitch free ritual

Meanwhile, Islamic scholars and pilgrims from Borno State have prayed in congregation for peace, progress, forgiveness and quality leadership during the rituals of the most important day in the Hajj ritual.

The ritual was carried out successfully without hitches, despite the excruciating heat suffered by the millions of pilgrims that gathered at the mount of Arafat.

The team of clerics (Ulama) under the leadership of the Chief Imam of Borno, Laisu Ibrahim Ahmad took turns to pray during the special session, while commending the pilgrims for their patience and friendly conduct throughout the spiritual journey.

One aspect that characterised the prayers was thanking Allah for the golden opportunity given to the selected pilgrims to perform the Hajj to seek forgiveness, purify their hearts and gain closeness to God.

They called on the pilgrims to use the opportunity to pray for the state governor, Prof Zulum for supporting them throughout the spiritual journey.

“He covered the cost of sacrificial animals (Hadaya) and Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) differentials that were worth over N521 million. I want us to pray for the Almighty Allah to give the governor and the hajj team the wisdom and strength to confront many challenges facing our state”, Ahmad said.

Many first timers interviewed said the spiritual exercise was hitch free and are longing to return next year if God will give them another opportunity.

Meanwhile, after the special prayer, at the Arafat ground, the pilgrims were transported in batches to Muzdalifah where the pilgrims will pass the night before moving to Muna on Saturday morning for symbolic stoning of Satan at Jamarat.