Be Good Ambassadors Of Nigeria, Pilgrims Urged

Nigerian pilgrims to this year’s Hajj in Saudi Arabia have been urged to be good ambassadors of the country during their stay in the Holy Land.

The managing director of Comerel Travels and Tours Limited, Ustaz Abubakr Siddeeq Muhammad, gave the advice Saturday in Abuja during the 2023 Hajj Induction course for intending pilgrims of the organisation.

Muhammed noted that there would be more pilgrims as their numbers have been restored following the exit of COVID-19.

“There are not many changes in rules for this year’s hajj, especially post-COVID-19. There would be more pilgrims as the number of pilgrims has been restored after the restrictions were lifted by the Saudi Arabia authority,” he said.

He also urged pilgrims to adhere to the rules of the hajj and that of the Saudi Arabia government to earn the desired rewards.

The Ameerul (leader) Hajj of the organisation, Ustadh Saidu Is’haq, tutored the intending pilgrims on theoretical and practical parts of the pilgrimage, while urging them to take the rites of Hajj serious and avoid distractions that can hinder their getting the maximum rewards.

Is’haq also urged them to learn the various Hajj rites before their journey so that they would be able to perform the act meritoriously, saying that the farewell tawaf is seen as sunnah or compulsory by scholars but that it is exempted for menstruating women.

“Pilgrims can use face/nose masks however the females should be wary that such masks should not cover the face whatsoever. Also, the usage of hand sanitiser is permitted, the sanitisers should be odourless as the general rule prohibiting perfumes still applies,” he said.

Advising them on their health, an Otolaryngologist, Dr Raheem Qadri, urged the intending pilgrims to take clean water to prevent dehydration and to avoid brackish (or salty) water to prevent itchy throat due to the water having heavy metal.