“This is mind-blowing. Nothing prepares you for the time when reality sets in…you are now on the ultimate journey of life.” That’s how former VOC sports presenter Irafaan Abrahams described his emotional first few hours at Mina’s tent city, where hujjjaj are spending the Day of Tarwiyah, the first day[…]
All roads lead to Mina on Wednesday as VOC brings rolling coverage on the coveted journey of hajj. This year, VOCs hajj theme is “perfect trust in God and reliance on Him alone.” “The theme is about what we can take from the story of not just Nabi Ibrahim (AS)[…]
Mina, which is often referred to as the white city, the city of tents and/or the city of five-day stay is all braced up to receive more than two million pilgrims of whom about 1.8 million have come from different parts of the world. The pilgrims will tomorrow (Wednesday) proceed[…]
For Muslim pilgrims in Qatar who hoped to perform one of the pillars of Islam, the annual Hajj that began this week is out of reach. This is because Saudi Arabia – which oversees and manages Islam’s two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina – has made it impossible for[…]
As the build up to the five days of hajj begins, the emir of Makkah and advisor to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal handed over the kiswa (cover) of the Holy Kaaba to Saleh Al-Shaibi, senior keeper of Kaaba, at a ceremony held at his emirate[…]
The South African Haj Travel Operators Association (Sathoa) says it’s concerned about the number of elderly and frail hujjaj, who travel without the support of a relative. South African haj operators are facilitating the movement of hujjaj before the big days of haj. Whilst dealing with the extreme heat, the[…]
Baiq Mariah, a 104-year-old woman from Indonesia, arrived in Jeddah on the first leg of her Hajj pilgrimage. She is the oldest among some 221,000 pilgrims from Indonesia this year. Mohammed Hery Saripudin, consul general of the Indonesian Consulate in Jeddah, told Arab News that Mariah is in good health[…]
This forms part of a series by hajj doctor Dr Salim Parker. More hajj stories can be found at www.hajjdoctor.co.za One of the great rewards of being consulted by intending Hajj pilgrims is to hear the narrations. There is always the trepidation of being vaccinated and to ease the anxiety[…]
By Abubakr Abrahams With the first group of South Africans set to embark on Haj 2017 this week, role-players in the haj sector are now tightening their logistical arrangements for the haj season. Some 2 million pilgrims from around the world will travel to the holy cities for the annual[…]
This forms part of a series by hajj doctor Dr Salim Parker. More hajj stories can be found at www.hajjdoctor.co.za ‘I spent all my money Doc,‘ he said. We were in Madinah and Hajj was still nearly a month away. Yet he did not appear sad at all. In fact[…]
WhatsApp us 