JEDDAH, 1 December 2007 -- Sheikh Saud Al-Shuraim, an imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, has called upon pilgrims to perform their Haj duties and other rituals in an orderly manner without causing harm or discomfort to fellow pilgrims.
Delivering Friday sermon to the hundreds of thousands of faithful who packed the mosque complex, the imam also urged pilgrims to keep away from activities that would spoil their Haj, such as rivalry and fighting or blocking pathways.
"During his farewell Haj, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) instructed Omar Al-Farouk (may Go be pleased with him) not to cause harm to others while kissing the Black Stone (at the Holy Kaaba). All faithful must follow this instruction and behave nicely and mercifully with other pilgrims while performing their rituals," Sheikh Shuraim said.
More than 500,000 pilgrims from different parts of the world have already arrived for the Haj, which is scheduled to begin on Dec. 18. Approximately 2.5 million faithful are expected to perform Haj this year.
"Pilgrims should respect the feelings and rights of others. As the Prophet had once said kindness makes things beautiful and its absence discredits them," Sheikh Shuraim said, insisting that kindness was essential for worship to attain perfection.
The imam also reminded the faithful that Islam does not force Muslims to do something that they cannot do.
"The Prophet used to advise preachers that they should make things easy for people," he said, but urged those who give religious rulings (fatwas) with this in mind should base their opinions on sound evidence.
The imam was touching on an important point in his keynote address. Many pilgrims, out of ignorance, perform their rituals in a disorderly manner, pushing other pilgrims and not respecting the feelings of others. This again emphasizes the need for enhancing awareness of pilgrims.
The Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) in the United Kingdom, meanwhile, called upon Saudi authorities and Muslim communities across the world that creating an awareness culture among pilgrims was vital to avoid tragedies during Haj.
"They should make education and training programs compulsory for all prospective Haj and Umrah pilgrims to ensure that they all perform the pilgrimage in a safe and best possible manner," the association said in a statement. Every year about 25,000 British Muslims travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Haj and Umrah.
"Unfortunately there is accumulated evidence that the British pilgrims experience significant problems due to ignorance and lack of awareness," the statement said.
The association recently organized a Haj camp as part of its efforts to promote awareness among British pilgrims.
© Arab News 2007
