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JAKARTA (ANTARA) – Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and a form of worship that is mandatory for able Muslims. The pillars of Hajj include Ihram, Ukof of Arafat, Tawaf, Sayyid and Taharul.
Of course, Hajj is everyone’s dream, not only in Indonesia but all over the world. This year, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) invited 1,300 people from nearly 80 countries to be the guests of King Salman’s Hajj and Umrah activities.
In Indonesia, 50 citizens received free invitations from King Salman to perform Hajj. They come from all walks of life and regions in Indonesia. They will perform Hajj as guests of King Salman from June 8 to June 24.
The number of guests attending King Salman’s Hajj is not included in Indonesia’s national quota but is an additional quota for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia Faisal Abdullah Amoudi said the Saudi government and people always provide convenience for the guests of Allah.
The ambassador also prayed for the Indonesian Church.
“I hope you will become saints who have performed the Hajj, be forgiven and return safely to your homeland,” Amoudi said at a farewell event for Indonesian pilgrims in Jakarta as guests of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Saturday (July 6).
Meanwhile, Sheikh Ahmed bin Issa Al Hazmi, religious attaché at the Saudi Arabian Embassy, said that more than 50 people from all walks of life participated in the audience guest program of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud organized by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Religion.
In Mecca
At 11pm local time, the Indonesian Hajj guest group led by King Salman, accompanied by his attendant Sheikh Ahmad bin Isa Hazmi, departed from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after the farewell party and farewell ceremony for Indonesian pilgrims. At the airport, they enjoyed the fast track service.
The Fast Track Service is a fast-track document checking service for pilgrims provided by the Saudi Arabian Government Immigration Department in Indonesia.
This service can save time for pilgrims arriving at Medina or Jeddah airports. In Indonesia, the fast track service has been implemented in Jakarta, Solo and Surabaya airports.
The delegation flew from Indonesia to Saudi Arabia and arrived at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Mecca at 5 a.m. local time on June 9 after a nine-hour flight.
In Mecca, Indonesian pilgrims and guests from all over the world are accommodated in two five-star hotels about 5 kilometers from the Grand Mosque Masjidil Haram. The hotels also provide free shuttle services for guests to facilitate them to visit the Grand Mosque as much as possible.
At the hotel they have a variety of Middle Eastern dishes and quite sophisticated Western food for all meals a day.
In addition, the guests were provided with some Hajj facilities. During their nearly one-week stay in Mecca, King Salman’s guests also visited the Al-Wayu Museum, a historical site in the Hillah cultural district at the foot of Jabal Noor Mountain.
The Hira Cave in Jabal Nur is where Prophet Muhammad SAW received his first revelation from Allah SWT. Al Wahyu Museum uses the latest technology and modern visualization techniques to present an animation of the journey of revelation.
On June 11, Sheikh Awad bin Sabti Al-Anzi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Daweh and Islamic Guidance of Saudi Arabia, met with several Hajj guests from Indonesia’s King Salman and assured them of the best services.
“We want to ensure that our guests receive the best possible service,” Sheikh Awad said while meeting Indonesian pilgrims in the city of Mecca on Tuesday (June 11).
Sheikh Awad is the chairman of the King’s Program for Hajj Guests 2024, organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawkah and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Before the peak of the Hajj
On June 14, all of King Salman’s guests prepared for the Hajj and they took special cars to Arafat to attend the Ukof celebrations.
In Arafat, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia provided a tent complex for King Salman’s guests. There are several large tents in the complex, each of which can accommodate dozens of pilgrims from different countries. The men’s tents are in the front and the women’s tents are in the back. All pilgrims received sofa beds, blankets and pillows. There are also toilets, a restaurant, a clinic and a cafe.
During the Ukof Festival, all pilgrims prayed devoutly and recited the Koran inside and outside the tents. At that time, Indonesian female pilgrims also prayed together outside the tents.
Tears rolled down faces during prayers, testifying to the congregants’ sincere search for God’s forgiveness and goodness.
The next day, the pilgrims all headed for Muzdalifah. Upon arrival, they immediately collected 49 pebbles for the three pillars of Jamarat. After spending the night in Muzdalifah, they continued to Mina.
On June 16, the delegation arrived in Mina and stayed for three days. The tent for King Salman’s guests is only about one kilometer away from Jamarat, and is one of the closest tents to Jamarat. The service in the Mina tent is as satisfactory as in other places.
In Mina, pilgrims from various countries travel to Jamarat according to their own schedule to avoid the crowds of pilgrims.
In the Mina tent, male pilgrims are separated by nationality, but female pilgrims can also share a large tent with pilgrims from different countries.
On their second day in Mina, King Salman’s guests were surprised by the sudden arrival of Abdul Latif bin Abdul Aziz Al Sheikh, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Religious Affairs, Daweh and Islamic Guidance.
He was accompanied by his deputy Sheikh Awad bin Saabti Al Anzi during the visit. At the time, Minister Abdul Latif was keen to ensure that King Salman’s guests received the best possible service. The pilgrims appeared enthusiastic and happy with the attention shown by the Saudi Arabian government.
In addition, on the last night in Mina, the women congregants received a simple farewell party from the committee. All the congregants from all over the world then recited Salavat together. The committee also held a quiz game on religious knowledge, distributed prizes such as roses and prayer mats, and provided a large cake.
All female pilgrims welcomed the event. They are united in serving God together. There were many “heart-warming” moments in Mina, including several miracles, acts of kindness, help and struggle.
Finally, on June 18, King Salman’s guests left Mina and returned to the Makkah Hotel. Upon arrival at the hotel, the guests immediately performed Tawaf, Sai and Tahalul to complete the Hajj journey. For Indonesian pilgrims, the last Hajj activity started at 1 am local time and ended at 4 am local time.
In Medina
After completing the Hajj, King Salman’s guests continued to Medina, a five-hour bus ride away, where they stayed in several hotels near the Prophet’s Mosque.
On the second day, the guests were invited to visit several historical sites such as Mount Uhud, King Fahd’s Quran Printing House and Quba Mosque.
First, they visited Mount Uhud, which is located in the north of Medina and is about 1,077 meters above sea level. Mount Uhud is one of the most important mountains in Islam. After staying on the mountain for nearly 20 minutes, the guests continued to visit King Fahd’s Quran Printing Factory.
The King Fahd Quran Printing House (Majma Malik Fahd Li Thiba’ah Mushaf Syarif) is the largest Quran printing house in the world. It has been in operation since 1984 and has printed hundreds of millions of Qurans. Here, King Salman’s pilgrims learned about the production process of the Quran, saw the Quran printing site up close, and received several different versions of the Quran as souvenirs.
Afterwards, they visited Quba Mosque, which was the first mosque built by the Prophet Muhammad in the year 1 AH (622 AD) in Quba, which is about 5 kilometers southeast of Medina.
Here, King Salman’s guests performed two Rakat prayers. The prayers performed in the Quba Mosque are considered equivalent to a minor pilgrimage.
In Medina, guests also visited the International Museum of the Biography of the Prophet Muhammad, located south of the Prophet’s Mosque. This visually stunning museum features miniature models of the cities of Mecca and Medina, depictions of furniture used by the Prophet Muhammad, and other historical artifacts.
Indonesian pilgrims also visited Raudhah, the earthly paradise garden located at the Prophet’s Mosque, through the Nusuk app.
After staying in Medina for five days, the Indonesian pilgrims returned home via Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport at 10 pm local time.
Return to China
A few days after arriving in Indonesia, Ambassador Amodei hosted a welcome ceremony for King Salman’s guests at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Jakarta on Friday (July 5).
At the time, the ambassador said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s government provided the best services to pilgrims from all over the world, including Indonesian pilgrims and guests of King Salman.
Another guest at the event was Yenny Wahid, the second daughter of Abdurrahman Wahid (Gusdur), the fourth President of the Republic of Indonesia, who also received an invitation to the Hajj from King Salman.
“Thank you for the invitation. The Hajj experience was really great. Everything was very relaxing and the service was very respectful, allowing us to perform Hajj in a dignified manner,” she said.
Editor: Bayu Prasetyo
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
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