How to choose best Hajj and Umrah packages ?

Perferomance of Hajj and Umrah are most desirable Religious and spiritual acts of Muslims and every year Million of Muslims all round the world journey to the holy place of Makkah and Medina to perform Umrah and Hajj. Umrah and Hajj are performing with religious fervor to seek salvation and forgivenss of ALLAH by praying in Makkah and Medina.

Among the numerous and diverse rituals of Islam, Hajj is a main component; it is an indispensible pillar of Islam:

`Abdullah ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) quoted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying:

“Islam has been built on five [pillars]: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah, performing the prayers, paying the zakah, making the pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadan.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) 

Umrah is an optional prayer and can be performed any time of the year but hajj is performed on specific time period. It is done in the last month of Islamic calendar which is called Zilhaj. Hajj is an obligation which is essential for the Muslims to perform at least once in life if he or she is healthy and able to afford the expenses of travel.

Despite the great significance of Hajj, it is sufficient to do it only one time in your whole life. Islam is easy and takes into consideration the burdens and difficulties that pilgrims go through:

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that one day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed people saying:

“O people! Allah has prescribed Hajj upon you, so perform it.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kept silent. When the man repeated his question thrice, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

“Had I answered in the affirmative, it would have become a (yearly) obligation, and this would have been beyond your capacity.”

Then he added:

“Leave me alone so long as I leave you alone (i.e. do not ask questions about things I didn’t mention). What caused the destruction of the people prior to you was that they used to ask so many questions, and disagree with their Prophets.

So when I command you to do something, do it to the extent of your ability, and if I forbid you from doing something, avoid it.” (Muslim)

As umrah and Hajj are regular events of the year and people around the world visit Makkah and Medinah in Saudi Arabia round the year. Many travel agents offer different packages to facilitate people to perform Hajj and Umrah. People find these Hajj and Umrah packages very desirable because such travel packages help people to plan their Hajj and Umrah travel with ease. These packages save people from number of problems like obtaining visas, booking of hotels, food and transportation.

Hajj and Umrah packages are offered to people by many travel agents but all these travel agents are not licensed and authentic. Some time people face number of problems if they choose non professional fake travel agent for Hajj and Umrah travel. It is highly recommendable to do some research before choosing any Hajj and Umrah package.

The best way to choose and buy any Hajj and Umrah package is to do research and only consider those travel agents which have been credible in offering Hajj and Umrah services. You can find these travel agents through internet or by recommendations of those people which have already used these packages.

Try to confirm the license and authentication of the travel agent which offers such packages. All the travel agents which offer cheaper packages must be investigated properly because people just rush to buy such cheap packages without any research of their credibility and eventually get robed by these fake travel agents.

Crowding, showing of Umrah season 2015

Hajj is the fifth piller of Islam. Hajj is compulsory for every Muslism once time in life. To ensure a smooth worshiping experience for everyone at the Grand Mosque this Umrah season, the director of the Gates Administration at the mosque in Makkah, Abdullah Al-Tamih, urged pilgrims not to push and shove while entering and exiting the building for prayers.
”We usually face this serious problem during this season. Even though the mosque administration keeps 125 gates open to access all the floors of the Grand Mosque including its basement, we usually face overcrowding,” Al-Tamih told Arab News regarding the beginning of the Perfect Umrah.
The official added that 475 workers including female and temporary recruits work at the gates to welcome and assist the pilgrims. ”Digital sign boards have been placed at the gates to show whether there is any space inside; a green signal means there is space while the red signal is a warning to pilgrims that the mosque is full,” he said.
As part of the third stage of the Grand Mosque’s expansion, the Bab Ali has been reserved to bring in bodies for funeral prayers, while 17 gates have been equipped to welcome pilgrims with special needs.
Al-Tamih pointed out that other workers in his department also play a vital role in ensuring the smooth flow of pilgrims. They make sure that worshippers engage in their prayers without experiencing any kind of crowding or bustle by directing the traffic in and out of the mosque, he said.
His team also prevents pilgrims from bringing food, drinks, suitcases and personal belongings into the mosque, which would inconvenience other worshipers.

Al-Tamih called on pilgrims to cooperate with the gate officials, while maintaining the cleanliness of the mosque.
As part of the activities during the Umrah season, Undersecretary at the General Administration for Guidance, Ibrahim Al-Barkati, told Arab News that his department organizes classes and records sermons and lectures for the pilgrims, as well as the issuance of fatwas. According to Al-Barkati, his department also oversees guidance activities inside and outside the mosque and supervises classes in various languages on the correct form of worship.

Introduction Hajj

Once a year, Muslims of every ethnic group, colour, social status, and culture gather together in Mecca and Stand before the Kaaba praising ALLAH together.

It is a ritual that is designed to promote the bonds of ISLAMIC brotherhood and sisterhood by showing that every one is equal in fornt of ALLAH. Every one is equal.

The hajj makes Muslims feel real importance of life here on earth and the after life, by stripping away all markers of social status, wealth and pride. In the Hajj all are truly equal.

The Hajjis or pilgrims wear simple white clothes called Ihram. During the Hajj the Pilgrims perform acts of worship and they renew their sense of purpose in the world.

Mecca is a place that is holy to all Muslims. It is so holy that no non-Muslim is allowed to enter.

The Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah) is one of the five pillars of Islam. Anybody declaring to be a Muslim must fulfil this ritual act, or at least have the intention to do so once in their lifetime. There are many evidences with regards to this obligation.

Narrated Ibn Abbas:

The people of Yemen used to come for Hajj and used not to bring enough provisions with them and used to say that they depend on Allah. On their arrival in Medina they used to beg the people, and so Allah revealed, “And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best provision is the fear of Allah.” (2.197). ( Bukhari :: Book 2 :: Volume 26 :: Hadith 598)

Allah say in Quran

“And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka’bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses”[EMQ 3:97]

“And perform properly the Hajj and Umrah for Allah”. [EMQ 2:196]

“And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj)”.

[EMQ 22:27]

The Messenger Muhammad (saw) said,

“Al-Islam is that you testify that there is none worthy of worship (in truth) but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, you establish the prayer, you pay the Zakah, you fast in Ramadan, and you perform pilgrimage to the House (of Allah) if you have the capability.” [Muslim]

Islam is built upon five; to testify that there is none worthy of worship (in truth) but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and to establish the prayer, to pay Zakah, to make pilgrimage and fast in Ramadan. [Muslim]

 

Saudi Government to stop Biometrics collection for Umrah visa Applicants 2015

Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and industry act president of Mr. Shakeel Muneer has requested the help of the Government of Pakistan to urge the Saudi Government to withdraw the Biometrics system it is enforcing for Pakistani Umrah applicants, according to a report by Pakistan today.

The President Mr. Shakeel has feels that the biometrics system will result in a lot of unnecessary difficulties for the Pakistanis travelling for Umrah.

The same condition was reportedly imposed by the Saudi Government on the citizens of India, Bangladesh and Iran but the Governments of these countries refused to accept it, Muneer have told the travel agents association of Pakistan during its visit to ICCI. The Saudi Government had to withdraw the condition.

According to the delegation the Saudi Government has awarded a contract to an undisclosed company to process visas for Umrah, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia in Pakistan after the biometric system is introduced.

The ICCI is concerned that a single company would not be able to effectively process over 800,000 annual Umrah visa applications, which would result in a large number of Pakistanis not be able to proceed for Umrah.

The organization also emphasized that Pakistani authorities should ask the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad to reconsider this condition.

Muneer said that many Pakistan residents go for Umrah every year and the adoption of a biometric system would create long queues as Pakistanis would all have to scan their thumb prints.

He added that while the Saudi government was perfectly within their rights to introduce a system for the visa seekers, it should not enforce the biometric system.

“If it was not possible for Saudi authorities to withdraw this condition, then the Saudi Embassy should install biometric machines at all international departure points of Pakistani airports to facilitate the Pakistanis travelling for Umrah,” Muneer said.

Umrah, Haj visa quotas to remain for 2015

Reduced quotas for the number of visas issued to pilgrims for Umrah and Haj will remain in place for 2015, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Haj has reportedly confirmed.

The number of visas for foreign Muslims was halved and the local quota was cut by 20 percent during construction work at the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Islam’s holiest site.

Saudi Arabia is spending about $20 billion renovating and extending the Grand Mosque. It says it will eventually be able to accommodate 2.2 million pilgrims at a time, as well as doubling capacity at the Mataf from 48,000 per hour to 105,000 per hour.

About 6 million people are expected to visit the site during this Umrah and Haj season.

Ministry of Haj spokesman Hatem Al Qadi told Arab News that the decision to keep pilgrim numbers low would help maintain health and safety during the construction period, which is expected to be several years.

He also reiterated a plea for pilgrims to wait at least five years before again performing Haj – one of the Five Pillars of Islam that requires Muslims to visit Makkah at least once in their lives.