hajj Archives - Page 3 of 14 - Voice of the Cape

Hajj 2023: SAHUC reminds pilgrims in the queue to accept or defer before time runs out

By: Aneeqa du Plessis The time is beckoning for aspiring hujaaj [pilgrims] to either accept or defer their accreditation for Hajj 2023/1444 AH. Speaking on VOC’s Breakfast show on Wednesday morning, The South African Hajj and Umrah Council (SAHUC) President Shaheen Essop encouraged pilgrims to be swift in their decision to streamline the process for hujaaj who are waiting in the queue. “If you do not accept or defer before […]

1 February 2023

News

SAHUC launches portal for Hajj 2023/1444 AH

By: Aneeqa du Plessis The South African Hajj and Umrah Council (Sahuc) has unveiled their dynamic registration portal for 2023. The portal is available on the website https://sahuc.org.za/ President at SAHUC, Shaheen Essop spoke on VOC’s Breakfast show on Wednesday morning and explained that prospective pilgrims can have look at where exactly they stand in the queue to attend Hajj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. “The main aim behind the annual […]

16 November 2022

International

Lebanon’s Muslims locked out of Hajj by rising costs and collapsed lira

INTERNATIONAL For every Lebanese Muslim who wished to perform Hajj this year, the 97th verse of the Quran’s third chapter has meant a great deal: “Pilgrimage to this house is an obligation by God upon whoever is able among the people.” Since Lebanon was engulfed in a terrifying economic crisis in 2019, tens of thousands of Lebanese have found it increasingly difficult to perform this holy ritual. With Hajj scheduled to begin on Thursday, Jihan Tabarra, […]

7 July 2022

International

Hajj 2022: Eight other pilgrimages where millions gather from around the world

INTERNATIONAL Millions of Muslims from around the world are gathering in Mecca to perform the first Hajj after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted. During the pandemic, pilgrims were limited to those already living in Saudi Arabia and the rituals had to be performed with social distancing measures in place. Hajj is a central pillar of Islam that every able-bodied Muslim should carry out at least once in their lifetime if they […]

7 July 2022

International

Hajj: Western pilgrims left ‘with no hotel room’ days before pilgrimage

INTERNATIONAL Western pilgrims, using the Saudi-backed Motawif portal, say their hotel in Mecca has "run out of rooms", with some people given keys to rooms already occupied by other guests, just days before the Hajj pilgrimage is due to begin. One British pilgrim, staying at the city's Fairmont Hotel, who wished to remain anonymous, said pilgrims were left "crying in the hotel lobby" after they were not allocated rooms. "People […]

6 July 2022

International

‘Not what I paid for’: Hajj lottery packages downgraded, but no refund

INTERNATIONAL Prospective pilgrims are having Hajj packages worth tens of thousands of dollars downgraded, but are not being offered partial refunds to make up the difference, with just days to go until the start of the pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. In early June, the Saudi government made a surprise decision to sideline traditional travel agencies and instead use Motawif, a government-backed portal run by an Indian company with links to New Delhi as revealed […]

2 July 2022

International

Saudi Arabia: Hajj packages for UK pilgrims won’t be ‘Atol’ protected

INTERNATIONAL Saudi Arabia has confirmed that its proposed Hajj packages for western pilgrims will not be protected by the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) scheme for British pilgrims hoping to perform the pilgrimage this year. The Haramain Twitter account, which tweets on behalf of Saudi Arabia's holy sites in Mecca and Medina, confirmed the situation on Wednesday. "Pilgrims will not be Atol protected as is currently the case for UK pilgrims," the Haramain said. = […]

9 June 2022

News

Emotions spill over as SA hujaaj depart for hajj for the first time in two years

By Tauhierah Salie Nervous. Excited. But mostly grateful for being chosen by Allah. These were the sentiments used by hujaaj Nurabie Abrahams, to describe her state of mind before embarking on the sacred pilgrimage of hajj 1443. She was among several dozen others preparing for takeoff at the Cape Town International Airport on Wednesday. Beaming smiles shon through the tearful accounts of gratitude and delight, as emotional farewells from loved […]

9 June 2022

International

Western pilgrims no longer able to book Hajj via travel agencies

INTERNATIONAL Just weeks before the annual Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia has introduced new rules which mean prospective travellers from western countries must now book their visits to Mecca through a government website, rather than via travel agencies. Saudi Arabia's Hajj Ministry confirmed on Monday that pilgrims from "Europe, America and Australia" would need to apply via its Motawif website and said pilgrims would find out if they had gained a place via an "automated lottery" or […]

8 June 2022

hajj

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