This forms part of a series of haj stories written by Cape Town doctor Salim Parker. It is currently being published monthly on his website www.hajjdoctor.co.za. He read the card over and over again. Of course he understood exactly what was written on it the very first time. It was not so much the message or the card itself that made him cling to it. It was more the emotional […]
This forms part of a series of haj stories written by Cape Town doctor Salim Parker. It is currently being published monthly on his website www.hajjdoctor.co.za. ‘When we just got married you said that you love me so much that you would do anything for me. You said you would die for me. But I don’t want you to die for me, I want you to live for me, I […]
The authorities have suspended the entry and prayer in the outer courtyards of Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah, Saudi Press Agency reported early Friday quoting a statement from the spokesman of the General Presidency of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Affairs. The temporary suspension, which comes into force on Friday (March 20), is aimed at combating the coronavirus pandemic. “The authority and the security and health agencies […]
Hajj Stories is a monthly series written by Dr Salim Parker. More stories at hajjdoctor.co.za THE doors of our medical practice in Cape Town were already closed when she arrived. In fact, we were exiting the premises when her father pulled up. ‘She is not well,’ he said. It was evident that she was quite ill. I saw her in this state before, more than a decade ago. Shivering from […]
This is part of a series written by Dr Salim Parker. More stories at hajjdoctor.co.za Hajj is a wonderful journey. We are all detached from the realities of our lives back home where the drudgery, mundaneness, routines and responsibility of everyday life fast forwards time to the extent where we wake up shocked one day and ask ourselves what happened to all our now long forgotten objectives. No, on Hajj […]
Over two million pilgrims on Sunday entered their second Tashriq day during which they continued throwing stones at the devil for the second day and left for Makkah to do Tawaf Al-Wada (farewell circumambulation) and prepare either to go to Madinah or leave for home. The Haj will be officially over on Monday. A large number of pilgrims visited Madinah before the Haj to pay homage to Prophet Muhammad (peace […]
The security and service sectors involved in serving pilgrims in Madinah have intensified their efforts to provide the best services possible for visitors of the Prophet’s Mosque. More than 750,000 pilgrims reached the city up to Tuesday. All general security branches are participating in the implementation of the security plan for the Hajj season. Security forces in Madinah are receiving pilgrims coming by land and directing them to their accommodation. […]
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 and will be able to perform her Hajj rituals without any problems. She was given special assistance by officials of […]
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 he appeared unfazed, even jovial. He recounted how he got carried away with buying presents for all and sundry with […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
