This is part of a series written by Dr Salim Parker. More stories at hajjdoctor.co.za They were fuming. It seemed whatever that was promised to them did not materialize. The early check-in in Madinah, the City of Peace and Light was non-existent and they had to hang around for a few hours before their room was available in their tired and travel fatigued state. Their agent, contrary to common sense, […]
Travel operators expect the South African umrah season to start in December or January next year. Although South Africa’s borders are open for travel and umrah for international travellers has commenced, South Africans have not been granted umrah visas by the Saudi government yet. In October, Saudi Arabia began the gradual resumption of Umrah, after suspending the pilgrimage for seven months during the coronavirus pandemic. More than 700 000 domestic […]
This forms part of a series by Dr Salim Parker, known as the Hajj Doctor. More stories at www.hajjdoctor.co.za He lay on his bed on his right side. He looked serene and content. Life may not have been as financially kind to him as for others in his group but his genes advantaged him with physical and mental stamina. He shared a room with eight others in Aziziyah, a suburb […]
Small groups of pilgrims performed one of the final rites of the hajj on Friday as Muslims worldwide marked the start of the Eid Al-Adha holiday amid a global pandemic that has impacted nearly every aspect of this year's pilgrimage and celebrations. Around 1,000 pilgrims made their final journey to the Jamarat wall to stone the three pillars, before heading to Makkah to perform prayers at the Grand Mosque and […]
Hajj 2020 pilgrims arrived in Muzdalifah on Thursday night to rest after spending the day in Arafat. Earlier, the pilgrims scaled Mount Arafat to pray and repent, as a highly unusual Hajj approached its climax. They listened to a sermon delivered by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Manea and prayed Dhuhr and Asr prayers together at the Al-Namirah Mosque in Arafat. This year’s pilgrimage is the smallest in modern times, after the number […]
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman has issued an order to lift the curfew restrictions partially across the Kingdom starting from Sunday, April 26, until May 13, Saudi Press Agency reported early on Sunday. As per the royal order, the curfew has partially been lifted in all regions of the Kingdom, allowing residents of all cities to go out between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., except in Makkah […]
The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques said on Monday that it would extend the suspension of prayers during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as part of efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the presidency, also confirmed the move taken by the authorities to safeguard the health of worshipers and visitors. He informed that the five daily prayers and […]
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 […]
Saudi Arabia reopened two of the holiest religious sites in Islam, Al-Haram Mosque in Makkah and Al-Masjid al Nabawy in Madina, after they were closed for sterilization to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, state TV Al-Ekhbariya reported on Friday. Saudi Arabia closed the sites to foreign pilgrims and traditional tourists from some 25 countries to stop the spread of the virus. It also said that citizens and residents […]
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.
