This is the Foreign Office advice for thousands of British Muslims attending Hajj pilgrimage
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Friday, July 27, 2018
Thousands of British Muslims will be going on this year's pilgrimage to Mecca, an event known as the Hajj.
This is the largest gathering of people in the world - and a journey all followers of Islam must undertake at least once in their lives.
With such a huge event - and especially in light of tragedies that have occurred in the past - the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued official guidance for those travelling out to Saudi Arabia.
It comes on top of advice issued by the Birmingham-based Association of British Hujjaj (Pilgrims) UK, which warned of the deadly threat of heatstroke as temperatures at Mecca can reach 45C in August - far hotter than we are experiencing at home even in the current heatwave.
Barrie Peach, HM Consul-General in Jeddah, said: "We welcome all British nationals performing Hajj.
"Many thousands of British Muslims complete this annual pilgrimage every year.
"Whilst the vast majority of pilgrims do not experience any difficulties, we recommend that all pilgrims plan ahead before departing to ensure a safe and trouble free Hajj."
He added: "We advise all British pilgrims to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s travel advice and the requirements set out by the Saudi government .
"We will be providing consular assistance and advice as necessary to British pilgrims. Consular staff can be contacted on a 24-hour helpline in the case of emergencies on 00 966 501 00 4268. We wish you a fulfilling and peaceful Hajj. Hajj Mabrour!"
In addition to the requirements from the Saudi government, the FCO recommends that all pilgrims use the following checklist to help plan their trip:
The FCO have produced a digital Hajj travel leaflet for anyone travelling out on the pilgrimage.
It details the above steps and explains how the FCO can help if you or your family get into difficulty.
The Hajj is an annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the most holy city in Islam, that all adult Muslims must undertake at least once in their lifetime.
The name means "to intend a journey" and this is said to be the the largest annual gathering of people in the world, with hundreds of thousands of worshippers attending.
As well as the major pilgrimage of the Hajj, there is also the so-called lesser pilgrimage called the Umrah, a trip to Mecca that can be done at any time of year.
However, the Umrah is not a substitute for the compulsory Hajj.
All adult Muslims who are healthy enough to make the journey, can afford to do so and able to support their family while they are away, must make the pilgrimage at least once.
Hajj is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. The other pillars are: Shahada (faith), Salah (prayer), Zakat (charity) and Sawm (fasting).
"Zakat is the third pillar of Islam," explained Altaf Kazi of the National Zakat Foundation.
"It is a fixed percentage of wealth that a Muslim must pay.
"To work out how much Zakat to pay, a calculation takes place. You can find out more about Zakat calculation here ."
Zakat requires Muslims to pay 2.5 per cent of their qualifying wealth on an annual basis.
It will go to help the poor and needy, such as those living homeless on the streets.
So it is not generally considered acceptable to use Zakat to pay for someone to go on the pilgrimage.
See the video above for a step by step guide to performing the Haff.
Muslims must enter a sacred state of cleanliness known as ihram in order to undertake either the Hajj or the Umrah.
Worshippers put on special robes of white seamless cloth at one of six points on the pilgrimage, depending which direction they approach Mecca from.
These points are known as miqats. Among them, the city of Yalamlam is the miqat for those coming from Yemen, while Juhfah is the miqat for those from Syria, Qarn ul-Manazil for those from Saudi Arabia, and Dhat Irq for those coming from Iraq and Iran.
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The ihram also means women's faces must be uncovered, while men aren't allowed to trim their hair or beards. Wearing scent and using scented soap is not permitted.
Sex, smoking, swearing and quarrelling are among the things prohibited during the pilgrimage.
If travelling on a plane as part of the pilgrimage, measures must be taken to maintain ihram when flying above the miqats.
While at Mecca, they carry out a series of prayers and rituals including walking anti-clockwise seven times around the Kaaba.
They also have to walk or run between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, drink from the Zamzam well, hold a vigil on Mount Arafat, spend a night in the plain of Muzdalifa and throw seven stones at a pillar representing the devil.
The second day of the pilgrimage is known as the Day of Arafat and comes just before Eid ul Adha - the second Eid celebration on the Muslim calendar.
Check the best deals for flying to Mecca on TripAdvisor and Skyscanner - including best flight deals
Source: https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news/foreign-office-advice-thousands-british-14955315
