•Stoning of the devil at Jamarat
Nigerian pilgrims participating in this year’s Hajj exercise have successfully completed the major rites of pilgrimage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, marking the culmination of days of intense spiritual devotion and religious obligations.
The pilgrims, alongside 1.7 millions of Muslims from across the world, undertook the core Hajj rituals which included sleeping in Mina, the symbolic stoning of the Jamarat, standing at the plains of Arafat, overnight stay in Muzdalifah, animal sacrifice and the performance of Tawaf Ifadah at Masjid Haram in Makkah, reports The Nation.
Many Nigerian pilgrims were seen today joining other pilgrims across the world to perform the Tawaf Ifadah around the Holy Ka’abah and observing Sa’i between Safa and Marwah, officially concluding the essential rites of Hajj for this year’s exercise.
Despite the successful completion of the pilgrimage, the exercise was not without challenges. Some pilgrims experienced logistical issues at the Mina camps and feeding challenges.
However, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) acknowledged the challenges and assured pilgrims that lessons learnt from this year’s operation would be carefully reviewed to improve future exercises.
NAHCON officials during visits to various tents on Thursday night promised that the commission would intensify efforts toward better coordination with service providers, improve camp management, strengthen transportation arrangements and deploy more effective communication channels for pilgrims in subsequent Hajj operations.
Several pilgrims nevertheless expressed gratitude to Almighty Allah for granting them the opportunity to complete the spiritual journey successfully, while commending Saudi authorities and Nigerian officials for their efforts throughout the exercise.
Meanwhile, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Ambassador Ismail Abba Yusuf, was among select global dignitaries invited to attend the official reception and luncheon hosted by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, in honour of distinguished guests of the Kingdom during Hajj 1447.
The event, held today, Friday, May 29, at the Royal Palace in Mina near Makkah, on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, brought together international Islamic leaders, diplomats and heads of national Hajj missions.
Speaking on the sidelines of the royal reception, Amb Yusuf commended the Saudi government for its continuous commitment to enhancing excellent Hajj experience for millions of pilgrims through innovative investments in infrastructure, security and implementation of digital solutions for crowd management.
“It is an honor to meet and greet the Crown Prince, and witness first-hand this extraordinary royal hospitality,” he said.
He added that the gathering provided a rare opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties and share ideas with global dignitaries on best practices in Hajj administration and management.
Amb Yusuf reiterated NAHCON’s dedication to transparency, efficient service delivery and enhanced pilgrims’ welfare for the remainder of the Hajj operations, assuring that the commission’s monitoring teams were working diligently to ensure the best standard of care for Nigerian pilgrims.
The Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun and the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, were among the distinguished guests hosted by the Saudi Arabian government.
