AYV News, June 19, 2023
A total of six hundred and forty (640) Muslim Sierra Leonean pilgrims will tonight at 11pm leave the shores of Sierra Leone to performance the 5th Pillar of Islam, Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The pilgrims will be accompanied by twelve (12) officials accredited by the Government of Sierra Leone.
Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Alhaji Mohamed Haji-Kella said the first batch of 293 pilgrims would depart the Freetown International Airport today Monday, while the second and final batch would depart on Tuesday and Wednesday, 20th and 21st June 2023 respectively for the Holy Land of Makkah.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam; it is an annual pilgrimage to Makkah that all abled Muslims are obliged to perform at least once in a lifetime if they are fit financially and physically.
Every year, around two million Muslims perform the pilgrimage, which is a five-day event taking place in the last month of the Islamic calendar (lunar) called Zul Hijah.
In the Holy Qur’an, Allah (SWT) commands Muslims to visit Makkah and complete it as part of their faith at least once in their lifetime – in fact, there’s a whole Surah (chapter) in the Qur’an named after it!
Qur’an | 22:26-30 says: “We designated for Abraham the site of the House, (saying), ‘Do not associate anything with Me and purify My House for those who perform Tawaf and those who stand (in prayer) and those who bow and prostrate. And proclaim to the people the Hajj (pilgrimage); they will come to you on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every distant pass – That they may witness benefits for themselves and mention the name of Allah on known days over what He has provided for them of (sacrificial) animals… Then let them… fulfil their vows and perform Tawaf around the ancient House. That (has been commanded), and whoever honours the sacred ordinances of Allah – it is best for him in the sight of his Lord…”
The origins of Hajj actually date much further back than the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The rituals of Hajj in fact go back to 2000 BCE!
