TIPS OF HAJJ

Frequently asked questions and their answers:

1. Is there a Hajj Akbar?

If Arafat is on a Friday, then many describe it as Hajj Akbar (Big Hajj). There is
no big or small Hajj. There is only one Hajj. Every year is Hajj Akbar. The 10th day
of Dhul Hijja is described in The Qur'an as Yaum-ul-Hajjil-Akbar.

2. Is it a requirement to enter Masjid Al Haram from the Baab as-Salaam

entrance?
There is no such requirement. You can enter from any of the many gates.

3. Can I smoke when I'm in Ihraam?

No. Try to give up this habit for the good of your health and the well-being of your
family. Many chain smokers have returned from the Hajj as non-smokers for good.
Alhamdulillah.

4. When I stone the jamr'at, is it necessary to hit the target?

It is acceptable if the stone falls into the circle without hitting the target.

5. Can I perform the Hajj every year?

There is no rule prohibiting anyone from performing the Hajj more than once.

If you plan to perform it yearly, you are obviously financially well endowed. You
should consider the following. One, there are other things you can do in the way of
Allah. Consider contributing your Hajj trip funds to uplift downtrodden Muslims.
Two, with nearly 2 1/2 million people converging in The Sacred Land, the Saudi
authorities have understandably imposed quotas. Have a heart for those waiting in
line to perform the Hajj for the first time. Allow a reasonable time gap before
going to perform the Hajj again.

6. Is it a must for a wife to seek her husband's permission to perform the

obligatory Hajj?
Yes. A husband is strongly advised not to object as his wife is seeking permission to
perform a duty commanded by The Almighty. Obedience to the command of The
Almighty supersedes everything else, including a husband's objection.

7. More tawaaf or more nafl salaat?

If you're NOT a local resident, do more tawaaf as Masjid Al Haram is the only
place where you can do tawaaf.

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 Health

1. You'll leave home ready to immerse yourself in worship. This optimism will be
dampened by the health problems you'll have to cope in The Holy Land. Don't push
yourself. Your body needs lots of rest to cope with these problems. Do what you
can and move on. Your worship did not begin with The Hajj and is not going to end
with it.

2. Most pilgrims will suffer from one or more of the following: sore throat,
coughing, frequent sneezing, runny nose and fever. Bring enough supplies of over
the counter medication. This will reduce the need to make frequent trips to the
pharmacy and also your out of pocket expenses, however, it is recommended to keep
the prescription from your Doctor for the medicines you carry.

3. Take multivitamins daily as you may not be eating a balanced diet there. Better
check with your Doctor.

4. If you have asthma, consult your doctor on the extra precautions you need to
take as it is very dusty in many of the places you'll be visiting.

5. Avoid applying perfumes with strong smell when you go to The Mosque. Have a
heart for those with medical conditions like asthma and migraine. Strong smells are
associated with migraine and asthma attacks. When you consider the well-being of
others in your actions, The Almighty will be pleased and insha Allah, reward you.
[Perfumes are prohibited in the state of ihram.]

6. The Hajj pilgrimage involves a lot of walking. If you don’t go for daily walks, begin
it well before your journey to The Holy Land. This will reduce the likelihood of
getting muscle pulls and cramps. The tawaaf, sa'ee, and the frequent daily walks to
The Masjid will help to improve your health. Do not stop this habit of walking when
you return home. You must to be in the best of health to concentrate fully on your
worship wherever you are.

7. You are never more than a foot from another pilgrim when you are in Makkah
during the peak period of the pilgrimage. Cover your nose and mouth with a mask
when you leave your hotel/apartment to reduce the likelihood of infection. You can
get a good quality washable mask (Price SR 7 to SR 9 per piece) at the pharmacies
there.

8. If you wear glasses, bring along an extra pair, preferably one with a plastic
frame. The likelihood of your glasses falling down and being stepped on by sudden
movements of the crowd are high. As an additional cover, bring along your glass

Tips of Hajj 2 of 18
prescriptions as well. There are optical shops near the two holy Masajid.

9. Flatulence (passing of wind) is an important cause of the loss of wudu. In the

crowd packed Masajid, this can be a big problem. Avoid or reduce the intake of
food that contributes to this problem. If this is a serious problem for you, consult
your doctor. Both herbal and other medications are now available to reduce the
occurrence of flatulence.

10. The majority of pilgrims will be staying in rooms that will have 4 to 10 persons
per room. If you snore loudly and continuously, you can make the life miserable of
you roommates. Don't expect them to show the same tolerance that your wife has
shown all these years! Medication and treatment are now available for this
condition. Consult your doctor.

11. Presently the swine flu Vaccine is mandatory for the pilgrim. This is not enough.
Get a flu vaccine as well. Every protection that you can take to ensure good health
during The Hajj should not be missed.

12. Have a dental check-up at least 2 months before your departure so that there
is ample time for treatment and follow-ups. It is not nice to have a severe
toothache while performing The Hajj!

Expenses

1. The amount prepaid for the Hajj package usually includes return airfare,
accommodation, meals, and internal bus trips. Get from your Hajj tour company the
full details of all the services they provide.

2. Bring additional cash/travelers cheques for:

a) telephone calls (cards and IDD booths);

b) purchase of medicines and related items;

c) laundry;

d) food / snacks / drinks;

e) transport (for examples, sightseeing trips, additional umrah trips);

f) souvenirs / gifts / purchase of dates;

g) excess luggage (return journey);

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h) postal charges;

i) payment of dam (hajj tamattu) / Qurbani / korban;

j) charity;

k) some additional cash to cover emergencies (as for some un avoidable

circumstances, the pilgrim may have to return immediately to the home country,
which may require additional airfare expenses); and

l) purchase of clothes and other essentials if your baggage is lost in transit.

As can be seen from the above, a pilgrim needs a substantial amount of money to
cover various expenses during his stay in The Holy Land.

The amount needed depends on several factors including the number of days the
pilgrim will be staying in The Holy Land.

In budgeting for your expenses, you should talk to those who performed The Hajj
the previous year. Use the list of expenditure categories provided above so that
you can talk specific figures.

Below are some indicative prices:

1. Dates. The prices of dates vary from SR 10 to SR 150 per kg. A good quality date
called "Amber" can be purchased for SR 40 per kg.

2. Dam for tamattu / korban / Qurbani: The price of goat is in the range of SR 500
to SR 600.

3. Souvenirs / gifts. Prayer rugs, tasbih and prayer caps are the most commonly
bought items. Prices of prayer rugs range from SR 15 to over SR 120 per piece. You
can buy a reasonably good quality prayer rug for SR 25. Prices of prayer caps range
from 3 pieces for SR 45 to SR 15 for one. Tasbih prices range from a dozen pieces
for SR 15 to SR 30 for one. Of course, there are very, very expensive tasbih as
well.

Tips of Hajj 4 of 18
4. Excess luggage: SR 20? per kg. Saudi Airlines allows the pilgrim traveling
economy class to carry up to 30kg of check-in luggage and another 7kg of hand
carried luggage + Zamzam water can.

5. Laundry. There are many laundry service centers near The Holy Mosques. They
take about 24 to 48 hours to return your clothes. SR 3 for a shirt and SR 4 for a
pant.

6. Telephone calls: expenses depend on the frequency, length and destination of the
calls. Use the rates prevailing in your country as rough guide in budgeting for this
expense.

7. Charity. The minimum amount given to a street beggar is SR 1. You'll find near
both Mosques and other places many physically challenged persons begging. A
significant number of the beggars are women carrying infants and young girls.

Prayers

1. In both The Sacred Masajid in Makkah and the Prophet's Masjid in Madinah,
janazah prayer is conducted after almost every congregational prayer. Learn this
prayer before you leave for The Holy Land so that there will be greater depth to
your participation in this prayer.

2. Some pilgrims bring prayer mats to the Masjid. Instead of moving forward to fill
the spaces before the prayer session begins, some just stand on their own mat and
thus block the forward movement of others. This is incorrect Masjid etiquette.

3. If you wish to pray the Friday jumu'ah prayer inside The Two Holy Masajid
during The Hajj period, you should enter the Masjid at least 2 1/2 hours prior to
the azan.

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4. The majority of those who attend the Maghrib prayer in Masjid Al-Haram remain
there for the Isha prayer. Given the packed environment, you'll be wasting a lot of
time in leaving the Masjid after Maghrib and trying to re-enter before Isha. It is
better to remain inside and engage in other types of worship. There is ample time
to do tawaaf between the two prayer sessions.

5. Do not sit at the entrances and in the walkways. Such inconsiderate behavior
blocks others from making use of vacant spaces. Even during peak periods, about 5
to 10% of Masjid space is unutilized because of this inconsiderate behavior.

6. If you end up praying at the entrances or in the walkways, move away

immediately after the end of the congregational prayer. Do not continue your
worship (e.g. recitation of dua') in the same place as you will block the passage of
others trying to exit from the mosque. This inconsiderate behavior is rampant in
both Masajid. It is important that pilgrims are briefed correctly before they leave
for The Holy Land.

7. It is common for those wearing glasses to remove it and place it in front before
starting their prayer. Never do this in both mosques. The likelihood of your glasses
being stepped on by others is if not 100% but for sure 99.99%.

8. After finishing your prayer, extend your hand of greetings to those sitting near
you. Mention your name and country to them. This creates an atmosphere of
friendship with Muslims from other lands. Extending such greetings is common
practice in some countries only.

9. Communicate the prayer times in the Two Masajid (and the time difference
between Saudi Arabia and your country) to your folks at home so that they will
know when NOT to contact you.

10. In case the Imam recites from As-Sajdah after Al-Fatiha, he moves straight to
prostration instead of rukuh. Pilgrims who don't know this are put in an
embarrassing situation during prayer. This lack of awareness can be seen amongst a
substantial number of pilgrims during congregational prayers in both Mosques.

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 Tawaaf 1

1. 5 types of tawaaf: (1) Welcome tawaaf (Tawaf-al-Qudoom); (2) Umrah tawaaf; (3)
Tawaaf for Hajj (also known as Tawaf-al-Haj, Tawah-as-Ziayarah or Tawaf-al-
Ifadah); (4) Farewell Tawaaf (Tawaf-al-Widaa); (5) Nafl tawaaf.

2. Welcome tawaaf (Tawaf-al-Qudoom): performed by those performing the Ifrad

and Qiran methods of Hajj.

3. Ihram, having your right shoulder open (idtiba), and walking briskly during the
first 3 rounds (ramal) are required for (1) and (2).

4. Ihram, idtiba and ramal are NOT required for (3), (4) and (5).

5. Tawaaf for Hajj: one of the Pillars of Hajj and must be performed by all pilgrims.

6. Farewell tawaaf: last act to be performed before leaving Makkah. About the only
acts performed after this tawaaf are buying some snacks for your onward journey
and easing yourselves. Other types of shopping or taking a nap are not done.
Therefore, perform this tawaaf one to two hours before your departure.

7. Nafl tawaaf: can be performed any time and as many times as possible. Next to
the congregational prayer, this is the best worship to perform in the Haram
shareef. It is superior to nafl salah in the Haram shareef. During your stay in
Makkah, try to perform as many nafl tawaaf as possible. There is no sa'ee after
nafl tawaaf.

7. Wudhu is required for tawaaf.

8. Tawaaf begins and ends at Hajr-al-Aswad (The Black Stone)

9. Tawaaf proceeds in an anti-clockwise direction. Do not walk clockwise to reach

the starting point of tawaaf. Walk anti-clockwise from your position to reach the
starting line of the tawaaf. This will ensure smooth movement of tawaaf for
everyone.

Tips of Hajj 7 of 18
10. After completing your tawaaf, again do not walk clockwise to exit. Continue
walking anti-clockwise until you reach your desired area and exit there.

11. Be extra careful when pilgrims in wheelchairs are near to you. Some wheelchairs
have sharp edges that can cause injury. Always try to make way for pilgrims in
wheelchairs.

12. Move away when you see the men carrying elderly or physically challenged
pilgrims in boxes. They behave more like bulldozers trying to mow down a wall. They
make noises to get pilgrims to make way for them.

Their behavior creates a ripple effect resulting in pilgrims getting pushed.

Tawaaf 2

1. There is no special dua except between the Yamani and the Black Stone corners
(Rabbana Athina ... ).

Learn the dua from The Holy Our'an (for examples: 2:127, 2:128, 2:201, 3:8, 7:23,
71:28) and Sunnah (for example: "Oh Allah, You are forgiving. You love forgiveness,
so forgive me."). These are easy to memorize. Understand their meanings so that
your mind, heart and lips are in harmony when you recite these dua’a in Arabic or
your mother tongue.

These will also make your tawaaf and sa'ee easier as you don't have to carry the
book around. In reciting from the dua’a book, some get so engrossed that they step
on the heels of the pilgrims in front of them.

Tips of Hajj 8 of 18
 Hajr-al-Aswad
(The Black Stone)

1. During the peak Hajj period, DO NOT attempt to kiss The Black Stone. The risk
to your body is just too high.

2. Even during the non-peak Hajj period, your chances of succeeding in this attempt
within a 1 1/2-hour period are less than 50% even after midnight.

3. In the current circumstances, it is impossible for the majority of women pilgrims

to do this.

4. Between the Yamani corner and Hajr-al-Aswad, pilgrims recite the "Rabbana ... "
du'a. Learn more about this Complete Du'a so that it comes from your heart.

Sa'ee

1. The literal meaning of sa'ee is "effort".

2. Sa'ee is performed after (1) tawaaf for Umrah, after (2) Tawaf-al-Qudoom, and
after (3) tawaf-al-Ifadah. You should be in Ihraam for (1) and (2). Ihram is not
required for (3) unless you are performing it before the cutting of your hair.

3. There is no nafl sa'ee.

4. There is no sa'ee after the Farewell tawaaf (Tawaf-al-Widaa).

Tips of Hajj 9 of 18
5. Sa'ee consists of 7 rounds of walking between As-Safa and Al-Marwah. One
round is completed when you begin from As-Safa and end at Al-Marwah. The return
from Al-Marwah to Al-Safa completes the second round and so on. A few allegedly
make the mistake of counting the beginning and ending at As-Safa as the
completion of one round. Thus they end up walking 14 rounds which is not required.

6. The total distance you would have walked performing sa'ee is approximately 3.15
km (the distance from As-Safa to Al-Marwah is approximately 450 m.)

7. If you are tired after performing the tawaaf, you don't have to proceed to
perform the sa'ee immediately. You can rest and perform the sa'ee later.

8. Wudu is not required for sa'ee. It is, however, preferable to be in wudu as you
may have to interrupt your sa'ee to join the congregational prayer.

9. Sa'ee must be interrupted for the congregational prayer. After the end of the
prayer, you must start your sa'ee from the place where you stopped.

10. You may interrupt your sa'ee to perform the janazah prayer or continue your
sa'ee without interruption.

11. Try to perform the sa'ee in the middle floor rather than the ground floor.
There is less pushing and jostling in the middle floor and you also get a better view
of a good part of the Ka'bah in some sections of this floor. Sa'ee can also be
performed on the open roof floor. Given the heat, early morning, evening and night
are the recommended times to perform sa'ee on the roof floor.

12. Men should walk briskly between the green lights (located on the side of the
walls nearer to As-Safa). Women should not run. If you are looking after elderly or
female pilgrims, you don't have to walk briskly. Do not run all the way from As-Safa
to Al-Marwah. It is not Sunnah.

13. The gaps in the floor tiles at both ends of the As-Safa and Al-Marwah hills are
wide. Walk slowly as you move over these stretches. If you walk speedily, the sharp
edges of the tiles can cut your heels/toes and cause bleeding.

14. Look out for water spills along the way especially near the spots where the
zamzam water tanks / taps are placed. You can slip and fall.

Tips of Hajj 10 of 18
15. Do not walk in the area built especially for pilgrims in wheelchairs (ground floor)
even if that area or parts of it are not being fully used. Maintain your discipline at
all times.

16. Do not engage in idle chat while performing the sa'ee. You can engage in
discussions that help to clarify your understanding of Islam and strengthen your
iman.

17. You can engage in various forms of worship (dua’a, dhikr, tasbih) during sa'ee. Do
not raise your voice. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "You are not
calling upon a deaf or an absent One." [Bukhari]

18. There is no requirement to dua’a in Arabic during sa'ee. You can dua’a in your
own language.

19. Do not perform sa'ee in a group as the continued effort to maintain the group
formation will hinder the movement of others.

20. Do not follow or recite behind a leader when performing the sa'ee. The sa'ee is
not an exercise in class recitation! A continuous chorus of voices reciting behind a
leader will disturb the worship of others. Remembrance of the Almighty in a
dignified manner on your own is the right worship.

21. Menstruating women pilgrims can perform the sa'ee as purity is not a condition
for sa'ee.

Arafah

1. Submission to Allah (swt) in Arafah does not have a prescribed outward act. You
have to be there on the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah from Zuhr to sunset, that's all!

Wuquf (standing/staying) in Arafah in Hajj is really our second wuquf.

Tips of Hajj 11 of 18
2. Some pilgrims miss out from reaping the full benefit of wuquf in Arafat during
those approximately 5 1/2 hours.

Most pilgrims pray, recite The Qur'an, zikr, and du'a in Arafah during those hours
but some also chat, smoke or take a nap. There is a fair amount of such wasteful
activities caused by a lack of understanding of wuquf. The quotes on the right side
of this page should be sufficient inducement to pilgrims to regard their presence in
Arafat as among the most precious times in their lives.

4. Pilgrims should not fast on Arafah Day. It is not Sunnah.

5. Some Hajj groups skip Mina and proceed straight to Arafah to escape the
traffic nightmare. You'll have to pack accordingly to meet your needs for a night
and a day's stay in Arafah.

6. Bring along the following when you depart for Arafah: an extra pair of Ihram
clothes; extra pair of glasses, mosquito repellent; foldable hand fan; foldable mat;
plastic sheet (2 1/2' square); foldable umbrella; 2 bottles of 1 1/2 liter mineral
water; torch and snacks.

7. The toilet facilities in the tent area are adequate. It is still advisable to carry a
mini pail with you to fetch water from other places just in case the tap runs dry in
your place.

You may want to consider a diet of water, dates and fruits in Arafah as this will
reduce the need to go to the toilet frequently. This diet may also help to keep you
more alert and not make you feel 'sleepy'. You will thus have more time for ibadah.

8. After Arafah, the next Hajj rite is at Muzdalifah. Prepare yourself

psychologically for the possibility that you may not be able to perform this part of
the Hajj rite. Instead of leaving Arafah after sunset, you may find yourself
stranded in Arafah until the next morning because the bus to pick up your group did
not turn up as planned.

9. If you are physically fit, consider walking to Muzdalifah. A two to three-hour

walk is definitely better than an eight-hour imprisonment in a bus!

Tips of Hajj 12 of 18
 Mina

1. Talk to others about their Mina experience before you leave for The Holy Land.
It is better to be forewarned and prepared for the conditions that you may
encounter.

2. "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." Keep this principle in mind when you
leave for Mina from Arafat. Staying in a tent that is next to the toilets, sleeping in
a part of the tent which is besides the area where foul smelling garbage is piled up,
half of the toilets without water supply in your tent area (happens quite often),
pilgrims from countries with low civic consciousness messing up the toilets,
overcrowded tents - these are some of the conditions that you may have to put up
with during your 3-day stay in Mina. Some survival tips are listed below:

a. plan your diet so that you don't have to go to the toilet frequently;

b. avoid idle talk which consists mostly of a tirade against the authorities for
various shortcomings;

c. immerse yourself in various types of worship - reading The Qur'an, zikr, and
dua’a. While these are not only the right things to do in Hajj, they will also help to
keep your mind from being distracted by the shortcomings there;

d. you'll be able to spot individuals in your tent who are knowledgeable about Islam.
Get close to them and seek clarifications about matters that are not clear to you.
In the long run, you'll remember these meetings more than the difficulties your
encountered in Mina.

e. remember to bring along a little pail. In the event of water supply failure to the
toilets, you can use the pail to fetch water from other sources.

Tips of Hajj 13 of 18
 Transport

Transport is without doubt the most talked about subject during the Hajj. Almost
every pilgrim has his own ideas about how transport services could be improved. The
origin of these ideas is the pain endured by most pilgrims due to inadequacies in
transport services. If Hajj is "a struggle", then enduring these inadequacies is an
important part of this "struggle." When a 7 km journey takes 10 hours by bus, you
can easily imagine the agony you would have to endure. This is 'a human failing', not
'a test' by the Almighty.

It is not appropriate to discuss the macro aspects of the transport problem.

Instead some tips are given below to help the intending pilgrim to cope with this
pain.

1. In anticipation of the air-condition system in your bus malfunctioning, bring along

a hand fan and small towel.

2. You will see a lot of things along the way that worsens the traffic situation.
These include indiscriminate parking, improperly maintained buses that have broken
down, accidents and the quarrels that follow, inadequate traffic enforcement
personnel in some stretches, drivers who disregard traffic rules to make as many
trips as possible, etc.

Do not let all these bring out the animal in you. Remain calm. Remain focused on the
big picture. Think about your pleas and pledges to The Almighty ALLAH a short
while ago at Arafat and the specific things you should be doing from now to make
you a better servant of The Almighty ALLAH.

Tips of Hajj 14 of 18
 Madinah

1. Nearly all pilgrims visit Medina either before or after the completion of the Hajj.
1,601,034 Hajj pilgrims visited Madinah in 2007, an increase of 4% compared to the
previous Hajj season. 1544 flights carried pilgrims to Madinah, and 1074 flights
departed from Madinah

2. It is not mandatory to stay 8 days and complete 40 prayers in the Prophet's

Masjid.

3. There are lots of historical sites in Madinah that are worth visiting. These visits
are not part of the Hajj rite.

Remember to include the Quba mosque in your visits. The Prophet (peace be upon
him) was reported to have said: "One who does wudhu at home, then offers prayers
in Quba mosque is entitled to the reward of an Umrah."

A good pilgrim:

1. does not litter, smoke or spit in public places (including roads and pavements);

2. covers his/her nose and mouth with a mask in crowded places;

3. does not push others while performing tawaaf, sa'ee and stoning the Satan;

4. does not buy pirated products;

5. does not sit and block passage ways in the Masajid;

6. begins his Hajj preparation at least six months before departure so that he will
be adequately prepared, spiritually, physically and logistically;

7. will share his/her Hajj experiences with others so that they will come even
better prepared than him; he will not be cowed into silence by claims that it is a sin
to talk about one's difficulties in The Holy Land; and

8. will NOT be overly occupied with trivialities and remain at all times focused on
the primary aim of his Hajj: to plead to The Almighty to forgive his sins and to
bless him with The Straight Path for the remainder of his life.

Tips of Hajj 15 of 18
 Shopping

1. Most shops in the areas near the two Masajid do not accept credit cards, even if
they accept they may charge 2 or 2.5%. Do not arrive in The Holy Land in the hope
that you can survive with your credit cards. About the only places where credit
cards can be used are five-star hotels and some jewellery shops. Visa and
MasterCard stickers can be seen in these places.

2. To cash traveler’s cheques, you must produce your purchase receipt of these
cheques and your pilgrim’s identification tag. Remember to bring along the purchase
receipt.

3. Generally, expect customer 'unfriendly' service. One can cite several reasons
(big crowd, language problem, etc).

4. Price haggling is the norm. Pilgrims from countries where this is NOT the norms
are clearly at a disadvantage.

5. Goods with price stickers/tags are a rare sight. This makes shopping very
difficult.

6. Food products: 'expiry dates' are printed mostly in Arabic numerals. Familiarize
yourself with Arabic numerals so that you don't end up buying 'expired' products.

7. Coins are never used, although Saudi currency coins exist. If you pay SR 3 for
SR 2.50 product, you'll be given one or two tiny packets of chewing gum as
"change". Of course, it works one way only - the shops won't accept SR 2 and
chewing gum from you for a SR 2.50 purchase!

8. Pirated products, particularly pirated watches, are widely sold by street vendors
and others.

9. Beware of pickpockets. Despite the tough laws, the crowded environment of The
Hajj provides easy opportunities for these criminals. 20.4% of the pickpockets
arrested in Makkah in 2007 were women who target women pilgrims. Take care.

10. You have to know Arabic, Urdu, Hindi or Malay to do your shopping in The Holy
Land. Use of English is very rare.

11. Some shops have bilingual signboards (Arabic and English). In 8 out of 10
signboards, the English words are wrongly spelt.

Tips of Hajj 16 of 18
 Death

It is a very emotional scene in many places when pilgrims bid farewell to their
families and friends in their homes or at the airport. Many cry.

To a few pilgrims, it is really their final farewell. Some pass away even before they
reach The Holy Land, some pass away in the middle of their Hajj rites, and others
after completing their Hajj rites but before their return journey.

It is very important that the pilgrim wears his identification tag at all times he/she
is out of his place of accommodation. It is easier to live with the news of the death
of a loved one than to be told that the identification of several dead pilgrims could
not be ascertained and your loved one could be one of them.

Though the Hajj tour operator and other authorities will have your home address
and contact details, it is important that those closest to you during the pilgrimage
also have these details. It is always more comforting to your loved ones to hear
about your condition from those who had been closest to you.

If someone who had been close to you during the pilgrimage passes away in The
Holy Land, please make it a point to contact the deceased's family in person (if
their place is not too far away from yours) and spend time sharing the good
companionship you had with the deceased. What you say will be amongst the
memories that they will carry of their loved one. It will be a great source of
comfort to them and may The Almighty reward you for the good deed.

Though funeral arrangements are usually handled by the Hajj tour operator and
other Saudi authorities, there are also private companies that provide this service.
One such company is "SAMIA - Private Undertaking Transportation Services, Tel:
5705000 (Mecca). The service costs approximately SR 1,000.

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Please visit the following for the related useful information on Hajj and Umrah:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/21860223/Hajj-Check-List

http://www.scribd.com/doc/21454408/Hajj-Guide-Step-By-Step-Pictorial

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19839192/Duaa-From-the-Prevention-of-H1N1-Flu

http://www.scribd.com/doc/18180508/A-Step-by-Step-Hajj-And

Tips of Hajj 17 of 18
A Humble Request:

Please do pray for me, my family and in particular for my eldest son Mohammed Baseer
Ahsan Junaid, who passed away (Inna Lillahi Wainna Ilaihi wa Raje’oun) on 23rd Ramadan
1429 Hijrah, corresponding to 24th September 2008 at the age of 22 years, 3 months and 7
days (d.o.b: 17 June 1986). http://www.scribd.com/doc/19727569/Appeal-for-Duae-
Maghferat-14-09-09

Mohammed Zaheer Ahsan Shakeel

+91 9848257230 / +971 2 677 0379

Zaheer_shakeel2000@yahoo.com

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/duroodosalam/

http://www.scribd.com/group/81959-durood-o-salam

Tips of Hajj 18 of 18