JEDDAH, 6 November — The Kingdom is fully geared to welcome Ramadan, the holy month when Muslims seek to relate to God through piety and prayers.
Ramadan is a month for inner change as Muslims seek pardon from God for their sins and try to lead a new life in accordance with the teachings of Islam. They also try to establish good relations with fellow beings and engage in charitable activities.
Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, the grand mufti, congratulated Muslims within and outside the Kingdom on the advent of Ramadan and urged them to derive maximum spiritual benefits from the blessed month when the doors of paradise are kept open and of hell locked.
In a statement yesterday, the mufti said God forgives the sins and mistakes of the faithful on the days of Ramadan and offers big rewards for their good work. “God will also release a good number of people from hell every night of Ramadan,” he said quoting a Saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Dr. Abdullah Al-Turki, secretary-general of the Muslim World League, called upon Muslims to unite under the banner of Islam. “Ramadan is an occasion for worship, perseverance and morals and for improving social relations,” he said.
Turki urged Muslims to engage in righteous deeds, helping the poor, reading the Holy Qur’an and supporting Islamic projects. “Follow the orders of God and keep away from what He has prohibited,” he added.
“Muslims must make more sacrifices in order to restore their pioneering position in the world,” he stated. The MWL chief also urged Muslims to follow the moderate line of Islam, which rejects extremism.
During Ramadan Muslims compete with one another in righteous deeds, seeking the reward of God. Philanthropists offer free iftar meals to a large number of people at mosques and public places.
“If a Muslim fasts during Ramadan with faith in God and seeking His reward, his sins will be forgiven,” the Prophet has said.
Ramadan offers a good opportunity for Muslims, who have gone astray, to return to the path of Islam and seek pardon from God.
God says in the Holy Qur’an: “O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil and sins) despair not of the Mercy of God. Verily God Forgives all sins. Truly He is Oft-forgiving and most Merciful.” (39:53)
Millions of pilgrims from around the world visit the holy sites in Saudi Arabia during Ramadan to perform Umrah and offer special prayers.
According to a Saying of the Prophet, “An Umrah in Ramadan is equal to the Haj.”
The government departments in Makkah have made preparations to welcome an expected record crowd of worshipers.
Dr. Muhammed ibn Nasir Al-Khozaim, deputy chief of the Presidency for the Two Holy Mosques Affairs, said his organization has made arrangements to keep the two mosques neat and tidy.
“We have appointed more laborers for the cleaning and maintenance of the Grand Mosque and its premises,” he said.
About 2,000 full-time and part-time employees have been appointed for work inside the mosque during Ramadan, in addition 2,823 laborers, he pointed out.
The traffic department has set out a complete plan to organize the heavy traffic during the month. Brig. Ahmad Al-Otaibi, director of traffic in the city, said his department has coordinated with SAPTCO to operate adequate number of buses to carry pilgrims from the parking places outside the holy city to the Haram.
