JEDDAH, 8 January 2006 — Many citizens and residents started their journey for Haj last night. Men and women, young and old, wearing ihram were seen at various city traffic junctions and in various districts trying to find transport for the holy city. Balad and Bab Makkah, Bani Malek, Palestine Street and Tahlia Street, especially, were dotted with groups of local pilgrims.
Some pilgrims complained of transport operators charging two to four times the normal fares. “I’ve been traveling to Makkah on normal days for SR10. I’m now charged SR40,” Usman Ali, an Indonesian pilgrim said in downtown Balad.
“I’ve been performing Haj every five years,” said Ibrahim Raza, a 40-year-old Pakistani working in a shipping firm. “So long as I’m here, I’ll make it a point to perform Haj as many times as possible.”
“I’ve some visitors and am accompanying them for Haj,” said Murtada Hossain, a 42-year-old Bangladeshi who works at a textile outlet in downtown Balad. “I’ve performed the pilgrimage twice before.”
For Abdul Aziz Al-Qahtani, a Saudi businessman, it is a journey his whole family has been looking forward to. “Some young members of my family are performing Haj for the first time,” he said at Kilo 2, Makkah Road.
“I’m going to perform Haj for the 31st time,” Mohammed Ziad, 49, a Pakistani factory worker, said at Kilo 10, Makkah Road. “I don’t have the required permission, but if they don’t allow me I’ll come back,” he said.
Muhammad Irfan and Mohammed Zakaria, both Indians, and Mohamed Nuruddin, a Bangladeshi, were part of a group heading for the holy city. “We’ve permission. We’re performing Haj for the second time but after five years,” Zakaria said. The group includes their relatives who have come from their countries.
Yasir Abdu, Muhammad Faisal and Muhammad ibn Mahfouz are part of a group of Saudi youths who are performing the pilgrimage for the first time. “Haj should be performed when you’re young so that you’re in a position to offer help and assistance to fellow pilgrims,” Faisal said.
An old widow, Um Ahmed, said she was going with her son. “We’re part of a large group from our neighborhood,” she said, adding that she had performed her first Haj 30 years ago. “Aside from performing the annual pilgrimage after three decades, I’ll be interested to see the big difference in Haj arrangements. Those days performing Haj was extremely difficult without proper transport and communication facilities. But today comforts and facilities have made the journey a pleasant experience. What’s more, we now have new and modern buses,” she added.
“My entire family is with me to perform the annual pilgrimage this time,” said Hassan Al-Zahrani, a middle-aged Saudi businessman. “All my six children are especially excited to undertake the holy journey.”
The ring road from the Tahlia and Palestine street-ends presented a steady stream of pilgrim cars, vans and buses loaded with belongings heading toward Makkah all through the night.
