It is the wish of every Muslim to visit Makkah and Madinah at least once in his lifetime. Every year, as the Haj season draws closer those who could not get the chance to perform Haj feel aggrieved and those who are blessed with the opportunity to visit the holy sites thank Allah for the favor.
The excitement a pilgrim feels the moment he/she arrives in the Kingdom cannot be described in words. The moment they land on the airport until they reach their destination in Makkah, they forget everything and remain focused only on the Merciful Creator and His blessings.
That is why they need to delegate all their earthly concerns to others in order to immerse themselves in this lifetime journey. Those “others” happen to be the organizers of this annual gathering in Makkah.
The whole country remains on a high alert throughout the season to make sure everything is perfectly managed for the millions gathered in Makkah to perform Haj. It is a huge responsibility that we take with love and pride.
With every season, emerge a different challenge and a new reality that we should be prepared to deal with. The recent crane accident was devastating in the beginning. It was very painful but the country responded swiftly to contain the impact of that accident so as to ensure a smooth Haj 2015. According to many observers, the official response to the situation was exemplary — top officials were present on the site, precautions were taken to contain danger, investigation was conducted on spot and results were made public in records time.
Challenges are not over yet though, it does not need quantum physics to discover that the region is on fire. North or South, West or East, the Arab world is boiling. Due to the current turmoil in the region, the Kingdom is facing many security concerns. Our authorities are certainly aware of those concerns and prepared to deal with those.
We should remember that Haj is a sacred journey to a sacred place. One should not allow petty mindedness ruin the sanctity of this journey.
Saudi Arabia has always been very strict in the management of Haj. There is no room for politics in Haj. It is not a march or a demonstration to claim rights, deny actions or to do propaganda, it is a march toward God, and that’s it. Leave all your differences, your arguments and your opinions back home, we are all here to worship one God.
However, with all the efforts the organizers make to serve and protect pilgrims, it would not help until they themselves share the responsibility. The pilgrims should follow rules and regulations regarding their movement in and around the holy sites, accommodations and rituals.
After all, Islam is all about civilized behavior. At the end, besides praying for the season to succeed, thanking all those working or volunteering to serve the pilgrims is a must.
