Thousands of expatriates working in the Kingdom and their families are performing Haj this year by joining caravans organized by domestic Haj service providers.

They consider their presence in Saudi Arabia a golden opportunity to perform Haj, an important pillar of Islam.

Dr. C.V. Saleem of Al-Abeer Polyclinic in Sharafiya was excited as he performed Haj for the first time. “I have conducted a lot of studies to learn more about Haj and its rituals. Nowadays, it is very easy to understand Haj through books, CDs and the Internet,” he told Arab News.

Saleem, who has previously worked as a professor at India’s MES Medical College in Perinthalmanna, Kerala, said his main objective was “to seek forgiveness from Allah for past sins in order to live a virtuous life in the future.”

He considers Haj a golden opportunity for the faithful to cleanse their minds from sins. “Haj is a big offer from the Almighty and we have to make use of it. We have to be mentally prepared to complete this spiritual journey with extreme satisfaction,” he added.

He said the Haj should not be done haphazardly. “I was planning to perform Haj last year, but could not do it because of certain circumstances. So, for the last one year, I have been preparing for it,” said Saleem, who performed the pilgrimage with his wife Binu, a dentist.

Dr. Saleem said pilgrims should take precautions to protect themselves against infectious diseases such as Ebola and MERS, despite the government’s efforts to prevent the spread of such diseases among the Hajis. “Pilgrims have to use masks, ensure cleanliness and pray to Allah to protect them from such diseases.”

P.K. Ismail, an electrical engineer at Samref in Yanbu, said he was lucky for having gotten the opportunity to perform Haj this year. “My mother came for Haj this year and I got a chance to meet her in Mina,” he said.

Ismail’s father had wished to perform Haj, but he died before fulfilling that dream. He was working in Malaysia and could not come for Haj because of a leg injury.

“My father had requested for performing Haj on his behalf on his deathbed. I will hopefully perform Haj for him next year.”

Ismail was happy that everything went smoothly for him and other pilgrims while perform their religious duty. He was worried about the present situation of the Ummah, especially the ongoing violence in the Middle East, and said he would pray for the unity, stability and progress of the Islamic nation.

Saleem and Ismail had joined the Kerala Haj Group’s caravan that set off from Sharafiya on Thursday morning. Mohammed Najeeb, president of Thanima Saudi Arabia, who flagged off the caravan, had prayed to the Almighty that for pilgrims’s successful Haj this year.