Muslim pilgrims circle the Kaabah at the Grand Mosque in Mekah during the annual Haj pilgrimage. Picture: Reuters
Friday, November 12, 2010
PERFORMING the Haj pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is obligatory for every Muslim who is financially and physically fit to perform the Haj.
The Haj can be described as a journey or an odyssey to retrace the footsteps of God's beloved persons: Ibrahim, Hajar and Ismail (a.s.).
The Haj was proclaimed in the Holy book: "Proclaim the pilgrimage among mankind: they will come to you on foot and on beasts of burden; let them come from every deep ravines, to bear witness to the advantages they have, and to mention God's name on appointed days: 'Then eat of them, and feed the distressed and needy'." (QS Al-Haj/22:27-28)
Five batches of Bruneian Haj pilgrims will join two million people from all over the globe to perform the Haj from November 14 to 19, 2010.
This year, Brunei sends some 1,370 people, comprising 677 men and 693 women. They are accompanied by a medical team consisting six medical officers and 20 nurses. The medical team is led by Dr Hj Md Athaaillah Hj Abdullah.
The past four decades have witnessed 57,000 Bruneians performing the Haj pilgrimage. About 54,537 Bruneians went by air, while some 2,416 went by sea.
In 2006, the number of Haj pilgrims from Brunei was recorded at 1,400 people. It increased to 1,503 in 2007, but decreased to 1,159 in 2008, and 766 in 2009 due to the H1N1 epidemic fear.
The standard expenses for Haj pilgrimage in Brunei vary depending on the quality of the hotel, the capacity of the hotel's room (a room for two persons or over), and the distance between the hotel's location to the holy shrines (Al-Masjid al-Haram in Mekah and Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Madinah).
The cost (per person) of performing the Haj for the past several years are as follows: around $6,300 to $8,600 (1424H/2004M); around $7,800 to $9,050 (1425H/2005M), around B$7,100 to $9,200 (1426H/2005/06M); around $6,900 to $9,200 (1427H/2006/07M), around $7,250 to $9,650 (1428H/2007M), around $8,000 and above (1430H/2009M).
For this year (1431H/2010M), "it's about $8,000 to $15,000," Imron Rosyadi, a staff of a Haj operator, told The Brunei Times recently.
A prospective Haj pilgrim needs to fulfill some requirements. Among the requirements include registering with the Department of Haj Pilgrimage Affairs of the Ministry of Religious Affairs; citizen, legal foreign workers, permanent residents of Brunei may register; his/her age should be more than two-years old; and should have Tekad Haji account not less than $2,000 at the Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB).
During the early 1950s, Bruneian Haj pilgrims departed to the Holy Land by sea through Labuan, and then sailed to Singapore, boarding special Haj ships to Jeddah. After 1965, Bruneian Haj pilgrims began to use air transportation, even though some still preferred to go by ships.
A decade later, Haj pilgrimage by sea transportation ceased and all Haj pilgrims left for the Holy Land through Brunei's International Airport.
Six months after the proclamation of independence in 1984, Brunei opens diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On October 21, 1986, the Ministry of Religious Affairs was established with a special department to manage Haj pilgrimage affairs.
It is during this year, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam performed umrah for the first time. And when Brunei opens its embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1987, His Majesty performed the Haj pilgrimage.
In 1988, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) agreed to put a quota for Haj pilgrimage at one per cent of the country's population. Because of the small number of pilgrims for Brunei, Saudi Arabia gave flexibility to Brunei to send more Haj pilgrims above the quota. A year after that, Brunei opened Consulate-General in Jeddah.
Performing the Haj provides Muslims with opportunities to learn and to reflect about their existence in the world and the hereafter."The result of a successful Haj is achieving a rich inner peace, which is manifested outwardly in the values of justice, honesty, respect, generosity, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy," Faisal Kutty, a writer and vice chairperson of the Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations, wrote in his article on Haj pilgrimage.
The Haj can be described as a journey or an odyssey to retrace the footsteps of God's beloved persons: Ibrahim, Hajar and Ismail (a.s.).
The Haj was proclaimed in the Holy book: "Proclaim the pilgrimage among mankind: they will come to you on foot and on beasts of burden; let them come from every deep ravines, to bear witness to the advantages they have, and to mention God's name on appointed days: 'Then eat of them, and feed the distressed and needy'." (QS Al-Haj/22:27-28)
Five batches of Bruneian Haj pilgrims will join two million people from all over the globe to perform the Haj from November 14 to 19, 2010.
This year, Brunei sends some 1,370 people, comprising 677 men and 693 women. They are accompanied by a medical team consisting six medical officers and 20 nurses. The medical team is led by Dr Hj Md Athaaillah Hj Abdullah.
The past four decades have witnessed 57,000 Bruneians performing the Haj pilgrimage. About 54,537 Bruneians went by air, while some 2,416 went by sea.
In 2006, the number of Haj pilgrims from Brunei was recorded at 1,400 people. It increased to 1,503 in 2007, but decreased to 1,159 in 2008, and 766 in 2009 due to the H1N1 epidemic fear.
The standard expenses for Haj pilgrimage in Brunei vary depending on the quality of the hotel, the capacity of the hotel's room (a room for two persons or over), and the distance between the hotel's location to the holy shrines (Al-Masjid al-Haram in Mekah and Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Madinah).
The cost (per person) of performing the Haj for the past several years are as follows: around $6,300 to $8,600 (1424H/2004M); around $7,800 to $9,050 (1425H/2005M), around B$7,100 to $9,200 (1426H/2005/06M); around $6,900 to $9,200 (1427H/2006/07M), around $7,250 to $9,650 (1428H/2007M), around $8,000 and above (1430H/2009M).
For this year (1431H/2010M), "it's about $8,000 to $15,000," Imron Rosyadi, a staff of a Haj operator, told The Brunei Times recently.
A prospective Haj pilgrim needs to fulfill some requirements. Among the requirements include registering with the Department of Haj Pilgrimage Affairs of the Ministry of Religious Affairs; citizen, legal foreign workers, permanent residents of Brunei may register; his/her age should be more than two-years old; and should have Tekad Haji account not less than $2,000 at the Tabung Amanah Islam Brunei (TAIB).
During the early 1950s, Bruneian Haj pilgrims departed to the Holy Land by sea through Labuan, and then sailed to Singapore, boarding special Haj ships to Jeddah. After 1965, Bruneian Haj pilgrims began to use air transportation, even though some still preferred to go by ships.
A decade later, Haj pilgrimage by sea transportation ceased and all Haj pilgrims left for the Holy Land through Brunei's International Airport.
Six months after the proclamation of independence in 1984, Brunei opens diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. On October 21, 1986, the Ministry of Religious Affairs was established with a special department to manage Haj pilgrimage affairs.
It is during this year, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam performed umrah for the first time. And when Brunei opens its embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 1987, His Majesty performed the Haj pilgrimage.
In 1988, the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) agreed to put a quota for Haj pilgrimage at one per cent of the country's population. Because of the small number of pilgrims for Brunei, Saudi Arabia gave flexibility to Brunei to send more Haj pilgrims above the quota. A year after that, Brunei opened Consulate-General in Jeddah.
Performing the Haj provides Muslims with opportunities to learn and to reflect about their existence in the world and the hereafter."The result of a successful Haj is achieving a rich inner peace, which is manifested outwardly in the values of justice, honesty, respect, generosity, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy," Faisal Kutty, a writer and vice chairperson of the Canadian Council on American Islamic Relations, wrote in his article on Haj pilgrimage.
courtesy of--The Brunei Times
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