Friday, May 14, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
THE NEW PASSPORT/ VISA POLICY FOR 2009 HAJJ
Editorial
Abubakar Usman
On his courtesy call to the comptroller General of the Nigeria immigration service, the chairman national hajj commission (NAHCON) Mal. Muhammad Musa Bello, disclosed the directives as contained in a letter from the Saudi Arabian authorities to the commission as regards 2009 hajj passports and visa issuance. According to Mal. Mohammad Bello, the issuance of the visas will only be
on international passports and not on hajj passports as used previously. The chairman averred that, “the new policy intends to make hajj operations hitch free...” and that it applies to all countries of the world and not just Nigeria alone. He added that the new measure could go a long way in curbing the menace of immigration irregularities.
Positive new developments are always welcome and are desirable for the good of all operations. What makes new development important is its substance and relevance in the light of its objectives.
Hajj operations are by every means beyond a mere immigration exercise. So it is contestable to say that the new policy would result in hitch free hajj operations. Immigration remains an aspect of hajj operations which’s success cannot translate to hitch free hajj operations as a whole.
More so, It is contestable to say that the policy can solve common immigration problems as standard international passports have always been used for the purpose of umrah and hajj by tour operators. And the kinds of immigration problems that the new passport regime seeks to address are still prevalent and unabated. Even the nascent experiment with the E-passport did not perform any miracle either.
However, the new system may be said to have some inherent benefits. It can actually help in checking the problem of other people using passports meant for others. Though not any different from what the hajj passport can still do. The new passport is also like a re-alignment with new global developments. It can be laudable for its susceptibility to modern high-tech processes.
As the chairman said, the policy is applicable to all countries of the world. But countries like India have since despatched a delegation to Saudi Arabia to canvass for a two year moratorium on the implementation of the policy for India. Even though according to them, they are fully ready to comply.
It is our opinion that the National Hajj Commission, whilst working to conform with the policy demands, should also brainstorm along with all stakeholders on the real underlying issues involve in the policy and how it affects Nigeria and the way forward. By these we may have a case to register with the Saudis just like the Indians.
Abubakar Usman
On his courtesy call to the comptroller General of the Nigeria immigration service, the chairman national hajj commission (NAHCON) Mal. Muhammad Musa Bello, disclosed the directives as contained in a letter from the Saudi Arabian authorities to the commission as regards 2009 hajj passports and visa issuance. According to Mal. Mohammad Bello, the issuance of the visas will only be
on international passports and not on hajj passports as used previously. The chairman averred that, “the new policy intends to make hajj operations hitch free...” and that it applies to all countries of the world and not just Nigeria alone. He added that the new measure could go a long way in curbing the menace of immigration irregularities.
Positive new developments are always welcome and are desirable for the good of all operations. What makes new development important is its substance and relevance in the light of its objectives.
Hajj operations are by every means beyond a mere immigration exercise. So it is contestable to say that the new policy would result in hitch free hajj operations. Immigration remains an aspect of hajj operations which’s success cannot translate to hitch free hajj operations as a whole.
More so, It is contestable to say that the policy can solve common immigration problems as standard international passports have always been used for the purpose of umrah and hajj by tour operators. And the kinds of immigration problems that the new passport regime seeks to address are still prevalent and unabated. Even the nascent experiment with the E-passport did not perform any miracle either.
However, the new system may be said to have some inherent benefits. It can actually help in checking the problem of other people using passports meant for others. Though not any different from what the hajj passport can still do. The new passport is also like a re-alignment with new global developments. It can be laudable for its susceptibility to modern high-tech processes.
As the chairman said, the policy is applicable to all countries of the world. But countries like India have since despatched a delegation to Saudi Arabia to canvass for a two year moratorium on the implementation of the policy for India. Even though according to them, they are fully ready to comply.
It is our opinion that the National Hajj Commission, whilst working to conform with the policy demands, should also brainstorm along with all stakeholders on the real underlying issues involve in the policy and how it affects Nigeria and the way forward. By these we may have a case to register with the Saudis just like the Indians.
THE BLACK STONE, A Marker and a Tradition
THE BLACK STONE
By Nazir Asri
The black stone or hajr Aswad set up five feet from the ground in the south-eastern corner of Ka’aba has always been an object of interest for Muslims and non- Muslims alike. The black reddish coloured stone, with
a 30-centimetre diameter and surrounded by a silver frame, is the starting point for the Muslims doing tawaf of the Ka’aba.Tawaf is an Arabic word meaning to circle, compass or move around something. A person performing hajj, umra or just visiting the grand mosque in makka is required to circle or circumbulate the Ka’aba seven times to complete tawaf. Each one of the seven rounds begins by kissing or caressing or by simply waving at the black stone.
The holly Quran refers to Makkah and harram as: “the first sanctuary appointed for mankind was that at Bakka a blessed place, guidance to the peoples.” (Ali Imran, 96)
Since hundreds, and even thousands of people circumbulate the Ka’aba round the clock at times it is difficult to reach the black stone. Scholars agree that in such a situation it is enough to simply wave in the direction of the black stone from any distance at the start of each round. There are neon lights on the ground floor as well as on the first and second floor indicating the direction of the black stone.
Until recently there use to be a line on the floor of the haram showing the direction of the black stone on the line at each round to read the starting supplication. Many people even started offering sallah (prayer) on the line itself thus coming in the way of smooth flow of people moving around the Ka’aba. So the authorities removed the line to the relief of pilgrims in general.
The Ka’aba is nearly in the middle of the haram as it was built through the centuries around this most holy of sites, in the shape of a big, high cube with a height of 15 metres.
The door is at its eastern wall. Two meters above the ground. It is made of solid gold but has changed throughout history. The four corners of Ka’aba are the Black Stone corner, the shami corner (referring to the most north-eastern corner), the yemani corner (the south-western corner) and the Iraqi corner. The top of the northern wall there is the mizab a water drain element which is made of pure gold.
The black stone, though having such a significance as the starting point for the tawaf, is not been mentioned at all in the holy Quran. But we do find some traditions of prophet mohammad (pbuh) regarding the black stone. Kitab Al-Haj in tirmidhi quotes the prophet as saying: “The black Stone descended from heaven, when it was whiter than milk, but people’s sin has blackened it.”
In Bukhari, volume 3 book 26, number 667 Abis bin Rabia is quoted as saying: “caliph umar came near the black stone and kissed it and said, ‘No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither benefit anyone nor harm anyone. Had I not seen Allah’s apostle kissing you I would not have kissed you.”
A Jeddah based scholar Dr Syed Saeed Ahsan Abdi has debunked the belief that the black stone is the right hand of Allah Almighty and whoever caresses it, he pledges never to violate his rules or that, those who did not have the opportunity to express allegiance at the hands of prophet mohammad (pbuh) can do so by caressing the stone. He said the hadith is totally fake because one of its narrators was Aban Bin Abi Ayash, who was known for inventing Ahadith.
Though the black stone is the starting point for tawaf, there was a period in Islamic history when it was missing from Ka’aba. But this did not come in the way of the tawaf. In the year 317 H /980 AD. The karamathians removed the black stone during their mad merry making. They carried it away with them to their territory in Al-ahsa (in the Arabian gulf). After keeping it there for over 20 years, they returned it back to Makka in the year339 H. In such an event the shariah maintains that the pilgrim shall perform his tawaf without the black stone. Instead of the black stone the pilgrim shall touch its place at the corner of the Ka’aba or point to its spot and continue with tawaf. Thus the total absence of the stone itself makes no difference in the validity of tawaf and pilgrimage.
Culled from Hajj and Umra magazine
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