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.

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

SUCCESSES AND STILL COUNTING

By Abubakar Usman
elsardyx@yahoo.com

As a wise saying goes, “No matter how big your success is, there is always room for improvement…..and perfection, though seemingly remote, is the goal of the ambitious.
For all progressive minds within and outside the hajj industry, the hallmark of successes in the hajj business in Nigeria has been epitomized remarkably by the
national honors award scored within the sector earlier in the year.
There are some salient issues that need to be highlighted to buttress the real worth of the national honors award scored by a hajj practitioner within the industry-for excellence in the field.
The national honors’ is like a contest among diverse national sectors both the prominent and the less prominent and stemming from uneven chances and positions. Just as it is a contest among several thousands of notable performers around the nation. The tightness of the road leading to becoming an honoree of a nation makes the credentials for such attainment really worth some salt even without any mention.
Also, considering the lowly position of the hajj sector in the scheme of priorities of Nigeria’s political will, any contribution that was able to attract such an a glory to the way of hajj practice most be extraordinarily awful. .
This is what makes that award not just the pride of Mal. Abdullahi Muktar, the executive secretary of Kaduna state Muslim pilgrims welfare board but the pride of Kaduna. It is even more the pride of the Nigerian hajj sector.
But fundamentally and most importantly it is more the pride of the dedicated members of management and staff of the board who are the policy drivers and foot soldiers but the unsung heroes of the successes of the institution. The award simply shows our mutual productivity under the spirited stewardship of the executive secretary. We therefore share fully and directly in the glory just as he dedicated it.
Indeed, it is the contribution of the spirits of right leadership and followership that results in achievements unimagined. It is the prevalence of such a positive spirit in Kaduna state Muslim pilgrims welfare board that has resulted in Kaduna state been an undisputed role model in the hajj business Nigeria over. Is it not a dictum that “Kaduna initiates, innovates and experiments and others adopt? Is it not a thing of pride that other states come to us to under-study the way we operate with a view to improving their operational base just like Niger state did last year? Wise people say you never appreciate your true worth until others come calling or when changes set in. Our achievements for last year’s/hajj can be said to surpass all our ambitions. More grease to our elbows.
As we continue to sow the seeds for better hajj delivery and continue to count our successes, let us exalt with praise of Allah. Indeed he is the beneficent.

Perfecting the Art of Hajj Management the Kaduna Way

By Abubakar Usman

elsardyx@yahoo.com

Publish in 2007

Cueing from the issues raised by our greatly respected erudite scholar and elder malam Mohammed Haruna on his Daily Trust Wednesday column of January 30th 2008- and in the light of the general atmosphere of concern on the pereniality of hajj problems in Nigeria, this piece is a corroboration meant to open-up some intricacies bedevilling hajj in Nigeria and to present Kaduna state hajj operations as a model for the success of hajj in Nigeria.

The immediate past hajj 2006 is around the 1,420th hajj since the pilot hajj as exemplified by the noble prophet P.B.U.H. (see Muslim). Since then, the management of hajj affairs remains a daunting task whether at individual or collective (official) quarters. The entire expedition has never been a straight jacket approach.

Today regardless of all the socio- economic and technological advancements hajj management remains not without the ever evolving and increasing problems. And each nation of the world has its own fair share of challenges. Even the host nation (Saudi Arabia) with its dedicated ministry for hajj, hajj research institute, institute for hajj studies etc maintains a barrage of insatiable problems of hajj including logistics. This is attributable to the dynamism of complex factors as they relate to hajj.

The mutual interplay of dynamism, complexities and intricacies can be seen for instance in the nature of the numerity of the stakeholders involve in the hajj business. Hajj is like a melting pot of local and international diversities both human and institutional. In the hajj business are governments, peoples, hajj operators, hajj services providers, several sects and mentalities to mention but naught. Clearly, this peculiar nature of complexity involved in hajj management has graduated it from a mere art into a professional-cum-scientific faculty of activity.

Admittedly the nature of problems of hajj in Nigeria is unacceptable and it falls below the least tolerable limits of performance. The disposition of Nigeria as an underdeveloped nation is that of a corrupt and inefficient entity in virtually all of its respects. This is the most fundamental factor afflicting hajj in Nigeria. Year in year out, the problem remains from one bad tale to another. Just like an annual harvest of woes. This is reminiscence of president Obasanjos famous rebuke of the way hajj is run in Nigeria- when at a point in the height of failures of hajj (during his mantleship) he expressed his disappointment on how an affair that is solely run and managed by the Muslims wholeheartedly for themselves would continue to fail the way it does.

It was in the resolve to provide a permanent solution to the problems of hajj in Nigeria that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) was established. The function of which is broader and coodinatory but rather a smaller schedule of contractual and foreign relations nature.

Ironically the most pronounced problems that becloud the hitch full hajj history of Nigeria have more to do with NAHCON despite its relatively smaller schedule in hajj management in Nigeria compared with the state pilgrims welfare boards. These Problems, bothering on airlifting seem to take centre stage.

There are more problems than those that meet an eye. But each problem is peculiar to each individual state hajj operator and therefore less pronounced.

The comparative edge Kaduna state’s hajj operations have over other states is quite remarkable especially in this ending decade. It’s thus a model for other states and even NAHCON itself. When it comes to hajj as a perfecting art, the state cannot be said to be second to any other state. And this is a very popular note indeed. Most of the laudable innovations in the area of hajj operations in the recent history of hajj are initiated in Kaduna. And other state if at all, copy from it.

Kaduna state pilgrims office in Makka is the destination of most Nigerian pilgrims who get lost. The reason is the rapid response to pilgrims’ welfare cases which is extended to other Nigerian non- Kaduna pilgrims. The organisation, has received numerous awards due to its excellent practices in hajj. With most of it coming from the Establishment for African Non Arab Pilgrims.

Feats like these would not be without deliberate efforts for accomplishments. Dedicated leadership and management -it is that set good objectives and work towards it and then achieve it. The board is steered by an amiable revolutionary- full of youthful spirit and vibrancy. Apparently driven by sincere zeal for performance, the accomplishments of the organization within the spate of the ending decade are fresh and still counting.

Hajj operation to Kaduna Muslim pilgrims welfare board is an all year round business with every day as part of the line-ups of activity. Each hajj year commences by lunching of the years hajj savings scheme. This is a beneficial arrangement which allows pilgrims to be making installmental hajj savings with the organization ahead of the forth coming hajj season. The savings scheme goes concurrently with other fruitful programs like aptitude screening exercises aimed at identifying inept pilgrims, medically deficient pilgrims among others, practical/iconic trainings and sensitization workshops.

The most common problem of hajj is the flight arrangement to and from the holy land. As an issue beyond the control of the states there is nothing anyone can do but wait for the planes to come. But even then Kaduna state pilgrims welfare board tries to manage the situation. No pilgrim is allowed to encamp unless there is a confirmation of flight. This is meant to avoid tense situations, whilst the management strives as far as possible to obtain the best bargain out of any such issue beyond its bounds.

The arrangement for all pilgrim embarkations is done in a way that a contingent of the officials advance to the location to prepare grounds for the pilgrims and others follow the pilgrims so that all pre- and post transit issues are attended to. The officials who most be in official uniforms are divided into different functional committees to cater for all identified areas of activities. The committees are security committee, the pilgrim dispatch committees, advance parties, housing, sanitation, female care, rituals, guides, Hadaya committees, preachers, medical etc.

The organisation exploits the use of modern technological developments like computer based technologies for data processing and relevant areas like pilgrim flight manifest in which bar codes software programs are used to scan implanted codes on the pilgrim passports for a very fast and convenient preparations of manifests, voice over service which networks functional operations and commands for rapid and emergency responses.

Regular information bulletins are dispatched to pilgrim houses intimating them on the organizations operational plans, hazards and adverse weather warnings and safety guidelines. News from Nigerian dailies are downloaded and the hard copies are kept in the makka office for the use of pilgrims. Female residences are secured to curb immoralities. In order to promote good conduct among pilgrims a stylized system of rewards and punishment is in use. Favouritism and preferential treatments are minimised and every act of the pilgrimage seem under control.

Usman, a commentator/specialist on Hajj affairs

Resides in no 25 Gwamna road, P.o Box 2059

Kaduna.