Members of the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria,Thursday called on the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to prioritise training and enlightenment of pilgrims on how to worship and relate with one another during Hajj.
The delegation led by Sheikh AbdulRasheed Hadiyatullah made the call when they paid a courtesy call on the NAHCON chairman, Barrister Zikirulla Hassan in Abuja.
One of the members, Muhammed-Nasir Adam, said NAHCON should take the issue of training and retraining of the pilgrims, especially those that goes for hajj through Private Tour Operators known as international pilgrims.
“I advise the chairman of the national hajj commission of Nigeria to take the training of pilgrims seriously. I want all the state of the federation to emulate Kano state because it is rare for a Kano state pilgrim not to know how to perform act of worship. But most of the international pilgrim knows nothing before embarking on the spiritual journey which can invalidate their act of worship during Hajj.”
Another member of the council and director Pilgrim’s Welfare Board, Enugu, Alhaji Adam Edoko, also advised NAHCON not to limit hajj awareness and enlightenment programme to only hajj period.
Also, Muhammad Bin-Uthman, said issue of conveying pilgrims to Munna on the 7th day of Zhulhijja instead of early morning of 8th day of the month as prescribed by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) should be corrected.
Earlier, leader of the delegation Sheikh AbdulRasheed Hadiyatullah who read the speech of the president of the council, Dr Ibrahim Datti Ahmad, said the members were not in NAHCON to congratulate the new chairman for his appointment, but to remind him of the trust bestowed on him by Allah.
He commended him on the efforts the commission is making towards reduction of hajj fare without compromising quality and the reduction of number days pilgrims spent in the holy land.
‘’As major stakeholders, we are always ready to assist. We hope that this is not the last meeting we will have with you. We have confidence in you and we pray that you will lead Nigeria’s Ummah without favoritism, nepotism and injustice because NAHCON is the only office that is attached to one of the five pillars of Islam.
While responding, the NAHCON chairman, Barrister Zikirullah Hassan thanked the council for the visit while assuring that his team would work towards implementing all issues raised by the Council.
He said issues of conveying pilgrims to Munna on the 7th of Zhulhijja instead of the 8th, is caused by the host country (Saudi Arabia) who decides the time buses will be ready for the movement of the pilgrims, but the commission will look into it.
He added that, “…we are ready to work with anyone who has the interest of the commission at heart,” he said.
Members of the delegation were pulled from all the states of the federation.
