6- Sheikh M.T Sulaiman, Imam Umar Bn Khattab Mosque, Kaduna advised the Chairman on invocation, work and worship: “For you to succeed”, he said, “don’t rely on your experience; surrender all to Allah and pray to Him.” He reminded Zikrullah of what Allah said in the Qur’an on supplication: “And your Lord has said: Pray unto me and I will hear your prayer.” (Ghaafir 40:60) “When you wake up”, Sheikh M. T Sulaiman said, “desert your bed at the middle of the night while others may be sleeping, invoke Allah for yourself and other members of your team.”
When the time came for the Chairman to respond, he expressed
his gratitude to the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria for the visit. As
a Muslim scholar in his right, he spoke with the certainty of the people of
knowledge. "Allah has ways of summoning one to duty"; he said,
"this one came to us via a phone call before which I had resolved not to
perform Hajj for some time to be with the family. But the phone call came
announcing this call to duty. We did not lobby for this. We did not speak to
any politician or people in government. So, we are only answering Allah’s
summon."
As if in answer to my concern, the Chairman said that their
aim is to strengthen the industry and not to alter legacies. “We even have a
design”, he said, “to call former staff and officials, chairman and members of
any board who left in whatever position, and are still alive; they had
contributed in many ways; we can share in their wisdom. Yes, the plan is there
to call all of them for exchange of ideas, to learn from what they did right,
and improve upon their mistakes. We have no plan of ‘this is my government and
my policy is this’. All advice will be worked with to the best of our ability.”
On the point raised by Sheikh Muhammad Bn Usman, Alhaji
Zikrullah said “The issue of leaving Makkah on the 8th of Zulhijjah we
will start work on it, but you must realise that in Hajj operations we are left
at the mercy of our host country; some times you are told on how you are to
move from place to another and when, and you have no option. You either leave
or you are in trouble; you may want to go at some other time but you are told
this is when the vehicle will be available. If you don’t move now, don’t
call me again. In Hajj operations, therefore, we know that there is the ideal and
the reality, and nothing could be as frustrating as to have no vehicle on
the day of Arafat. We shall try our best as members of our team are here,
and have heard all you said; we will do what is possible.”
Alhaji Zikrullah is pained on our inability as a nation to
fill our quota for Hajj allocation. “We want to reduce the cost of hajj”; said
he, “we are aware that nothing good comes cheap, but we also know that our
allocation is 95,000 the only reason why we could go with only 65,000 is cost.
During my meetings with the Hajj Ministry officials and the Mu’assasah I told
them: If you make Hajj 200,000 only, for instance, over one million Nigerians
will come for Hajj.”
The NAHCON Chairman’s concern is for the poor Muslims who
are eager, more willing to perform the Hajj but who hardly have the means to do
so. “Experience has shown”, he said, “that it is the poor that like to go on
Hajj. People of means don’t like to go on pilgrimage. The poor-man can go 30
times, but the rich, no, only Ahluttaqwa among the rich will go to
Hajj twice. Many a rich man will avoid performing Hajj consecutively; he will
opt for sponsoring imams to go to Hajj rather than be involved in the ritual
year after year. Then if it is the poor that love Hajj, we must endeavour to
make it more affordable to them.”
At this point in his emphasis on the poor and their love for
Hajj, I noticed that the Chairman’s gaze was fixed on me. I knew something was
coming, but since it lingered I thought I had dodged the bullet, then: “ I’m
not saying only the poor go to Hajj “, continued the Chairman, “but the
majority of people who go to Hajj are poor; we are serving the poor, but we
know those who are serving the rich here. (Laughter) I don’t mention anybody’s
name, but for those of us who serve the poor we must continuously make an
effort to bring down the price.”
On the increase in the cost of Hajj services, the Chairman
said: “The trend even with our host in the holy territories is for the price to
increase yearly. If you are proactive you may have yourself trying to contend
with the increase every year, yet our people here are poor. In times past state
governments sponsored pilgrims, but now that is becoming a thing of the past.
“Nigerians should be proud to go with 95,000 pilgrims and
the only way to fill that number is to bring down the price. We have started
the journey. The cost has increased this year by at least SAR400 part of which
is the newly introduced 300 riyals visa fee. Before now it was free. That is an
addition. The Mu’assasah as the gateway to Hajj is there. They have increased
the cost of Hajj services. The former Chairman had made them cut down the rates
to a certain level. When I went, I tried to have further reduction but to no
avail. I said I’m just coming in as a new head, let me have the reduction as a
gift (from the Mu'assasah). Eventually, we were able to reduce it to a
significant level. If you already have an increase in the rate of hajj
services, then you have to battle with some other things to avoid making
announcement to the pilgrims on increase in Hajj fares.”
In response to what I alluded to on the members of staff of
the Commission in relation to their constant training, the Chairman said: “My
team and I,” he commenced, “experienced as you described them, have been able
to reduce the rate of accommodation to between 200 to 700 riyals - the same
building, the same location. This will neutralise the current increase from visa
charges and Mu’assasah services. We have started speaking with the airlines.
This year’s price will be lesser than what pilgrims paid last year; I can’t say
by how much but we are still working on it. We shall do the same with the
catering companies. The quality of the food will not decrease but after our
meeting with them, we were able to slightly reduce the rate. We are committed
to reducing the rate without compromising the standard.”
On the numbers of days our pilgrims spend in the holy land,
the Chairman assured us that: “We are also committed to reducing the number of
days spent in the holy land”. He said. “I know it is not easy; we do not have
an airport (especially for us and our pilgrims) in Saudi Arabia. We cannot
dictate to our host to stop others from landing because we are coming, but
certainly, the number of days that we will spend this year will be less than
what was spent last year - by how many days I can’t say, but we’ll make that
public at the appropriate time.”
NAHCON Chairman also spoke on the Hajj Saving Scheme.
“Another strategy to reduce Hajj rate”, he said, “will be the Hajj Saving
Scheme. Discussions are ongoing on that with some financial institutions; that
will not only lessen the burden of Hajj to the poor, but it will also provide
business opportunities to the Ummah.”
Another issue mentioned by the head of the Commission was
the Hajj Training Institute. “There is also the hajj training institute”, he
averred, “aside pilgrims enlightenment programmes that you alluded
to. If there is a degree in events management, dancing, etc. then anyone who
wants to be involved in Hajj business should be certificated by a Hajj training
institute. I will be one of the enrolled participants for such certificate. It
will get to a point where we will block your entry into the Hajj business
without certification. Some people just assume that Hajj business is all about
making money, but the reality is that Hajj business is about profit and loss.
There are times you return home crying due to loss incurred in a given
operation. But some people who have extra money just think they can come into
the Hajj business. We feel that all should have proper training and be
certificated. I hope when the time comes a body like yours will be willing to
support us.
"Thank you once again for coming. Our doors are open
24/7. The keys are lost, so the doors cannot be locked a second time. We rely
on Allah to support us. Wa maa tashaa’una illa an yashaa Allah, (we
cannot do anything unless Allah wills it to be so…) (at-Takweer 81:29)
"Coronavirus is not about Hajj. It is about the whole
world. We need your prayers, for Allah to temper justice with mercy.”
Sheikh Umar Dada Paiko offered special prayers on COVID
19
He supplicated Allah by quoting a Hadeeth in which the
Prophet, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam used to supplicate against ailments: “Allaahumma
innee a’udhu bika minal-barasi, wal-jununi, wal-judhaami, wa sayyi’il-asqaami (O
Allah! I seek refuge in You from leucoderma, insanity, leprosy and evil diseases).”
Ameen!
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