An Islamic scholar, Sheikh Muhammad Nuru Khalid, popularly called Digital Imam, has thumbed up the improved welfare of Nigerian pilgrims to this year’s Hajj in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as packed by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
Sheikh Khalid gave the commendation in Madina yesterday during an interview with some Nigerian journalists covering this year’s holy pilgrimage and warned the pilgrims to be prudent in spending their Basic Travel Allowance (BTA).
According to him, there was much positive difference in the welfare of the Nigerian pilgrims compared to previous years, saying that NAHCON did well in securing hotel accommodation for the pilgrims at a walkable distance to Prophet Muhammad’s mosque in the holy city.
Khalid, a one-time Chief Imam of the Apo legislative quarters in Abuja, informed the reception accorded the pilgrims on arrival at the Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madina was well organised.
“There is a difference and Alhamdulillah the difference is mostly positive because the organisation is improving.
“Accommodation is one of the basic things you need to improve if you want the welfare of the pilgrims to be improved. As you can see this hotel, is a very good hotel, walkable to the Haram (the Prophet’s mosque), especially from the outside you can see the minarets of the Haram. That means we are close to the Haram.
“On our arrival, officials of the Hajj commission received us in a very organised manner, gave us transportation in a very organised manner and they received us here,” Sheikh Khalid said.
He, however, said despite the well-organised manner, there was still room for improvement, saying that, “whatever man does, there must be some shortcomings and it could be improved.”
He suggested that NAHCON officials should plan on allocating rooms at the various hotels housing Nigerian pilgrims well ahead of their arrival, advising that the pilgrims’ flight manifest should be used in doing that.
“The allocation of the rooms, the pilgrims were supposed not to wait for more than 10 minutes to know their rooms. I think this thing can be done before the arrival of the pilgrims since there is a manifest of the flight.
“I think more work should be done to improve on this,” he said.
Meanwhile, Khalid encouraged the pilgrims to be careful in the way they spend their BTA in view of the little amount allotted to them this year as allowance.
He told them to be mindful of the fact that the main Hajj activity is in Makkah, especially at the Masha’ir (holy sites).
According to Digital Imam, it was going to be hell if the pilgrims did not have money when they were in Makkah.
“The main activity is in Makkah and the Masha’ir. Let them conduct themselves not to spend much because in Makkah if you don’t have money, it is going to be hell,” he asserted.
While saying that no one can blame a particular person or organisation on the issue of pilgrims’ BTA, which he attributed to the economy, Sheikh Khalid appealed to the Federal Government to look into the issue before the next year’s Hajj.
