Hajj practical guide 2012

A Practical Guide to Hajj2012

A Practical Guide to Hajj

Mental and Spiritual Preparation (Seen with Sheikh)

Physical fitnessWalk a minimum of 30 minutes per day. One hour is recommended


HealthVaccinations

Meningitis ACWY (Required for visa)Sometimes advised

– Diptheria– Hepatitis B– Seasonal Influenza– Measles and Rubella

Check Latest Updates on: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/advice-for-travellers/hajj-and-umrah-pilgrimage.aspx

http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/advice-for-travellers/hajj-and-umrah-pilgrimage.aspx

http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/advice/advice-for-travellers/hajj-and-umrah-pilgrimage.aspx


Medication– Remember to take it with you!– If you forget, all medication is available to purchase

over the counter (even if prescription only in UK) in Makkah & Medinah

– Write down and keep with you the names of all your medication that you require.

HealthTraveller’s DiarrhoeaCommon during Hajj. Prevention is essential. Avoid these:

- Unpasteurised Dairies- Raw unpeeled fruits and veggies- Contaminated water


HealthClimate Related Risks


- Sunburn, - Sunstroke, - Heat exhaustion - Heat stroke - Dehydration- Feet burn

Remember to:- Keep hydrated with Safe Liquids- Seek shade- Avoid hot hours

HealthBlood Related Infection


For Men who will be shaving their head at the end of Hajj

Remember to use:- Licensed Barbers- Check the blade issterile and single-use

Unclean Blades can transmit blood borne infections such as:- Hepatitis B- Hepatitis C- HIV


• Illness & Injury– Should you fall ill, doctors and medical centres are

available in Makkah, Madinah and Mina.– Private doctors may also be called through the

hotel usually


• Group DynamicsBe Punctual!

People that are late keep the entire group waiting and can cause several hours of delays.

Please follow instructions. Keep updated by SMS on your phone.

We take your requirements into consideration at every step but our primary concern is ensuring the group as a whole completes Hajj safely and in comfort.


• Group DynamicsBe considerate to others in the group.You WILL lose your patience at some point.

Don’t worry.... Just make sure you remember to apologise and rectify any problems afterwards

At least one person from the Road to Makkah team will be available at all times in person and by phone for questions and assistance.


• Luggage – What to Pack When Leaving the UK– Patience. Patience. Patience!– One large and one small case (rucksack provided

by Road To Makkah)– Necessary items (in Mina)• Ihram, including one spare• Small bag for stones• Summer clothing & one or two items of warm clothing• More patience


• Luggage – In Mina– Pack light for Mina, take only the essentials and no

valuables. There is nowhere secure to store any valuable items

– Ensure you have the following with you• Ihram, including a spare• One or two changes of clothes• Basic toiletries such as soap and shampoo (perfume free)• A towel• Your medication if you require any• A mobile phone and its charger


• Luggage – In Muzdalifah– Pack even lighter for Muzdalifah!– Ensure you have the following with you• Sleeping bag• A small bag to collect stones in• One bottle of drinking water• One bottle of water to perform wudu with

– Toilet facilities are very limited in Muzdalifah and all other facilities are non existent!

– A packed lunch style meal will be provided


• Keeping in Touch with Family– Take your mobile phone (keep it safe!)

• All major networks have connectivity and roaming agreements in Saudi Arabia.

• Using your UK phone is EXPENSIVE• Ensure you have roaming enable in order to be able to use your phone

– Use a Saudi SIM card• Use the SIM card provided by Road To Makkah and check for regular

updates by SMS text messages. This can be easily topped up from various shops

• Ensure that your phone is not locked to your home network (SIM locked)

– Email / Internet access• Available in some hotels in Makkah and Madinah.


• Money and Valuables– Take as little money with you as possible and take no valuables at

all– Hotel rooms are relatively secure. You may leave money and

valuables locked in your room. Ensure that you lock your bags or use the room safe however.

– There is nowhere secure to store valuables in Mina or Muzdalifah– Credit cards are widely accepted in shops and restaurants in

Makkah and Madinah but not as ubiquitous as in the UK– Cash machines are available but very limited in number. Not all

cash machines will accept UK cards. Withdrawing cash even if the machine accepts your card may be quite difficult

– We recommend exchanging currency in Makkah or Madinah


• 13 Oct 19:00 pm Meet and check-in at London Heathrow

• 14 Oct AM: Arrive in Madinah Airport & take coach to the hotel.

May take anything between 2 and 4 hours from landing to arrival at the hotel, depending on availability of Immigration staff and coaches.PM: Perform Salaam and other Ibadaah in your own time.

• 15 Oct Visit Historical Places: Guided Ziyaraat in private coach

• 15 Oct- 17 Oct Perform Salaam and other Ibadaah in your own time.

MARWA Schedule


• 17 Oct (1st Dhul Hijja)AM: Put on Ihram, checkout of hotel in Madinah and leave for Makkah by A/C coach. PM: Arrive in Makkah.

PM: Perform Umrah in your own time.

• 17 Oct-24 Oct Perform Umrah in your own time and Continue to perform your prayers in the Haraam and other ibadaah.

• 24 Oct (8th Dhul Hijja)Leave Makkah and head for Mina after Fajr. Stay overnight in Mina.You will keep your hotel room during the days of HajjLeave your belongings and may return to it as and when

you wish.

A Practical Guide to Hajj• 25 Oct (9th Dhul Hijja) After Fajr: Leave for Arafat

Maghrib: Leave for Muzdalifah without praying MaghribIsha: Arrive in Muzdalifah and pray both

Maghrib and Isha prayers combined• 26 Oct (10th Dhul Hijja) After Fajr: Leave Muzdalifah back to Mina

AM: Arrive in Mina. Perform Rami at Jamarat al Aqaba. Await completion of QurbaniShave head/cut hair and exit Ihram

Perform Tawaf-al-Ifada if time permitting• 27 Oct (11th Dhul Hijja)Perform Rami (All 3 pillars). Perform Tawaf if not

done yet• 28 Oct (12th Dhul Hijja) Perform Rami (All 3 pillars). Perform Tawaf if

not done yet. Return to hotel to sleep or stay in Mina


• 29 Oct AM: Rest in Makkah and extra Ibadaat. Free day

19:30 PM: Checkout of Makkah hotel and leave for Jeddah Airport

Fly back to London Heathrow

• 30 Oct 5:20 am Scheduled Arrival in London Heathrow.Delays are very common in Hajj Time.

Let your family know!


• 20 Oct 19:00 pm Meet and check-in at London Heathrow

• 21 Oct AM: Arrive in Jeddah Airport & take coach to Makkah. May take anything between 2 and 10 hours from landing to

arrival at the hotel, depending on availability of Immigration staff and coaches.

PM: Perform Umrah in your own time.

• 21 Oct-24 Oct Perform Umrah in your own time and continue to perform your prayers and other ibadaah.

• 24 Oct (8th Dhul Hijja) Leave Makkah and head for Mina after Fajr. Stay overnight in Mina.Your will keep your hotel room during the days of Hajj, leave

your belongings and may return to it as and when you wish.

SAFA Schedule

A Practical Guide to Hajj• 25 Oct (9th Dhul Hijja) After Fajr: Leave for Arafat

Maghrib: Leave for Muzdalifah without praying MaghribIsha: Arrive in Muzdalifah and pray both Maghrib and Isha

prayers combined

• 26 Oct (10th Dhul Hijja) After Fajr: Leave Muzdalifah back to MinaAM: Arrive in Mina. Perform Rami at Jamarat al AqabaAwait completion of QurbaniShave head/cut hair and exit Ihram

Perform Tawaf-al-Ifada if time permitting

• 27 Oct (11th Dhul Hijja) Perform Rami (All 3 pillars). Perform Tawaf if not done yet

• 28 Oct (12th Dhul Hijja) Perform Rami (All 3 pillars). Perform Tawaf if not done yet. Return to hotel to sleep or stay in Mina as preferred.

A Practical Guide to Hajj• 29 Oct Rest in Makkah and extra Ibadaat. Free day

• 30 Oct AM: Checkout of Makkah hotel. Leave for Madinah PM: Arrive in Madinah & check into hotel.

Perform Salaam and other Ibadaah in your own time.

• 1st Nov Visit historical sites: ziarat by private coach

• 2nd Nov Perform Salaam and other Ibadaah in your own time

• 3rd Nov 02:00 AM: Check out of hotel. Go to Jeddah Airport14:05 PM: Scheduled Arrival at London Heathrow Airport

Delays are very common in Hajj Time. Let your family know!


• Umrah / Tawaf / SaiAfter arriving in Makkah, wait for rooms to become available

and rest before heading to the Holy MosqueMake a note of where you enter from. All doors have

coloured coded mats for you to rememberTake your shoes with you into Haram in the shoebag

provided by Road To MakkahMight be easy although longer to perform Tawaf and Sai on

the upper floors (but not on the roof in the daytime) After completing Umrah, return to the hotel by passing

through the Mosque, this is much shorter than walking around the outside


• Umrah / Tawaf / Sai– Men: Ensure you use a proper barber to have your hair cut.

Even within a proper barber, ensure a NEW clean blade is used. Please DO NOT use people on the street offering to cut your hair or you risk to catch infections

– Keep your valuables hidden. There are pick pockets that operate in both Makkah and Madinah, even inside the Haramain.• Men: Try and use a wide flat belt to hold your Ihram and hide money• Women: Keep your purse around your neck and one arm and in

front of you at all times. Do not swing it round to the side or back


• Umrah / Tawaf / Sai

The quietest times to perform Umrah: Between 11am and Dhuhr and between 11pm and 2am

The busiest times are between Maghrib and Isha and between tahajjud (about 3am) and sunrise(about 7am)


• Mina– Two separate tents. One for men, one for women– In European tents enclave. 45 mins walk from the Jamarat– Shared toilet and shower facilities available, these are usable and

certainly not luxurious.– There can be long queues to use the toilets, especially before Fajr.– You may return to Makkah to use your hotel room if desired during

the day– Electricity is available to charge your phone etc but a very limited

number of power points– NO SECURITY. All valuables are left at your own risk– You may perform Rami 24 hours per day.– Jamarat is en-route to Makkah


• Arafat– Try and remain inside the tent to avoid exposure to the heat– Drink plenty of water and other fluids. Eat in moderation– Cooked food will be provided for lunch– Toilet facilities are available and are similar to Mina but shared by

more people. They can be very busy especially before Dhuhr time.– We do not recommend leaving the tent/ group area to visit Masjid

Nimra or Jabal Rehma.– We will perform our own salah and khutbah– If you do leave the area and do not return before the group leaves

for Muzdalifah you will have to make your own way there!


• Muzdalifah– Will be spending the night there. There are no tents,

buildings or other form of shelter– You may require a light blanket and/or matting.– The coach will remain with us to store belongings (and

sleep inside should you wish to)– Muzdalifah is a giant car park! Concrete ground and lots

of flood lights. Don’t count on seeing the stars!– Toilet facilities are similar in nature to Arafat– Dinner and breakfast will be provided in the form of pre-

packed food


• Arranging Hadi / Qurbani– Number of choices available• Arrange it at additional cost with Road to Makakh (£85)• Perform it yourself in Mina (slaughterhouse is a 45min

walk from the tents)• Purchase a certificate in Makkah (arranged by the Saudi

government)• Arrange it with another company/ slaughterhouse

yourself

May Allah allow us to succeed in this life and the other.May Allah accept all our efforts

to make this Hajj Mabroor!

Hajj is a once in a lifetime challenge.

We, at Road To Makkah, will take this challenge with you.

Hajj practical guide 2012

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Transcript of Hajj practical guide 2012