Published: Aug 23, 2011 00:14 Updated: Aug 23, 2011 00:14
JEDDAH: Plans are under way to publish literally the largest book on the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which is expected to weigh 1,600 kg and contain 420 pages, each page with dimensions of four by five meters.
The book, according to Shams Arabic daily, is authored by Abdullah Al-Mosleh, secretary-general of the Organization for Scientific Miracles in the Holy Qur'an. It will be translated into four international languages and registered in the Guinness Book of Records. The main objective of the book is to promote the message of the Prophet and give a correct picture of his life and teachings. The work is important at a time when enemies of Islam have launched a strident campaign against the Prophet to tarnish his image.
"The book will contain minute details of the Prophet's life. It will also contain 100 scientific facts about the Prophet, which are related to medicine, engineering and agriculture," said Muhammad Al-Aulaqi, chairman of the Mashahid Group who had the idea behind the book.
Remove all obstacles facing pilgrims, king tells officials
By ARAB NEWS
Published: Aug 23, 2011 01:34 Updated: Aug 23, 2011 01:37
MAKKAH: Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah on Monday urged government departments to mobilize all their resources to extend the best possible services to the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who have come from around the world to perform Umrah during Ramadan.
Addressing the weekly Cabinet meeting, King Abdullah expressed his satisfaction for laying the foundation for the largest expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah and opening a number of vital projects in Makkah and Madinah, and hoped the new projects would benefit the guests of God who visit the holy places.
"Every effort should be made to improve facilities for the huge number of pilgrims who have arrived in the holy city and remove the obstacles facing them," the king told officials during the Cabinet meeting.
The Cabinet reviewed the progress of the national fundraising campaign to alleviate the suffering of the Somali people and urged Saudis and residents to respond positively to the king's call by donating generously to the Somalia relief fund.
MAKKAH - The Al-Masha'er Train, which will operate at full capacity during this year's Haj season, forms the golden link in the chain of development projects in the holy sites executed during the era of King Abdullah.
The transportation system is one of a collection of projects that includes the Jamarat Bridge Project, development of Arafat holy site, Mina tent camps, construction of buildings on the foothills of mountains and new hospitals in the holy sites.
Workers are putting the finishing touches on the Al-Masha'er Train, said Engineer Fahd Abu Tarboush, director general of the projects.
Ongoing work includes building sidewalks, asphalting and completion of additional services in the train stations, he said.
Work is proceeding according to schedule in the second stage of the effort and the Masha'er Train will function at full capacity during this year's Haj season, he said.
It will transport 72,000 pilgrims per hour, which is considered to be the world's highest train capacity, he added.
The Masha'er Train Project includes 17 trains, each with 12 coaches; each coach has five doors on each side, more than most trains worldwide, which have two or three doors per coach, Engineer Abu Tarboush said.
Last year, the Masha'er Train Project operated at 35 percent of its capacity; a study of its efficiency in that time showed that it will provide a radical solution to transportation problems in the holy sites, he said.
In the future, it will also connect with the Kingdomwide train network and those of neighboring countries, he said.
The trains can carry large numbers of people in a relatively short time because of their advantage in the space required per passenger, compared to other means of transport, he added.
The express train can transport between 60,000 and 80,000 people per hour per track while buses have a capacity for 10,000 per hour per line, Engineer Abu Tarboush said.
The project has five train tracks from Mina to Arafat, Muzdalifa, and Mina, and in future to the Haram in Makkah, he said.
Work on the Masha'er Train started in 2009 (1430H).
MAKKAH - In the 75 days since the advent of Sha'aban, Umrah pilgrims have consumed three million 10-liter bottles of Zamzam water - an average of 40,000 bottles per day - from the King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Zamzam Water Project.
Officials got ready for the Umrah season by securing one million bottles before the advent of Sha'aban.
The Zamzam water bottles are distributed around-the-clock at the project's headquarters in Kuday via 72 automated machines that are supported during peak hours by 10 manually operated outlets.
Four production lines each produce about 50,000 bottles per day and there are one million bottles ready to be distributed, according to a source at the King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Zamzam Water Project.
Each production line works around-the-clock to meet the increasing demand for Zamzam water, which has developed along with the tremendous rise in number of Umrah pilgrims, the source added. - Okaz/SG
Gatekeeping of the Holy Ka'ba an honor for Al-Shaibi family
By Manal Al-Sharif
Sheikh Abdul Qadir Bin Taha Al-Shaibi, the current keeper of the House of Allah,
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH - The Shaibi family continues to honor the tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him), by handing down the position of gatekeeper of the Ka'ba to its oldest member.
Okaz/Saudi Gazette recently met with Sheikh Abdul Qadir Bin Taha Bin Abdullah Al-Shaibi, the current keeper of the House of Allah who is responsible for opening and closing the Ka'ba gate and washing it.
Brief history When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) entered the Ka'ba after conquering Makkah, he smashed all the idols inside it, washed it, closed its gate and then called Othman Bin Talha and Shaibah, Othman's cousin, and gave them the keys saying, "These keys will remain with you until the Day of Judgment."
Who should hold the Ka'ba keys?"The keys should be held by the oldest family member," Al-Shaibi said. "The keys are not passed down by inheritance. They might go to my cousin. Only age determines who will hold the keys. Since I'm the oldest member in the family, I have the keys."
"The Ka'ba gatekeeper is the only one responsible for its affairs. It is a huge honor that no one can take from us because it was bestowed upon us by the order of Allah the Almighty."
Ka'ba washing The Ka'ba is washed two times a year, first on Muharram 15 and the second time at the start of Sha'aban, Al-Shaibi said. "The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques or Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, with senior guests, attend the ceremony."
Ka'ba from the inside Al-Shaibi said the Ka'ba has "a floor of white marble and half of its walls are in marble too. Inside, there is a green covering, gold, jewelry, and the Taubah door, which is made of gold and which leads to the roof of the Ka'ba. There is also a dark tile which shows the spot where Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) used to put his head when prostrating. There are lamps made of copper and silver and glass on which Qur'anic verses are engraved dating back to the Ottoman era."
History of the covering (Kiswa) Al-Shaibi said that the Ka'ba's covering was initially made in Egypt but when King Abdul Aziz unified the Kingdom, he built a factory to make the Kiswa based on a suggestion from Abdul Rahman Al-Ansari.
House of gatekeeper The Ka'ba gatekeeper used to stay in a house on Al-Safa Mountain near the Grand Mosque. But this house was demolished during the expansion of the Grand Mosque and a new house built in Al-Aziziyah, which is far from the Ka'ba, Al-Shaibi added.
"This year I rented a room in a hotel near the Grand Mosque to be close to the Ka'ba and to oversee the washing process. I hope that the Ka'ba gatekeeper will be given a place near the Ka'ba, as previously done. We are used to staying near the Ka'ba and don't want to be too far from it."
JEDDAH: The Saudi Ministry of Interior has once more called for all citizens to start processing the renewal of their expired national cards and obtain new ones with an updated design.
The ministry is specifically calling on people who hold Saudi national cards with an expiration date of 1433-1434 (2012-2013) to update their details. They also said that citizens could face problems if they do not meet the deadline to renew their cards.
Observers say the ministry's decision aims to phase out all the old and expired photo cards and introduce newly designed cards, each of which contains a barcode printed with all important and relevant data about the cardholder. The data includes the holder's fingerprints, optical scan, as well as his or her personal Haj record.
The Haj record enables the Haj Ministry to restrict the number of pilgrimages each citizen performs. Current rules stipulate that each citizen can perform Haj only once every five years.
Current holders of the old or expired Saudi national cards are given a turnaround period of up to three months for the renewal procedures to be completed. To obtain their new cards, applicants are asked to visit their local Civil Affairs offices.
The new card design introduced less than five years ago will allow Saudi holders to visit Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries without their passports. The ministry said the card itself would be difficult to forge or reproduce.
MAKKAH - University researchers here will soon launch a comprehensive study on Umrah pilgrims and services, aimed at providing the authorities with a clearer picture of what services are being provided and where improvements are needed.
The study will be undertaken by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Center for Haj Research at Umm Al-Qura University, said Dr. Abdul Aziz Bin Rashad Seruji, Dean of the center.
The study will enable the authorities to get precise figures and statistics supported by documents and pictures of Umrah pilgrims in Makkah and visitors to the Prophet's Mosque. This will help them work out plans for the development of the sector.
Dr. Seruji said the study will gather information on Umrah pilgrims including their nationalities. It will also include the numbers of lost and missing pilgrims, the death rate, and the number of workers at Umrah companies. Statistics will also be compiled on the type of hotels and residential flats and occupancy rates during low and peak seasons in Makkah and Madina.
Researchers will also compile information on the health of Umrah pilgrims, including prevalent diseases and the number of ambulances, paramedics, primary care centers, and doctors and nurses involved in the medical sector. There will also be a detailed look at food services provided and the quantity of Zamzam water consumed in Makkah and Madina.
MAKKAH - A total of 11,000 workers, including engineers, technicians, masons and laborers, have been employed for the largest-ever expansion of the Grand Mosque in history.
The 750,000 sq. meter project has been divided into three sections. The first section will expand the Haram to accommodate two million worshippers at a time.
The second section will expand and develop the outside courtyards, and it includes toilets, pathways and tunnels, and auxiliary facilities. This has been designed to facilitate the entry and exit of worshippers.
The third section will develop the services area including air-conditioning and power generating plants. The new part will be linked to the existing mosque and Mas'a by a series of bridges.
The expansion project includes parts of the old districts opposite the Haram, such as Al-Shamyia, Al-Mada and Qara. The expansion stretches from the Grand Mosque Street to the east and continues to Khaled Bin Al-Waleed Street where it takes the shape of a crescent. It also heads to the west until it reaches Jabl Al-Ka'ba Street.
Lt. Gen. Saad Al-Tewijiri, Civil Defense Director General, said worshippers and workers will be safe during the construction because international safety measures have been put in place.
Meanwhile, the Civil Defense will increase the number of aircraft dealing with emergency cases during Ramadan, said Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Eid Al-Harbi, Commander of Civil Defense Air Force.
"Five highly advanced aircraft will participate in rescue, first-aid and firefighting operations," he said.
RIYADH - The round-trip Umrah-package rates from Riyadh to Makkah and Madina have touched all-time high, as holy fasting month of Ramadan has entered the last ten days.
According to Haj and Umrah tour operators the huge demand from prospective Umrah pilgrims pushed the round-trip rates to reach SR300 for a three-day package tour from Riyadh to Makkah-Madina and back.
The tour operators are charging SR200 for a three-day round trip to Makkah and SR220 for Makkah and Madina.
"The package rates are still cheaper compared to other means of transport because an intending pilgrim will have to merely add SR20 in the three-day packaged rate to Makkah and include a trip to Madina," said the operator.
The Umrah travel companies are operating all days of the week, which is against the routine practice when intending pilgrims could book seats on Mondays for a five-day trip and Wednesdays for a three-day package tour. The return journey from the holy cities would be on Friday night.
However, due to the peak season the round trip from Riyadh starts on Thursday and returns on Saturday. This is the special package offered to the pilgrims because of the high demand, said the operators. "We are also offering a package round for those intending pilgrims that want to spend Eid Al-Fitr in Makkah or Madina," the operator said.
The pilgrims can book for a three- or four-day package tour starting from Saturday, Ramadan 27 and depending on crescent the stay in Makkah or Madina would include the first day of Eid Al-Fitr. The package rate for this service is SR300.
Umrah operators are charging SR300 per person for a family of two, for a simple reason that the couple would occupy a single room. However, there is a special offer of SR250 per person for a five-member family.
According to tour operators the increased round trip Umrah package rates are due to the increased in the accommodation rates in the two holy cities. The transport companies that lease the 50-seater air-condintioned buses to Umrah operators have also raised the rental charges.
However, the round trip Umrah rates for a three-day tour from Riyadh to holy cities would come down to normal (SR80 or SR90) per person right after the Eid Al-Fitr holidays.
"Ramadan is the peak season in the whole year, largely because of the increased demand from people wanting to go for Umrah during the holy month," said one operator.
مكة المكرمة: زوار المسجد الحرام يستهلكون 9 أطنان من التمور يوميا
Mecca: visitors to the Grand Mosque consume 9 tons of dates a day
17 August 2011
قدرت أمس رئاسة الحرمين حجم التمور الموزعة يوميا في المسجد الحرام في شهر رمضان الجاري يوميا بـ9 أطنان تبلغ نسبة التمور المنزوعة النوى منها 73 في المائة. مشيرة إلى أن أطوال السفر في الحرم المكي بلغت 12500 متر، ترفع خلال 10 دقائق وقبل إقامة صلاة المغرب. وقدرت الرئاسة عدد الأفراد العاملين في أعمال النظافة في المسجد الحرام في شهر رمضان الجاري بنحو 3 آلاف عامل والآليات والمعدات اللازمة لتلك الأعمال إلى أكثر من 300 آلية ومعدة.
وفيما قدرت الرئاسة المتوسط التقريبي لكمية النفايات المرفوعة يوميا من المسجد الحرام في موسم رمضان المبارك قرابة 45 طنا مشيرة إلى أنه وبالتعاون مع قوات أمن المسجد الحرام يتم رفع العفش المعلق على واجهات المسجد الحرام ومداخل مجمعات دورات المياه ووضعها في أماكن مخصصة.
وأوضح المهندس حمود بن صالح العيادة مدير إدارة النظافة والفرش بالمسجد الحرام أن إدارته تشرف على أعمال النظافة بالمسجد الحرام التي تؤديها إحدى المؤسسات الوطنية المتخصصة من خلال عمالتها الدائمة التي يصل عددها إلى أكثر من 3 آلاف عامل ويتم استخدام عدد من الآليات والمعدات اللازمة لتلك الأعمال ويصل عددها إلى أكثر من 300 آلية ومعدة.
وأضاف يتم تنظيم الإفطار داخل المسجد الحرام بإشراف من إدارة النظافة وتضع الضوابط والتعليمات المنظمة لذلك ووضع معايير خاصة بالمؤسسات الخيرية لتوزيع وجبات الإفطار داخل المسجد الحرام التي تقتصر على التمر والقهوة فقط ويقوم بالتنفيذ المؤسسات الخيرية التي يصل عددها إلى 11 مؤسسة خيرية وتصل كمية التمور الموزعة يوميا إلى 9 أطنان وتبلغ نسبة التمور المنزوعة النوى منها 73% ويبلغ مجموع أطوال السفر في الحرم 12500 متر وترفع خلال 10 دقائق وقبل إقامة صلاة المغرب.
وبين العيادة أن عدد دورات المياه الموزعة حول الساحات المحيطة بالمسجد الحرام أكثر من 3500 دورة مياه يتم غسلها ونظافتها وتعقيمها على مدار الساعة والمتوسط التقريبي لكمية النفايات المرفوعة يوميا من المسجد الحرام في موسم رمضان المبارك قرابة 45 طنا.
Yesterday estimated the size of the Presidency of the Two Holy dates distributed daily at the Grand Mosque in the month of Ramadan a day with 9 tons of dates, the proportion of stripped cores of which 73 per cent. Noting that the length of travel in the Holy Mosque in Mecca reached 12,500 meters, flying within 10 minutes and before the Maghrib prayer. The estimated number of presidential personnel in the work hygiene in the Grand Mosque in the month of Ramadan by about 3 thousand workers and machinery and equipment for the business to more than 300 machinery and equipment.
The estimated presidency the approximate average of the quantity of waste brought daily from the Grand Mosque in the season of Ramadan nearly 45 tons, noting that, in cooperation with the security forces of the Grand Mosque is lifted luggage commentator on the facades of the Grand Mosque and entrances to parks toilets and put them in designated areas.
The Engineer Saleh's clinic director of hygiene, mattresses, Al Aqsa Mosque that his administration oversees the work of cleaning the Holy Mosque performed by a specialized national institutions through their labor standing up to more than 3 thousand workers and is used a number of mechanisms and equipment for such acts and up to more than 300 machinery and equipment.
The are organized breakfast inside the Grand Mosque under the supervision of the Department of Hygiene and put controls and regulations of that organization and the development of standards for charities to distribute and breakfast inside the Grand Mosque, which is limited to dates and coffee only, and the implementation of the charities to which up to 11 charitable foundation and up the amount of dates distributed daily to 9 tons and the proportion of dates stripped cores of which 73% and the total length of travel on campus and raise the 12,500 meters in 10 minutes and before the Maghrib prayer .
Between the clinic and that the number of toilets distributed around the grounds of the Holy Mosque in more than 3,500 toilets are washed and clean and disinfect the clock and the approximate average amount of waste brought to the day of the Grand Mosque in the holy season of Ramadan, nearly 45 tons.
Mataf entry restricted to Umrah pilgrims on peak Ramadan nights
By ARAB NEWS
Published: Aug 25, 2011 00:25 Updated: Aug 25, 2011 00:28
MAKKAH: People not wearing ihram will not be allowed to enter the mataf (area of circumambulation) of the Grand Mosque on the night of Ramadan 27, widely believed to be Lailat Al-Qadr (night of power), Al-Madinah newspaper reported Wednesday quoting a senior security official.
Commander of the Grand Mosque police Col. Yahya Al-Zahrani said ordinary worshippers who come to the Haram for prayer or attend the conclusion of the recitation of theHoly Qur'an on the 29th night would be directed to the roof, the basement and the plazas outside the mosque.
"This arrangement is made to avoid congestion on thenightsof the27and 29 and to make it easier for pilgrimsto perform their Umrah," hesaid.
Al-Zahrani said the police force responsible for the security of the Grand Mosque has been reinforced to include 1,600 policemen, 29 officers and 2,800 cadets.
He said the Grand Mosque is being monitored around the clock by 750 surveillance cameras planted in different location inside and outsidethe mosque.
Al-Zahrani noted that theft cases were fewer this year in the Grand Mosque area and attributed this to the cameras, the fingerprinting system at the airports and cooperation between police in Saudi Arabia and those countries sending pilgrims.
Meanwhile, the Tawafa Department at the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs has warned unlicensed pilgrim guidesnot to work in the Grand Mosque.
Director of the department Yousuf bin Muhammad Al-Suwailam said officials were closely monitoring pilgrim guides working in the holy mosque and said those without proper permits would be punished.
There are about 600 guides in the Grand Mosque accompanying pilgrims during the circumambulation around the Ka'aba (tawaf) and the saie, the ritual walk between the mounts of Safa and Marwah.
Al-Suwailam asked pilgrimsto spend their time attheGrand Mosque in prayer and advised them against crowding near the Black Stone.
He said the voluntary prayer after performing the tawaf can be done anywhere in the Grand Mosque, not necessarily near Maqam Ibrahim.
Al-Suwailam asked pilgrimsand visitorsto submittheir complaintsand observations to the department's office near Bilal Gate (No. 6).
Civil Defense SMS seeks to avoid overcrowding in Grand Mosque
By ARAB NEWS
Published: Aug 24, 2011 23:57 Updated: Aug 25, 2011 00:28
JEDDAH: The Civil Defense Department is sending warning messages to people in the Kingdom through SMS, telling them to perform their compulsory prayers in their local mosques instead of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, which is overflowing with worshippers.
"We would like to inform you that the Grand Mosque and its surrounding courtyards are filled with worshippers. For your safety we advise you to go to your nearest mosque to compulsory prayers," the department said in a message.
During the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan, the Grand Mosque receives hundreds of thousands of faithful from the Kingdom and around the world who come to perform Umrah and attend taraweeh and qiyamullail prayers, seeking the blessings of Lailat Al-Qadr (the night of power).
TAIF - The Ministry of Haj has introduced a new operating system called Mutabe' which allows the ministry to send SMS messages to the owners and directors of Umrah companies and establishments which have committed violations.
This was announced by Dr. Omar Rawas, undersecretary at the ministry, who added that the system will enable the owners of these companies to know exactly what was going on in Makkah and Madina.
He said the ministry will also use the new system to guide lost pilgrims and help them with other problems. Dr. Rawas said that as of Wednesday, 4,895,762 pilgrimshad arrived in theKingdom, a 30 percent increase compared to last year. Iranian pilgrimsreceived the largest number of Umrah visas, followed by Egyptians, Pakistanisand Turks.
The number of Umrah pilgrims is expected to continue increasing every year because of the massive expansions in Makkah and Madina, experts say.
2,000 Al-Masha'er Train project workers have now become Muslims
MAKKAH - Twenty senior Chinese engineers working on the Al-Masha'er Train project have embraced Islam by pronouncing Shahada. These engineers have now joined 2,000 workers on the project who have become Muslims; there are 6,000 engineers and workers building the transportation system.
A place for prayer has been established at the project.
Okaz/Saudi Gazette attended a lesson given to new ChineseMuslimsby Makkah's Cooperative OfficeforCall and CommunityGuidance's supervisorsof theChineseCommunity Guidance Division.
Supervisorssaid they prepared a special program for the 20 engineers, which included an explanation, stating the Shahada, practical teaching and explanation of ablution, teaching Arabic and a speech by a Chinese Muslim scholar who works in Dawah (Call).
Muhanna Al-Harbi, a supervisorattheChineseCommunityCall officein Arafat, said he and his colleagues need "learning resources to help us teach new Muslims matters of the religion and the Arabic language."
The organization, which hopes to get help in founding a center insidethe project, also needs books translated into Chinese and interpreters, he added.
The officeserves400 Iftarmealsevery day sopeople can have breakfast in their workplaces and has enabled 550 new Chinese Muslims to perform Haj, he added.
"Chinese people love order and honesty, and they have beautiful innate characteristics,asa result of which Islamhasspread among them," said Dr. Setr Al-Juaid, the office'sDirector, who isalso a professoratMakkah's Umm Al-Qura University.
"As the project is near the officein Al-Sharaye' area, we used interpreters to call the Chinese company's workers to embrace Islam. Allahblessed our efforts, despite our lack of resources," he said.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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