Makkah News and Updates

The ground floor of the King Abdullah Expansion Project for worship was opened

JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS

Monday 23 July 2012

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh, who is also president of the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars, has said that performing Umrah many times during Ramadan is not mentioned in Sunnah.

He said this ritual should be practiced moderately.

“Performing Umrah every day in Ramadan, annoying other Muslims, is haram. It is enough to do Umrah once or twice in Ramadan,” he told Okaz daily.

Al-Alsheikh was asked about numerous issues related to practices usually attached to Ramadan.

Al-Alsheikh was asked about what imams should do when praying Taraweeh.
He said Taraweeh should not be very long for the sake of elderly and ill people.

He also asked imams to make sure that they recite Qur’an fully during Taraweeh prayers in Ramadan.

Al-Alsheikh said that Allah only accepts good deeds if they are purely done for Him, and when they are done according to Qur’an and Sunnah teachings.

“A Muslim must worship Allah as He instructs him or her and must know that reward depends on how this worship is done. Allah, the most merciful, also encouraged us to make additional prayers after main ones to make up for our derelictions,” he said.

Al-Alsheikh asked owners of TV channels to avoid airing immoral shows during Ramadan and to find for themselves a good deed by airing meaningful, useful and effective programs.

He also warned from seeking fatwa from people with less knowledge. He asked the ulema (the highest religious scholars) to fear God when giving fatwa and envisage benefits.

He stressed that anyone who has the knowledge can give fatwa for private questions, but issues that related to the Ummah in general should be given by senior ulema only.

Regarding fasting mistakes carried by youth during Ramadan, Al-Alsheikh said that religious preachers should talk to youth in a language they understand and be a brother to them when trying to show them the right path.
They should know what interests them.

When he was asked about shortening prayers when traveling between Jeddah and Makkah, Al-Alsheikh said there are different opinions on this matter. Some people think that the two cities are so close that driving between them is not considered traveling, but they are still different cities.

Al-Alsheikh warned against the Internet, except for those how have insight and enough wisdom. “Internet contains many conflicts and lies, and anyone can write what he wants. Spending long time on the Internet is a mistake,” he said.

New Expansion Project of Masjid Al Haram

19 July 2012

24 July 2012 - 05 Ramadan 1433 H

Worshippers throng the Grand Mosque in Makkah, Monday. In view of the huge crowd of Umrah performers and visitors to the Grand Mosque, the ground floor of the King Abdullah Expansion Project has been opened to accommodate an additional 200,000 people. More than 2.5 million people attended prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah Friday, the first day of Ramadan.

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index...20120724130898

Tuesday 24 July 2012

The Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques has assigned the duty of leading the special Ramadan prayers (taraweeh and tahajjud) to seven imams of the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

According to the schedule, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Johani and Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, who is also head of the presidency, are now leading Taraweeh prayers on odd days during the first 20 days of the holy month.

Sheikh Saud Al-Shoraim and Sheikh Maher Al-Moaiqli are leading prayers on even days, Al-Eqtisadiah daily reported.

In the last 10 days of the fasting month, Al-Johani and Al-Moaiqli will lead taraweeh prayers while Al-Shoraim and Al-Sudais will lead tahajjud (night prayer).

Sheikh Saleh Al-Taleb delivered the first Friday sermon and led Jummah prayer on the first day of Ramadan.

The next four Friday prayers will be led by Sheikh Osama Khayyat, Al-Shoraim, Sheikh Saleh bin Humaid, and Al-Sudais.

Khatmul Qur’an prayer will be led by Al-Sudais while Humaid will lead the Eid Al-Fitr prayer.

It is a busy schedule for Haram imams during Ramadan.

They have a scheduled annual meeting with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and are the invitees to the dinner hosted by the king in honor of senior scholars and officials at Al-Safa Palace in the vicinity of the Holy Kaaba.

Special rooms are there for the imams at the palace.

There are also special rooms known as retreats for them in the holy mosque near its main gates.

The imams are available most of their time in the holy month at these retreats.

They continuously engage in testing their memorization and recitation of the holy book.

They abstain from most worldly affairs and always remain in a spiritual mood.
Pilgrims and visitors to Islam’s holiest shrine have great admiration for the imams.

Many of them are eager to get a glimpse of them or try to greet them.
Therefore, imams enter the prayer area, lead prayer and leave the place with a security escort. There are about 10 security officers in charge of their security.

When the imam leads prayer at the mataf (circumambulating area) close to the Kaaba, a well-learned scholar and senior imam always stands behind him in order to rectify any mistakes that he may make while reciting the Holy Qur’an.

Most important among these scholars is Supreme Judiciary Council Chairman Humaid, who is also senior imam and khateeb of the Grand Mosque.
He is renowned for his deep knowledge and thorough memorization of the holy book.

Among the senior scholars include Al-Sudais, who memorized the whole Qur’an when he was 12.

Al-Sudais has been serving as imam and khateeb of the Grand Mosque for nearly 30 years.

Al-Sudais, renowned for his melodious Qur’an recitation that has inspired Muslims across the world, was recently appointed head of the presidency.

http://www.arabnews.com/ramadan-keeps-haram-imams-busy

Tuesday 24 July 2012

A security official at the Prophet’s Mosque said a new advanced operations room connected to 1,300 high-quality cameras was used for the first time and started operating by the first day of Ramadan.

Gen. Hamed bin Ahmad Al-Ruhaili, the Prophet’s Mosque’s special force commander, said the room uses technology to cover the entire mosque including the courtyards and parking.

He added: “Officers monitor the cameras’ high resolution videos round the clock. Field agents and patrols are given orders based on the cameras’ feed.”
He said cameras are installed in the women’s section too.

The aim of these cameras is to provide security and convenience and any required assistance to worshippers and Umrah pilgrims, he added.

He said the mosque is always filled with people, but the busiest days are usually on Fridays, the Qur’an completion nights and first Eid morning after Ramadan finishes.

On the night of Qur’an completion, all forces serving worshippers are spread across courtyards, roofs and around the mosque.

Al-Ruhaili added: “For Ramadan we have prepared an integrated plan based on previous experiences.”

All officers and privates are serving pilgrims in terms of organizing their entry and exit and providing them with assistance and services.

Al-Ruhaili said: “We’ve worked on facilitating the entry to the burial place of the Prophet (peace be upon him) for visitors. We have coordinated with the Presidency of the Prophet’s Mosque’s Affairs to manage doors, courtyards and parking and to place signboards showing the entries and exits to and from the burial place.”

Personnel from the Civil Defense and police are backing up the mosque security force, he said.

He said there are offices around the mosque to receive lost items. “Those working in the Prophet’s Mosque are trained and qualified to deal directly with pilgrims and visitors.

They were trained by a number of academics and specialists from the Islamic University.”

He said the number of those working in the two holy mosques increases every year. “The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice provided us with translators who can communicate with visitors of different nationalities and in different languages and guide and help them.”