No fewer than 11 Islamic scholars (clerics) have so far arrived Madinah, at the instance of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria( NAHCON), to educate Nigerian pilgrims on the ethics of Hajj.
Alhaji Ahmed Maigari, the Madinah Coordinator of NAHCON, disclosed this newsmen in Madinah on Wednesday.
He said that apart from their spiritual function to ensure they gain maximum benefits from the pilgrimage, the clerics would also render civic education responsibilities to the pilgrims.
According to him, NAHCON had rented 16 five-star hotels, with 15,093 capacity bed space for the pilgrims in Madinah.
He said the hotels were located at Makkahziyya, close to the Prophet’s mosque in Madinah, to make praying easy for the pilgrims.
Maigari said that the innovation was to reduce long trek by pilgrims, from their hotel to the Prophet’s mosque, as well as check motor accidents, in the event of crossing roads.
He said there had not been record of child delivering among Nigerian pilgrims in the 2019 Hajj, so far.
“It is now compulsory for every state to conduct pregnancy test for female pilgrims, before embarking on pilgrimage.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the law, which became effective some years ago, is to discourage Muslim pregnant women from performing Hajj.
Also speaking with journalists, the President of the Nigerian students union, Islamic University, Madinah, Alhaji Abdulkabir Adegbeye, called on the pilgrims to emulate the virtues of Prophet Muhammad.
“Prophet Muhammad (SAW) demonstrated exemplary character while alive, it is incumbent on the pilgrims and indeed all Muslims to emulate his virtues.
“Muslims are expected to display love and live peacefully with other members of the society, irrespective of religious inclination and other divisive expressions.
“I know they have been doing this, all I am saying is for us to enhance efforts in this regard,” he said. (NAN)
