Calhaj Congregation Completes Arbain With Ihram Clothing Before Going To Mecca

Hajj candidates handed over the suitcase before leaving to finish Arbain at the Prophet's Mosque, Thursday (1/6). BETWEEN ANTARA/Nur Istibsaroh

Indonesian pilgrims who are prospective for Hajj complete Arbain or Fardu prayers in 40 times in Medina in a state of ihram, both male and female.

"Both men and women when they go out to the hotel to perform the last Arbain prayer are already wearing ihram clothes," said Head of the Working Area Accommodation Service Section (Dannyer) Medina of the Saudi Arabia Hajj Organizing Committee (PPIH) Ali Machzumi Ali as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, June 1.

This was conveyed by Ali when he was met monitoring the departure of batch 1 of the Solo-Yogyakarta Embarkation (SOC-1) where pilgrims who were prospective for Hajj were preparing their suitcases to be put on a bus, at the Abraj Taba Hotel, Medina.

Ali explained that all pilgrims from five groups who were leaving for Medina to Mecca had been given socialization to take a shower and wear ihram since the hotel.

"There were two departures, namely at two o'clock as many as three batches. So they left the hotel for the D Wayur prayer at the Prophet's Mosque wearing ihram clothes. While the remaining two groups departed after the Asar prayer," said Ali.

After praying at the Prophet's Mosque for the last time, pilgrims went straight to their respective buses to go to Bir Ali to perform miqot and sunnah prayers before heading to Mecca.

Ali said to expedite departures from Medina to Mecca, it took at least five hours to prepare, pilgrims were asked to hand over their suitcases to the lobby and then load them on the bus.

"God willing, the congregation will occupy the bus according to their respective suitcases and the luggage will participate in the congregation. So, arriving in Mecca the congregation will not bother with the luggage," said Ali.

There were five pilgrims for the first wave of Hajj who were already in Medina and began departing for Mecca on Thursday (1/6) with 1,899 people.

The five groups are the first batches of Jakarta Pondok Gede (JKG-1), Solo-Yogyakarta (SOC-1), Makassar (UPG-1), Banda Aceh (BTJ-1), and Medan Kualanamu (KNO-1).

On the second day onwards, which is scheduled until June 16, 2023, there will be 13 to 15 clusters per day or reach more than five thousand Hajj candidates and group officers or a total of about 264 groups consisting of 101,893 Hajj candidates.