Crowded Kaaba, Indonesian Hajj Candidates 2022 Umrah Mandatory Prime

Indonesian pilgrims performing the first obligatory Umrah at the Grand Mosque after leaving Medina, Monday, June 13. (Antara)

JAKARTA - Pilgrims of Indonesian Hajj candidates began performing the first obligatory Umrah and packed the Kaaba on Monday morning Saudi Arabian Time (WAS) after previously arriving from Medina at 23.00 WAS.

From the hotel where they were staying, the congregation was escorted by shalawat bus, a bus provided by the Saudi Arabian Hajj Organizing Committee (PPIH).

The congregation arrived at the Grand Mosque at 03.00 WAS and packed the tawaf area. The obligatory Umrah or Tawaf Qudum is part of a series of pilgrimages.

A total of 358 JCH from Solo Embarkation (SOC1) were the first pilgrims to arrive in Mecca, after about nine days of performing the Arbain worship (obligatory prayers in congregation 40 times) in Medina.

After circling the Kaaba seven times, the congregation performs sai, which is a seven-time jog between the hills of Safa and Marwah, then cuts their hair or tahallul.

The SOC1 congregation arrived at the Kiswah Hotel, Mecca after traveling about six hours from Medina on Sunday at 23.00 WAS.

The congregation's arrival was welcomed by the Indonesian Consul General in Jeddah, Eko Hartono, accompanied by the Director of Administration for the Southeast Asia Muthawif Hajj Institute, Adnan H Mandourah and the Head of the Mecca Work Area (Daker) Mukhammad Khanif.

"This is the first batch to arrive on June 4 from the Solo Embarkation. We hope that all pilgrims will be given health, able to carry out their worship properly, so that their pilgrimage journey can go well," said Eko Hartono quoting Antara.

Eko hopes that the congregation can worship well. He reminded that Hajj is a physical worship. Therefore, the spirit of worship must be balanced with the ability to take care of oneself. Moreover, currently still in the atmosphere of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the SOC1 Embarkation, the pilgrims who arrived in Mecca at the same time were from the Jakarta-Pondok Gede Embarkation (JKG1) as many as 388 pilgrims who were placed at the Al Lulu'ah Hotel in Sector 3 Raudhah.