Ahead Of The Peak Of Hajj, Elderly Congregants Are Advised To Pray At Musala To Prevent Fatigue

Candidates for Indonesian Hajj sick are being treated at the Makkah Indonesian Hajj Health Clinic (KKHI) at the 2022 Hajj. (Between-Hanni Sofia)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) appealed to prospective pilgrims for Hajj (elderly) and high risk (cryssi) to perform prayers in prayer rooms or mosques around hotels to avoid fatigue ahead of the peak of the hajj.

"To worship, especially five-time prayers, elderly and customary pilgrims can take advantage of hotel or mosque prayer rooms around hotels to avoid fatigue," said Central PPIH spokesman Akhmad Fauzin in Jakarta, Tuesday, June 13, as quoted by Antara.

Fauzin said prayers in prayer rooms and mosques around hotels have the same virtues and rewards as prayers at the Grand Mosque.

According to him, the multiplier of rewards in the Land of the Haram of Mecca is not only devoted to the Grand Mosque, but includes all the Tanah Haram, and all hotels for Indonesian Hajj candidates are in Tanah Haram.

On the other hand, pilgrims who will carry out mandatory Umrah, he said, should not force themselves to perform Umrah to be obliged during the hot day and moments with a high density level at the Grand Mosque, especially at the same time as congregational prayers.

The reason, said Akhmad Fauzin, is that the temperature in Makkah is quite hot, ranging from 31-42 degrees Celsius.

"Congregants who arrive in Makkah during the day should not force themselves directly to perform Umrah must, but rest first at the hotel," he said.

In addition to the condition of the Grand Mosque during prayers, he said, in the span of prayers, the condition of the Shalawat Bus terminal is also very crowded by pilgrims who come to pray in congregation or return from the Grand Mosque.

He advised that pilgrims who arrive in Makkah in the afternoon and evening can take mandatory Umrah time at night.

"Congregants who wait and will carry out mandatory Umrah at a more spacious and not crowded moment at the Grand Mosque must continue to pay attention to the provisions and prohibitions during ihram," he said.

Based on data from the Integrated Hajj Information and Computerization System (Siskohat), until June 12, 2023 at 24.00 WIB, the total number of Indonesian Hajj participants in Saudi Arabia reached 134,461 people or 349 flying groups (clusters).