Minister Of Religion Yaqut Urges Hajj Pilgrims To Stay Healthy: Adjust Activities To Physical Ability

Minister of Religion, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas appealed to Indonesian pilgrims to maintain their health after carrying out a series of worship at the peak of the Hajj so they don't get tired and experience health problems.

"Let's take care of our bodies together so we don't get too tired, adjust our activities to our physical abilities," he said at the Hajj Media Center of the Ministry of Religion in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, quoted from Antara, Saturday, July 6.

He reminded the Indonesian congregation that there are still a series of worship that requires physical strength such as tawaf ifadah, circling the Kaaba seven times, which must be done before returning to the country.

Tawaf ifadah is a pillar of Hajj that must be done after wukuf in Arafah, mabit in Muzdalifah then to Mina and throwing jumroh, slaughtering qurban, and cutting head hair.

The Minister of Religion said that the time for the implementation of tawaf ifadah was quite long, except for members of the congregation who were returned to the country in the initial wave.

He also explained that when compared to the previous year's Hajj, the number of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims who died during this year's Hajj was much less.

During the Hajj pilgrimage in 1443 Hijri, until the 43rd day of the operation of the Hajj service, 54 people out of a total of 100,051 members of the Indonesian congregation died.

However, the Minister of Religion highlighted the number of Indonesian congregational members who died in the last three days, which was up to nine people.

The number of members of the pilgrims who died during the Hajj in previous years, when the number of members of the Indonesian pilgrims was about double this year, is much higher.

According to government data, the number of Indonesian pilgrims who died until the 43rd day of the operation of the Hajj service was recorded at 463 people in 2015, 224 people in 2016, 390 people in 2017, 206 people in 2018, and 241 people in 2019.