This year, as reported earlier, was very unique to the extent that it was accolades galore for the Amirul Haj and Commissioner for Home Affairs, AbdulHakeem.
The opening prayer was conducted by Sheikh Jebe Abdullahi, a renowned Islamic scholar, who was the father of the former Special Adviser on Islamic Affairs during Fashola’s regime, Alhaji Olorunjebe.
Alhaji Abdullahi has performed Haj, according to him, for more than fifty years and God had been blessing him with upright children, who are also deeply religious. They are all university graduates.
Alhaji Jebe Abdullahi, who is more than eighty years old but look sixty with good figures, prayed fervently for pilgrims, the state government and Nigeria during his opening prayer.
This was followed by reading from the Holy Quran, which was performed by Hafeez AbdulKareem Musa. He captured the exciting mood of the pilgrims when he recited the Quran with melodious voice. A young man, no doubt, he has a promising future in Islamic world.
After the reading from the Holy Quran, it was the turn of Amirul Haj, who delivered a good-will message. In his message, he thanked the pilgrims for their cooperation since their arrival in Makkah up to Arafat in Medina.
He asked them to pray for the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, for providing a stress free Haj, even though he is a Christian. He wants them to thank him also for making provision to put them in an air-conditional tent, which has never happened in the last twenty years or more in the history of Lagos State Haj.
As usual, the Amirul Haj gave a sermon on the nitty-gritty of Haj and asked pilgrims to shun vices that would spoil their pilgrimage. After this lecture, the Azikir, which is the praising of Allah and Mohammed, was conducted by Dr. Tajudeen Yusuf while the first English lecture was conducted by Dr. Abdullahi Shuaib while the second lecture in yoruba followed.
Another highpoint of the Arafat was the reading of the entire Qur’an by more than fifty Imams for the pilgrims while the ‘Uthubat’ of the Quran was conducted by three Islamic clerics led by Alhaji Raji.
After that, some Imams took over the prayer and ‘Uthubas’ at Arafat. Then, the entire congregation and Imams held prayers for the President, Muhammadu Buhari, Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, the State Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs.) Idiat Adebule.
Prayers were also offered for Amirul Haj, Alhaji AbdulHakeem, coordinators, the Secretary of the Board, the state exco, etc. Unlike before, after these prayers, pilgrims would troop out to congratulate themselves and throw banters.
The Amirul Haj would not allow that; instead, he asked everybody to stay in their tent rather than going out from 2:00p.m to 6:00pm. It was prayer galore inside the tent and a spiritual Haj for Lagos pilgrims this year.
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