Reading

Read and understand the various etiquettes to be observed and rites to be performed during your blessed stay in the Haramain.  This information is available in any standard textbook on Hajj and Umrah.  My advice to you is to follow only one standard text and to use another one for reference.

Commence your “homework” in Ramadhaan as it will give you an ample opportunity for revision and in addition you will get multiple blessings for this Ibaadaat being performed in the holy month of Ramadhaan.

If you do not understand anything, do not hesitate to ask any of the learned Ulemaa.  At the same time, jot down your query for future reference.

Hajj & Umrah Tutorials

Attend all Hajj classes in your locality.  During these lessons do not be shy to ask any questions, no matter how trivial or petty they may appear to be.  Do not be surprised if even the Ulemaa are unable to answer immediately, as they may defer answering you till the following Majlis.  Also, all those present at that Majlis will benefit, one way or another, from your queries.

Do not hold a private audience with the Aalim after the Majlis because your colleagues will not stand to benefit from your private query.

Duration of Sojourn

Those going for Hajj for the first time are advised to make their total stay in Saudi Arabia at least four to six weeks, preferably six weeks.

Important Dates to Take Note of

Over the years the following dates have been pursued by the Saudi authorities in issuing visas, last date of entry into Saudi Arabia and last date of travel within the kingdom.  Note that these dates are according to the Islamic date prevailing in Saudi Arabia and not necessarily the same as the one in your country, hence make the necessary adjustments when planning travel(!)

a.    Last day for visa application is 25th of Zil Qadh

b.    Last day for pilgrims to arrive in Saudi Arabia by land is end of Zil Qadh (assume 29th!).

c.    Last day for pilgrims to arrive in Saudi Arabia by air or sea at Jeddah ports using specific highways is 4th

        of Zil Hajj.

d.    Last day for pilgrims to arrive in Saudi Arabia by sea at other ports is end of Zil Qadh.

e.    Last day for pilgrims to arrive in Madinah by air is end of Zil Qadh.

f.     Last day of travel by pilgrims from Jeddah to Madinah by car is 26th of Zil Qadh

g.    Last day of travel by pilgrims from Jeddah to Madinah by air is end of Zil Qadh.

h.    Last day of travel by pilgrims from Madinah to Makkah by car is 5th of Zil Hajj.

i.     Last day of travel by pilgrims from Madinah to Jeddah by air is 6th of Zil Hajj.

j.     The validity of visas for those pilgrims who come by air expires between end of Zil Hajj and 10th of

        Muharram.

New Visa Rules

These have been revised as from 1422AH (2001) and are set out below as a general reference, as there are slight variations from country to country.  Visas will no longer be issued until accommodation and transportation have been paid for in advance as described below.

1.    You should make your bookings through an appointed travel agent in your locality who is officially

        representing a Saudi-based travel agent.

2.    Your local agent will advise and book for you your flight,  transport within Saudi Arabia and

        accommodation arrangements for Makkah and Madinah, the payment of which shall be done to him prior

        to your departure.

3.    Your local travel agent will then inform the Saudi embassy of your details, proof of payment and itenary.

4.    He will in turn be issued with your visa, (usually within two weeks), once the embassy is satisfied with all

        the documentation provided by you.

5.    Your local agent will then furnish you with names, telephone numbers and addresses of your contact

        person at Jeddah airport.

6.    This contact person will then meet you at Jeddah airport and give you names, telephone numbers and

       addresses of your contact person in Madinah & Makkah.  He may or may not take your tickets away from

       you; hence it is advisable that you make photocopies of the same from home. 

       If you had planned to fly to Madinah from Jeddah, (and had paid for this internal flight back home), then

       your tickets will have already been purchased for you by your Jeddah contact.  He will then make

       arrangements for you to be transported by road to the Saudia Terminal from where you will board your

       Madinah flight.  He will not accompany you now, as for some reason, this is not part of his duty.  Hence, if

       you had not paid for the internal flight from back home, you will have to purchase one at Saudia Terminal. 

       The queue here can be quite long and may take an hour or two to complete the formalities.  In addition,

       you may not get a booking of your convenience as the flights are quite heavily booked.

       If you had planned to go by road to Madinah from Jeddah then your transportation will be waiting for you. 

       The same will apply to those going to Makkah first from Jeddah.

7.    Amongst the documentation required for visa approval are the following:

a.    Proof of Mahram accompanying unmarried adult female.

b.    Valid international immunisation certificate. (This schedule varies from country to country).

c.    Proof of money being taken.

d.    Proof of your status as a Muslim.  (Usually a letter from your local Muslim society is sufficient).

e.    Birth certificates of children if accompanying you.

f.     Marriage certificate for married females.

8.    Umrah visas may not be issued more than once in any given Islamic year.

9.    When visas are issued to families, all dependants must enter and leave the kingdom together.

Pre-Paid Accommodation

Before 2001, you could look around, (both in Makkah and Madinah), for accommodation on arrival there.  This is not the case now as outlined above.

Hotels/apartments/boarding houses of varying categories are found in the vicinity of both the Haramain – the nearer to the Haram, the more expensive the establishment.  The rates also vary according to supply and demand at certain times of the year, depending on whether the season is low, mid, high or peak.

Enquiries About Pre-Paid Accommodation

When making bookings, enquire from your travel agent of the various facilities at your choice of hotel/apartment, its rating, proximity to the Haram in terms of walking time, whether the building is situated on an incline or in a hilly area, (especially for Makkah), whether there are any stairs to climb to get to the ground floor of the establishment, (again especially for Makkah), whether the individual rooms have an attached bathroom/shower/toilet, a fan, an air-conditioner, a telephone or a bar fridge, whether the front-desk staff speak English/Urdu, whether a cooking facility with utensils is available in the room or on the same floor, whether laundry facility available in or near the establishment, whether house-keeping facilities are regular, what type of food is served, how many elevators are there, on which floor will you be housed, how many rooms per floor are there, how many people will share a room, whether men and women will be separate, who will represent the agent during Hajj, whether you will be moved to Azizya prior to Hajj, will the rooms be available during the Days of Hajj, will the rooms be available after Hajj, etc.

Enquiries About the Actual Hajj Days Package

In addition to all the above queries, don't forget to ask about what the format of the actual Hajj package will be i.e. is it a:

      6-day package (8th Zil Hajj to Mina until and including 13th of Zil Hajj)

      5-day package (8th Zil Hajj to Mina until and including 12th of Zil Hajj)

      5-day package (9th Zil Hajj to Arafat until and including 13th of Zil Hajj in Mina)

      4-day package (9th Zil Hajj to Arafat until and including 12th of Zil Hajj in Mina)

Also enquire whether food will be provided during the actual Days of Hajj and if so will it be pre-packed meals, (in which case you will be eating cold meals for 5-6 days!) or will the meals be cooked in the camps, how many people will share a tent in Mina, how far is your tent from the Jamaraat, how far is your tent from Masjid-e-Namerah and Jabal-e-Rahmat in Arafat, will your group spend the night in Muzdalifah, will food be provided in Muzdalifah, on which will your group return to Makkah to perform Tawaaf-e-Ziyyaarat, will transport be provided for this, etc.

Exercise Patience

Your local agent may not have all the answers but his response should give you a fair idea of what to expect.  However, keep in mind that there are many things that could go wrong or follow another pattern at the last minute despite meticulous planning  Such pitfalls are beyond the agent's control and should not fall into unnecessary arguments with him but be patient and be thankful to Allah the Almighty for bringing you this far.  Be prepared not to get what you have paid for or for what you had been promised.

Advantages & Disadvantages of  Pre-Payment

The more obvious advantages and disadvantages of such pre-payment are as follows:

Advantages

The major portion of your costing  will be out of the way,  hence leaving you free to budget accordingly for other incidental expenses.

Your accommodation will have been reserved for you before your arrival, hence no need to look for accommodation in the heat, (and in Ihraam!).

You shall be met at the various airports by the respective travel agent after you have cleared immigration and customs, assisted, and taken to your awaiting transport.

Meals, as per package, will be provided hence no need to waste time in preparing meals or eating at, (or from), take aways/restaurants/hotels.

If the package has an option that includes the animal sacrifice (Hady) then take it as this will save you a lot of time and bother to arrange for one on the 10th of Zil Hajj.

You tend to get group-discounted rates.

Disadvantages

Names of residential establishments tend to be deceptive (e.g. "so and so Palace")

If you are put on the upper floors then the problem maybe busy elevators.  If you are put on lower floors in an establishment on a busy street then the noise of the vehicles, pedestrians, hawkers and shop owners may be a disturbing factor.

You will have paid for an accommodation which may not be up to your expectation i.e. it may not have an attached bath/toilet, or the toilet may be a squat-pan rather than an English toilet, or there may be no refrigerator in your room, or there may be only an air-conditioner minus an overhead fan, (or vice-versa).

Your name may not appear in the hotel of your choice and you may be offered another hotel/apartment which may either be further away from your original choice or of a different standard.

Your paid-for meals may not meet your standard, or the menu may be too monotonous, or the meals may be served at times not suitable to you, (e.g. breakfast immediately after Fajr and supper after Esha).

Your paid-for transport may not materialize at the airport; hence you will have to pay again! (procedure of refund is cumbersome).

You may be waiting for hours on end for your travel agent’s rep to come to meet you at the airport.

Whether the group-discounted rate is actually passed on to the client is open to question.                                   

It seems unlikely to be less expensive than the previous system since there are at least three new players involved, unlike previously, when it was only you and the accommodation establishment’s front-desk staff.

Passports & Drafts

Ensure all your passports have reflective tape, (red or cream set in a specific way), on the bound edge, for easy identification from among a large pile of passports.

Ensure that the expiry date of your passport is at least six months after your return date.

Ensure that you have at least two adjacent pages vacant for visa purposes.

Keep photocopies of your passport and other documents separate from the originals.

Do not enclose your passport in a passport wallet.

Ensure that the drafts made out to the Unified Agents, (or their representatives), are issued per passport, and not per family, as the latter may cause unavoidable clearance delays at the Hajj Terminal. Children aged 7-15 years pay half the amount while under 7 years are free.  Try and have your passport number endorsed   on the drafts by the issuing authority as this will facilitate your clearance formalities on entry.

Double-Check

Ensure that you double-check everything as your local travel agent may have missed out on something genuinely.  This is in order to avoid any misunderstanding later.

Obtain the computer reference number of your air-travel booking from your local travel agent together with names, addresses, telephone numbers, (both landline and mobile numbers), of your airline’s officials in Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah.

Money Matters

The most ideal money to take to Saudi Arabia is US$ cash.

The rate of exchange to the US dollar is usually fixed within a narrow range of 3.70 – 3.75 Riyals and is dependent on the bank or exchange bureau/money changer you use.  It also depends on whether you have cash or travellers cheques.

Most major credit cards are accepted in the larger stores.  Before your departure for Saudi Arabia ensure that your cards are valid.

Cashing travellers’ cheques in banks is cumbersome and time consuming.  It is quicker to exchange cash at the money changers.

Carry small denomination US $ notes for use at various transit airports for food and/or departure taxes.  It may also be prudent to carry a small amount of currency of the country you may be transiting through as transit delays can occur.

Do not forget to budget for overweight, (as charges in Saudi Arabia are quite high), and custom duties.

If you are carrying travellers’ cheques then ensure that some are made out in your spouse’s name and not all in your name.

Do not carry all the money with you all the time.  Deposit the bulk into the hotel’s safe.

Unfortunately, there are pickpockets in the Haram, more so in Makkah than in Madinah.

Personal Health

The health system is well organised in Saudi Arabia.

Most of the common medications, including antibiotics, are usually obtainable over the counter from the pharmacist who is only too willing to assist.

If you are carrying any medicines into Saudi Arabia, keep your doctor’s letter/prescription with you regarding this medication.

Clearly label all medication.

Sunglasses are very handy, especially for protection against the glare off buildings and off the marble floors.

Clothing

Four sets of clothing are ample, as laundry services are quite  efficient and scattered all over while certain residential establishments are equipped with washing machines.

Clothes should be loose-fitting, comfortable, easily washed and ironed.

Ihraam for men should be made of towelling material as this absorbs sweat and not the thin, cotton material which sticks to you.

Take comfortable walking gear for Ihraam and for everyday use.

Also carry either a plastic bag or cloth bag to place your walking gear in while inside the Haram.

Luggage

Ensure that all your luggage is sturdy and well labeled, as there will be a lot of mishandling of it throughout the journey.  It is also advisable to mark it with a coloured ribbon around the handle of the bag for easy identification later from a heap of scattered luggage as most bags look alike!

Ensure that your suitcase is about 70cm wide.  A larger suitcase will be difficult to handle on a journey.

One piece of hand luggage weighing no more than 5-6kg is allowed on board in addition to a handbag or briefcase.

Clearly identify your luggage both inside and outside.

Certain airlines allow a certain volume of Zam Zam water as free baggage.  Enquire before departure from your home town.  This water is no longer allowed as hand luggage.

Lost Baggage

Ensure you have one tag/sticker for each checked-in item.

If you do not receive your entire luggage, report and complete any paperwork at the first stop and request for the file and telephone numbers for later follow-up.

Do not put your home contact address on the lost baggage claims form; put the local contact address i.e. Makkah or Madinah.

Make a mental note of the size, colour, brand or any special identification marks of your luggage as these will be required for the paperwork.

Checking-in very late can cause your bags not to come on the same flight as yours.

Because of fear of losing your bags, it is better to keep a spare set of clothes in your hand luggage.

If you have not received your baggage before you depart for your home country, then obtain a claim form from the airline in order to do a follow-up once you reach your home.

Prohibited/Restricted Items Into Saudi Arabia

Very strict laws and severe punishment applies regarding importation of the following items into Saudi Arabia:

               •    Habit-forming drugs

               •    Video cassettes

               •    Books of a political nature

               •    Certain religious books

               •    Fashion magazines

Rulings Related to a Musaafir

As you will be a Musaafir, (“traveler” in the eyes of Shariah), acquaint yourself with the Shar’ee rules governing the performance of Salaah in a conveyance, and of the rules as a traveler.

Times For Umrah

From experience of others, the quietest time, (i.e. minimal crowds or low season), to go for Umrah is either Muharram or Safar, provided visas are being issued for these months.  The busiest times, in order of descent, are as follows:

               •   Last ten days of Ramadhaan

               •   10^th -20^th Ramadhaan

               •   First ten days of Ramadhaan

               •   Second week of Rabbi-ul-Awwal (especially in Madinah)

               •   Apart from the above, if Ramadhaan or Hajj does not occur in the following months, then they are

                    the quieter months for Umrah, in ascending order: November, September, June, July, August,

                    January, December.

Personal Behaviour

Have a lot of patience as things are different in Saudi Arabia as compared to your home country.

Prepare yourself mentally by “hoping for the best but expecting the worst”.

Ponder whether you are getting your money’s worth of Ibaadat rather than pondering on your money’s worth of accommodation/food & related services.

Try to reform yourself during this Mubaarak journey by changing your attitude towards life.

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