The Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje has urged Muslims who making pilgrimage to Mecca to refrain from taking pictures for the purpose of showing off.
Mubaje made the remarks at a function to bid farewell to 103 pilgrims including nine-year-old Ibrahim Male Kakoma, a primary two pupil of Green Hill Academy.
Mubaje noted that worldly affairs which include unnecessary use of their smart phones for the purpose of showing off, unnecessary conversations of politics and sport is not good for the pilgrims. This can ruin someone’s pilgrimage.
Mubaje told the pilgrims that this kind of worship comes once in one's lifetime, adding that it is very important for one to be very careful.
"So, use your time wisely to supplicate fervently to the Lord as you beseech his glorious face for your personal favors. Pray for your family, peace of our nation, our president, Muslim leadership, UMSC in general and for the entire world to be free from wars and natural calamities," Mubaje said.
Mubaje also noted that the newly signed cooperation agreement between Uganda Muslim Supreme Council(UMSC) and Saudi Arabia will help to streamline the management of Haj-Muslim pilgrimage.
Mubaje said the agreement will among others help to streamline the management of Haj-Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah in fulfillment of the fifth pillar of Islam.
He said the move is aimed at making Haj affordable, improve coordination with Hajj and Umrah companies and eliminate the exploitation of pilgrims.
Mubaje urged pilgrims to be grateful to Allah,adding that they are among the chosen few to perform pilgrimage this year.
The Mufti urged the Pilgrims to take Hajj rituals as divine grace that the Almighty Allah ordains upon Muslim believers in order to erase their earthly human inequities.
He said that after this kind of worship the pilgrims will return like newly born babies without any sins and will be rewarded in the hereafter with lofty castles of Paradise.
Muhammad Ali Aluma, the UMSC Secretary General who is also a pilgrim, informed the gathering that UMSC has strong systems that govern the finances pilgrims deposit annually on its accounts, which explains why there have been no complaints from any pilgrims this far.
Sheikh Ali Juma Shiwuyu, the UMSC Secretary for Haj & UMRA stated that all the vital information including religious instructions on Haj rites have been passed over to the pilgrims.
He said the pilgrims are set to travel on June 20th and return on July 8th, 2023, via the National Carrier- Uganda Airlines.