SHAH ALAM, April 28 — The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah advised prospective hajj pilgrims to be well-prepared to perform the fifth pillar of Islam this year.
Sultan Sharafuddin said that Haj pilgrimage requires physical and emotional strength and clear knowledge.
“As long as you are in the Holy Land, purify your intentions and use your time and energy to perform religious worship.
He also called on all prospective Haj pilgrims to join hands, help each other and respect each other.
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Sultan Saharfuddin said this when officiating the state-level Perdana Hajj Course Season 1445H/2024M organised by the Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque here today.
Also present was Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar and Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari were also present.
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Sultan Sharafuddin also hoped that the pilgrims continue to maintain self-discipline while in the Holy Land and to protect the good name of Selangor and Malaysia.
“Thus far, I have been informed that Malaysian pilgrims, including those from Selangor, are among the pilgrims who are disciplined and obey the rules set by the government of Saudi Arabia.
He also hoped that the prospective pilgrims would focus on religious worship in the Holy Land and avoid getting involved in any protests or demonstrations.
Sultan Sharafuddin also said that Malaysian pilgrims should always be in contact with the hajj officials and follow all the instructions issued by TH.
He added that he has been informed that the number of depositors in TH for the state of Selangor is around 1.81 million people and a total savings of RM18.797 billion with a total of 8,061 prospective hajj pilgrims this year.
The Sultan of Selangor also ordered that the Selangor government sponsor 36 underprivileged participants from nine districts in the state who could not afford it but wanted to perform the hajj pilgrimage.
“The state government will spend as much as RM1.2 million for the programme,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mohd Na’im in his welcoming speech announced that 31,600 prospective pilgrims have started attending the Perdana Hajj Course for the Season 1445H/2024M organised by TH which is being held in stages nationwide from April 20 to May 5.
Mohd Na’im said the two-day, one-night course was the final preparation for prospective pilgrims before leaving for the Holy Land, which involved practical activities such as tawaf, sa’ie and throwing of pebbles. — Bernama