Today, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah organized the Grand Hajj Symposium in its 47th edition under the title “The Jurisprudence of Facilitation in Hajj”, in the presence and participation of a number of Excellencies, scholars and thinkers of the Islamic world. Including 4 dialogue sessions, with the aim of unifying and improving efforts in educating pilgrims about aspects of facilitation in performing the Hajj ritual, in addition to developing operational plans in a way that is commensurate with the jurisprudential and sectarian diversity of pilgrims, which facilitates the performance of the rituals with ease and ease.
His Excellency the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, began the symposium with a speech in which he welcomed the attendees and guests to the major Hajj symposium, which has been held for more than 4 decades. Sensing the Kingdom’s great responsibility to serve the Two Holy Mosques in particular, and the Islamic nation in general, to facilitate the performance of the Hajj and achieve its goals and objectives, and to provide innovative solutions and ideas that establish joint Islamic action, and establish the rules of unified collective action for the people of the Islamic world, in addition to its contribution to achieving the most important purposes of Hajj. It is represented by affection and familiarity between Muslims.
He stressed that the symposium has succeeded, thank God, over the past four decades in being a scientific umbrella and knowledge platform that attracts elite scholars, thinkers and researchers in Islamic affairs to discuss a number of jurisprudential issues that touch the needs of pilgrims. From this standpoint, the Great Hajj Symposium this year in its 47th session took place in the jurisprudence of facilitation. In Hajj, it is its main title. Pointing out that this comes from the objectives of Islamic law in the Hajj obligation and one of its basic pillars, as facilitation is one of the great advantages that characterize the true Islamic religion in all aspects of life and its religious and worldly costs.
His Excellency stated that this year’s Hajj symposium is unique in devoting a special session in which the system’s senior leaders discuss many of the operational programs prepared for the Hajj season coinciding with the return of millions of people for Hajj, and their main role in enriching the pilgrims’ experience, meeting their various desires, and highlighting many field plans. And the organizational and operational aspects of the service departments and the extent of their readiness, in the presence of Hajj affairs offices and service provider companies for integration and joint cooperation with the various parties involved in serving the guests of God, so that the honorable guest’s experience is full of easy and enriching stations.
In its opening session, which was entitled “The Coordinating and Integrative Role in the System of Services for the Guests of God,” the symposium witnessed the participation of His Excellency the Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, His Excellency the General President of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque, Sheikh Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, and His Excellency the Director of Public Security, Lieutenant General Muhammad Al-Bassami. His Excellency the Secretary of the Holy Capital, Mr. Saleh bin Ali Al Turki, and the Director General of Civil Defense, Major General Dr. Hamoud Al Faraj; They stressed the importance of partnership and integration between the executive plans of all partners in the Hajj and Umrah system, so that qualitative shifts in the service of the guests of God continue, in the making of which a group of health, security, regulatory, service and logistical sectors participate. To achieve maximum satisfaction for millions of pilgrims by improving services while performing their rituals.
Their Excellencies enriched the opening session by talking about the priority of improving the experience of the guests of God, developing services, improving the performance of relevant agencies and sectors in the Two Holy Mosques and the Holy Sites, creating appropriate conditions during the days of the Hajj, and everything that contributes to maximizing the tangible impact on their personal experience and creating a transformative and unforgettable experience.
As for the second session, which was entitled “Service Readiness and Operational Plans,” it was attended by: Undersecretary of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for Hajj Affairs, Dr. Ayed Al-Ghuwaynem, Head of the Communication and Media Sector at Kidana Development and Development Company and its official spokesman, Mahmoud Al-Shanqeeti, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health for Public Health, Dr. Hani Joukhadar, in addition to Undersecretary of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for Hajj and Umrah Services, Dr. Amr Al-Maddah; It addressed the utmost importance of bringing the readiness of pilgrims, transportation plans, and health care to levels that exceed the expectations of the guests of God, in order to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to enrich the experience of pilgrims and provide quality and exceptional services so that they can perform their rituals with ease and reassurance.
The participants also talked about a series of operational, detailed and organizational plans in their sectors to achieve the highest standards of quality, reliability, and technical and human readiness to provide a faith environment for those who go to Mecca, Medina, and the Holy Sites and create an ideal healthy worship atmosphere.
His Excellency the Advisor at the Royal Court and member of the Council of Senior Scholars, Sheikh Dr. Saad Al-Shathri, presented the third session, which was entitled “The Jurisprudence of Facilitation and Giving Preference to the Interest in Hajj... A Forward-looking Vision,” in which he reviewed the most prominent purposes of Sharia law in Hajj, which are the performance of rituals and worship, and the Jurisprudence of facilitation that must be paid attention to. In it, Muslims point to the Sharia’s intention to relieve hardship, and to take into account the legal permissions that came in the true religion, in addition to respecting jurisprudential schools of thought and opinions, so that every pilgrim asks a fatwa from someone he trusts in his knowledge, while he stressed that the third goal is how to make Hajj have a positive impact on the world.While His Excellency a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, Sheikh Dr. Saleh bin Humaid, moderated the third session under the title “The Jurisprudence of Facilitation in Hajj,” in which prominent scholars from the Islamic world participated, namely: His Excellency the Secretary General of the Council of Senior Scholars, Sheikh Dr. Fahd Al-Majid, and the Mufti of the Republic of Tunisia, Sheikh Hisham bin Mahmoud, His Excellency the Deputy General Mufti of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Dr. Irshad Ungar, and a member of the Dar Al-Iftaa in the Nahdlatul Ulama Association in the Republic of Indonesia, Sheikh Muhammad Fayez, where they discussed 4 fundamental issues that touch on the needs of the guests of the Most Gracious in their journey of faith, which are: slaughtering during Hajj, spending the night in Mina, and circumambulating. Al-Ifadah and Waqf at Arafat, where they discussed, through their interventions, the mechanisms of jurisprudential diligence in light of achieving the objectives of Sharia law in facilitation and religious concessions, in order to reach a system of jurisprudential and doctrinal opinions that takes into account the removal of embarrassment and hardship from pilgrims towards a safe and easy spiritual experience.
As for the fourth session, it was entitled “Harnessing the Power of Science and Technology in the Service of Islam,” and was moderated by the Media Affairs Advisor at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Khuraiji, and participated in it: CEO of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, His Excellency Dr. Majid Al-Fayad, and founder and director of the Halal Science Center at Chulalongkorn University. In Thailand, Professor Winai Dahlan, and Dr. Abdullah Al-Maatouq, assistant professor of computational social sciences and collective intelligence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in addition to professor of molecular biology, founder of the We Love Reading program, and colleague at Radcliffe College, Professor Rana Dajani; The session reviewed the latest developments, best practices and achievements, and how to harness the power of science and technology to bring about positive change in the Islamic world.
The symposium concluded its work with a speech by His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Abdel Fattah bin Suleiman Mashat, entitled “Harmonizing operational plans in Hajj and technical and jurisprudential solutions,” in which he reviewed the ideas that were presented during the symposium, and in which he indicated that the advance preparation of 40 governmental, private, and non-profit agencies, at the level Planning, supervision and implementation is one of the most important pillars of the success of Hajj seasons, by all standards.
His Excellency focused on the historical progression of the Grand Hajj Symposium and its success in presenting topics that keep pace with the challenges of every era, over a period of 47 years, to move today to keep pace with the challenges of the future, God willing, and to plan for it through the use of information technology and how to adapt it to be one of the tools that contribute to the success of this year’s Hajj. Successful Hajj in the coming years, as an extension of the successes of the past years.
On the sidelines of the symposium, for the first time, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah held an exhibition that highlighted the most prominent efforts of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah - in addition to the concerned authorities - in improving the service of the guests of God, and enriching and deepening their religious and cultural experience, in order to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
It is noteworthy that the Grand Hajj Symposium is considered one of the most prominent scientific events sponsored annually by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, which was launched in the year 1390 AH, corresponding to 1970. With the aim of emphasizing the Kingdom’s regional and international role as a religious and cultural beacon to be admired, given what God has honored the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with with the presence of the Two Holy Mosques on its lands and the service of Hajj and pilgrims.