The Al-Ansaar Haj Empowerment Experience

A record number of hujjaj (those embarking on the Haj pilgrimage to Makkah) went through a full day of Haj empowerment sessions at the seventeenth annual Al-Ansaar Haj and Umra Seminar held at the NMJ Islamic Centre in Morningside, Durban on Saturday, 18 September 2010.

The initiative was jointly coordinated by Ameera Jhaveri and Fatima Henry. “We had more than 95% of the accredited hujjaj on the SAHUC list who took part in this year’s seminar,” said Jhaveri. She said it was encouraging to see participants from as far as Ixopo, Ladysmith, Newcastle and Pietermaritzburg attending the sessions.

As usual, the day started with hujjaj receiving their required vaccinations administered by the Islamic Medical Association. The IMA also provided flu vaccines as required by the Saudi Haj ministry.

In his vibrant presentation on the philosophy of Haj, Imam Fuzail Soofie highlighted the true essence of Haj and the unity of mankind that Haj promoted. Imam Fuzail exhorted the hujjaj to be mindful of the reasons why they perform the Haj as much as they should focus on its rituals. Moulana Ismail Patel spoke of the beauty of Madinah and the respect that this sacred city should be accorded. Mufti AH Elias highlighted the importance of Madinah and the numerous ziyarats that need to be undertaken by the hujjaj.

The Rites of Haj and Umra were covered by Moulana A R Khan and Mufti Elias, who also dealt with the practical requirements of the ihram (pilgrimage attire) and the five days of the Haj. The ladies were treated with special notes from Durban’s well-known gynaecologist, Dr Naseera Mahomed.

“This is like a world-class seminar,” said one of the participants. For a small donation, participants were handed Haj bags and literature. Perhaps the highlight was the professional slide presentation by veteran lecturer, Ahmed Saeed Moolla of Gauteng. Mr Moolla, who is a lecturer in Astronomy at the Darul Uloom Zakariyya, displayed a range of slides depicting the past to present status of Makkah and Madinah.

As part of its contribution towards Ummah (Muslim community)-building, this well-organised mammoth undertaking was absolutely free of charge and included both lunch and supper to the hujjaj. “This has been a tradition since our inception and our khidmah (service) to the hujjaj,” said Mr Mohamed Joosab, the chairman of the Al-Ansaar Foundation.

The Al-Ansaar Foundation wishes to express its thanks and appreciation to the following sponsors and individuals for their kind assistance in making this initiative a success: Sure Mirage Travel, The Arafaat Trust, Dada’s Spice, Gorimas, Spice Emporium, Super Wheel Centre, Bibi’s Bakery, Honeyfresh, Shoreline Beverages, United Bag Sales, Tahir Joosab, Crowns, Osman’s Spice, Ebrahim Motala, Kathree’s, Azam Khan’s, Solly Manjra Caterers, VoiceBox Technologies, Haroon and Shenaaz Jamal, all sponsors and volunteer persons who wish to remain anonymous, Asiya Amod, Ameera Jhaveri, Fatima Henry, Liaqat Khan, Faradh Patel, Khatija Bhayat and Sana Ebrahim.

Abu Nazeer ibn Qasim