King Salmanโs hajj offer to host families of those affected by Marchโs Christchurch terror attacks is โsomething really special,โ said the president of the Muslim Association of Canterbury, Shagaf Khan.The Saudi king has offered to host and cover the expenses of 200 Hajj pilgrims when they journey to Makkah this year.
Read the stories of the victim of Christchurch attack
Khan said people will be both financially and spiritually supported during the journey. โFor some of them, itโll be a great comfort feeling like theyโve fulfilled the obligations of being a Muslim,โ he added. Khan said a trip to Makkah would normally cost around 10,000 New Zealand dollars ($6,769), but King Salmanโs offer would cover pilgrims โfrom the time they leave their house and come back.โ When asked what the offer would mean for Canterburyโs Muslim community, Khan said it is part of the solidarity and support that has been shown to them since the Christchurch terror attacks, which claimed the lives of 51 people. โFour months on โฆ people still feel supported and they feel theyโre still being remembered,โ he added. Sheikh Mohammed Amir, who is working closely with the local community, Saudi Arabiaโs Embassy and its Ministry of Islamic Affairs to implement King Salmanโs offer, said it will be available for those who had lost family members or been injured in the mosque attacks.
Canterburyโs Muslims are โvery appreciativeโ of the offer, added Amir, who is chairman of the Islamic Scholars Board of New Zealand. โIโll say with full confidence that this will be a big relief for the deceasedโs families, for the victims, for all those whoโve been injured and affected,โ he said. When asked how the organization of the pilgrimage is going, Amir said โso far, so good,โ but added that it has been challenging without official records to track everyone down. He said it is an honor and a responsibility to help organize the pilgrimage, which he has been helping to plan since the end of Ramadan. โPeople are very excited about it,โ he added. He said he believed that the kingโs offer had been made to help peopleโs rehabilitation after the terror attacks. โThe community believes heโs going to contribute in building Christchurch and bringing people to a normal life,โ Amir added. Gamal Fouda, imam at Al-noor Mosque, where 42 people were killed in March, said: โIf this offer wasnโt there, I wouldnโt be able to do Hajj all my life.โ He added that the offer is a โgolden chanceโ for the local Muslim community. Fouda said he is looking forward to catching up with relatives who are making the pilgrimage from different parts of the world. โEveryone is very excited,โ he added.
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Ref :arab News
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Ustadha Fahmina holds the Alimah sanad from two prestigious institutes and is a certified Optometrist Doctor. She teaches Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Seerah to Women and Kids and is passionate about spreading authentic information about the religion of Islam. Connect with her to keep updated about her recent ebooks and projects.
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