By Abubakarr Bah, Information Attaché, Saudi Arabia
The first batch of 78 Sierra Leonean diaspora Hajj pilgrims has arrived safely in Madinah, Islam’s second holiest city in Saudi Arabia. The pilgrims have been accommodated at the Karam Alkhayr Hotel, awaiting the arrival of their colleagues. The hotel is a short walk from Masjid Nabawi.
A total of 600 additional home-based pilgrims are scheduled to depart from Freetown International Airport on 28 and 29 May 2025, while others from the United States, Europe, and Australia will fly on different dates. During their stay, the pilgrims will have the opportunity to visit significant historical sites, including the graves of martyrs and other notable figures in Islamic history.
During their stay in Madinah, the Hajj pilgrims will offer their five daily prayers at Masjid Nabawi, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Mosque, and perform “Ziyarah”, visiting the Prophet’s tomb and Masjid Quba. The Quba Mosque holds significant importance as the first mosque built by Prophet Muhammad after his migration from Makkah. It is believed that two Rakat prayers offered in the Quba Mosque are equivalent to performing one Umrah.
Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to Makkah that all adult, able Muslims are obliged to perform at least once in a lifetime, if they have the means. The Hajj itself is a five-day event taking place in the last month of the Islamic (lunar) calendar, Dhul-Hijjah.
A total of 2,000 Sierra Leonean pilgrims from home and abroad, plus an additional 100 scholarship beneficiaries of the Saudi Royal Hajj scholarship, are performing this year’s Hajj, scheduled from the 8th to the 12th of Dhul-Hijjah 1446AH, corresponding to June 4th to 9th, 2025.
