More than two million attend Friday prayers at Mecca and Medina

From Abdulai Mamudu Gariba, GNA Special Correspondent, Medina, Courtesy Saudi Ministry of Culture and Information and Ghana Ministry of information

Medina, Nov. 30, GNA - Over two million Muslim pilgrims attended Friday prayers in the Grand Mosque in Mecca as well as the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, more than 500,000 worshippers attended Friday prayers at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. Hamid Al-Bakri, Director General at the Hajj Ministry's branch in Medina said "after visiting and praying at the Holy Mosque in Medina, thousands of pilgrims mostly from Arab and other Muslim countries started returning to Mecca as at Friday evening and early Saturday". He said the Ministry has taken all possible steps to make the journey of pilgrims confortable and safe.

Al-Bakri said "our teams made 2,154 inspection tours to various field offices serving the pilgrims. The teams of the emergency and operation centre made 2,000 rounds and inspected all the facilities for the pilgrims including the arrangements at the departure points". Sheikh Salah Al-Budair, the Khatib at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina in his Friday sermon said that Allah forgives all sins of pilgrims who repent genuinely because they come from far off places with the soel aim of winning the mercy of the Almighty. 'They are cleaned of aIl past sins adding that the Pro[het (peace be upon him) said " A virtous Hajj pilgrim has no reward but Paradise". Sheikh Al-Budair therefore urged the pilgrims to behave kindly, help and coooperate during the pilgrimage and not to push or justle at crowded places and to quarrel with any one".

Meanwhile the Imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Sheikh Abdul-Rahman Al-Sudais has called on Muslims to settle their disputes amicably among themselves and forge ahead in unity. Delivering his Friday sermon to a gathering of more than 1.5 million pilgrims, he said "This is the sacred place and time to settle disputes that have caused the Ummah (followers of Islam) untold miseries. We should not disunite.

One of our major problems is the issue of Palestine. Our Palestinian brothers and sisters are suffering due to injustice and Isreal's seige and also because of infighting and division among themselves". Imam Al-Sudais welcomed the Hajj pilgrims to Mecca and described their pilgrimage as a journey of repentance and piety. He therefore urged them to keep away from sinful deeds adding that "The safety and security of the pilgrims is in the hands of Almighty Allah. The sanctity and inviolability of the two Holy Mosques cannot be marred by crisis or extremist activities".