The President of Sierra Leone, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, and his Vice, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, have bid farewell to the first batch of 360 pilgrims while departing from the Lungi International Airport for the Holy Land of Mecca, for the 2022 pilgrimage.
The annual Hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is expected to occur between July 7 and 12, which, according to information from the Holy Land, may vary by one or two days, depending on local lunar sightings.
President Julius Maada Bio expressed their delight at the sight of pilgrims, noting that upon his arrival, the Vice President had already briefed him on the progress so far, leading to their departure. He prayed with them as he wished them, "I pray Allah (SWT) takes you safely to the Holy Land and brings you safely back." We will be here again to receive you, Inshaa Allah, "he assured.
The President has just returned from a two-week trip abroad. He said he had come not only to bid farewell to his people but to also seeks blessings from the pilgrims as they depart for Saudi Arabia to perform that pillar of Islam.
This year’s Hajj is challenging after authorities in the Holy Land allowed only one million international and domestic pilgrims to participate as a result of COVID-19. The number has been historically much higher, but with the limit placed by authorities on the number of pilgrims, we will see more Muslims not performing this year’s pilgrimage.
Access to the holy sites at Muzdalifah and Arafat will be limited to those with Hajj permits for the duration of the pilgrimage. There is a huge security presence with increased localized transport expected to be disrupted in the vicinity of the holy sites.
According to Aljazeera, in 2019, 2.5 million Muslims made the journey for Hajj, which occurred before the coronavirus pandemic hit.
However, Sierra Leone's Information Attache to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Abu Bakarr Bah, has confirmed the arrival of the country's 360 pilgrims in Jeddah.
President Julius Maada Bio
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