HAJ: Handy Tips

• Avoid staring at people.

• Avoid talking to people of the opposite sex.

• Do not ask someone of the opposite sex for directions or help if lost. It could be misinterpreted.

• Do not smoke inside or outside mosques. It is insulting.

• Take you shoes off when entering a mosque.

• Avoid taking pictures of women.

• If you find an empty seat and there is person of the opposite sex sitting next to it, do not take it.

• Avoid carrying too much cash.

• Do not count money in public places.

• Do not use private cars as taxis. Always use licensed taxis or public transport.

• Always carry a map with you.

• Keep children with you at all times. They can easily get lost in a crowd.

• Do not take cameras inside the Holy Mosques.

• Use all your time in worship. Remember that we are required to do Haj only once in our lifetime. It is not easy to come to Saudi Arabia every year. So use all the time on your hand for worship: praying, reciting the Qur’an and making dua’a (supplication).

• Try to attend religious lectures and talks inside the Two Holy Mosques. Simultaneous interpretation is always provided.

• Remember that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Paradise is the reward for a perfect Haj”. So ensure that your pilgrimage is as perfect as possible by staying away from anything that might mar it — such as spiteful and unkind remarks, bad-mouthing other people, looking at women lustfully and getting involved in brawls.