Today the first group of Russians will fly to Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj this year. They will travel to Mecca from Ufa, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Muftis Council, Rushan Abbyasov, said.
"The first group of pilgrims will leave for Hajj from Ufa on September 2, then groups of pilgrims will fly on September 4th and 6th from other regions," TASS cited him as saying.
Every Muslim is obliged to perform Hajj at least once in their lifetime, if possible. This year, for the first time Russia has not been able to use the full quota for the Hajj, which amounted to 16.4 thousand pilgrims, only 12 thousand Muslims will perform Hajj. The Council of Muftis of Russia explains that this is due to the fall of the ruble and, consequently, the high price of the trip.
The Mufti of Moscow and the Moscow Region, Albir Krganov, told Vestnik Kavkaza that performing Hajj is a dream for every Muslim, and congratulated all those who has this opportunity today. "There are no special distinctions in the Hajj this year. We conducted extensive preparatory work," he said.
"Construction works are being carried out near Kaaba, so there is a temporary inconvenience. But believers have already got used to it. The Saudi authorities have done everything to make their stay comfortable," Albir Krganov noted.
Commenting on the fact that this year Russia didn't use its full quota for the Hajj, he stressed that there are always those wishing to perform Hajj, adding that this is only the beginning. "It's always like this. In the last days there are still queues. Time will tell. But the fact that the dollar is growing, of course, hits the purses of believers. But those who are firmly going to perform Hajj still have these intentions," the Mufti of Moscow and the Moscow Region concluded.
The director of the Islamic book publishing house of the Russian Council of Muftis, Ilshat Salakhutdinov, for his part, wished all the pilgrims who will travel to Saudi Arabia that God accept their Hajj and everything goes well.
