Sultan advises prospective pilgrims to be prepared

SHAH ALAM: Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah advised prospective pilgrims to be well-prepared to perform the fifth pillar of Islam this year.

His Majesty said the pilgrimage required physical and emotional strength and clear knowledge.

“As long as you are in the Holy Land, purify your intentions and use your time and energy to perform religious worship,” he said.

Sultan Sharafuddin also advised the pilgrims to join hands, help and respect each other.

He said this while gracing the statelevel Perdana Haj Course Season 1445H/2024M organised by Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque here yesterday.

Present were Tengku Permaisuri of Selangor Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar and Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

Sultan Sharafuddin said he hoped the pilgrims would continue to maintain self-discipline while in the Holy Land and to protect the good name of Selangor and Malaysia.

“I have been informed that Malaysian pilgrims, including those from Selangor, are among the most disciplined in obeying rules set by the government of Saudi Arabia.”

He also hoped that prospective pilgrims would focus on religious worship in the Holy Land and avoid getting involved in protests or demonstrations.

Sultan Sharafuddin said Malaysian pilgrims should keep in contact with haj officials and follow instructions by TH.

He added that he had been informed that the number of TH depositors in Selangor was 1.81 million with total savings of RM18.797 billion.

The state will send 8,061 pilgrims this year.

The sultan instructed the state government to sponsor 36 underprivileged pilgrims.

“The state government will spend as much as RM1.2 million for the programme.”

Na’im, in his welcoming speech, announced that 31,600 prospective pilgrims had started attending the Perdana Haj Course for the Season 1445H/2024M organised by TH, which is being held in stages nationwide from April 20 to May 5.

He said the two-day, one-night course was the final preparation for prospective pilgrims before leaving for the Holy Land, which involved practising haj rituals such as tawaf, sa’ie and stoning of the devil.

As long as you are in the Holy Land, purify your intentions and use your time and energy to perform religious worship.

SULTAN SHARAFUDDIN IDRIS SHAH Sultan of Selangor