ARAFAT: Prof. Mohammed Afshar Alam, the vice chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, a university in the Indian capital New Delhi, has applauded the exemplary Hajj arrangements made by Saudi Arabia this year.
Expressing his gratitude to King Salman for inviting him to the Kingdom under the King Salman Hajj Program, Alam spoke to Arab News at the Arafat camp designated for the guests of this initiative. He said: “I am thankful to King Salman for inviting me to the sacred journey of a lifetime as his guest. It feels good to be chosen to perform Hajj from millions of Muslims across the world. I have been invited with my family, my daughter and wife. We are performing Hajj this time Alhamdulillah as a guest.”
He added: “As we received the invitation, we came. We have enjoyed great hospitality (in) Saudi Arabia for the last five days. They have supported us with wonderful arrangements. We are very much happy and thankful to the Kingdom for inviting us.
“This year, more than 2 million people are performing Hajj. I am lucky to be among the chosen guests. So, I am really very thankful to King Salman for such a wonderful opportunity.”
Sharing his experience of the holy journey, Alam said: “Definitely, it’s a great feeling. Every Muslim wishes to visit Makkah and Madinah at least once in (their) lifetime. When I got the invitation, although I have a lot of work with a lot of committees visiting, but I said, ‘No, I have to go. This is a good chance. We may not get it in the future.’”
He added: “Definitely, Makkah and Medina, both, for every Muslim, is really close to their heart.”
Commenting on the arrangements for Hajj, Alam said: “All civil and security arrangements and facilities to the pilgrims are very good and available 24 hours.”
The authorities are working hard to ensure a very successful Hajj pilgrimage, he added.
