Thai Muslims Ready for Hajj

Some 15,000 Thai Muslims are travelling to hajj this year. CAIRO — Aspiring for the soul-searching journey, Muslims in the southern Thai province of Phuket are preparing themselves to head for Saudi Arabia to perform hajj. “I’m very excited about it,” Pa Yotharak, a 50-year-old villager, told the Phuket Gazette on Friday, October 9. The Thai Muslim is among 214 pilgrims preparing to leave for the holy lands in Saudi Arabia between October 21 to 29. “It’s my first time travelling out of the country.” Virtual Hajj on IslamOnline.net Hajj Promotes Tolerance: Harvard Charging his religious batteries for the trip, Pa spends time reading the Noble Qur’an. “After a lifetime of religious devotion, I feel like God himself has granted me my turn to take part in the ceremony.” There are 15,000 Thai Muslims travelling to hajj this year. Muslims number 13 million of Thailand's 65 million population. Hajj consists of several ceremonies, which are meant to commemorate the trials of Prophet Abraham and his family. Every able-bodied adult Muslim -- who can financially afford the trip -- must perform hajj once in their lifetime. Hajj is expected to climax this year on November 26 when the faithful descend the Mount `Arafat. Hajj Course Kholid Wong-Na, 45, is preparing to lead the Thai pilgrims during the ritual. “Although it’s very tiring, I’m very happy to help pilgrims on the Hajj,” Kholid, the imam of Ao Por mosque, said. Kholid, who has been a pilgrims guide for 20 years, takes care of the pilgrims during the soul-searching journey. “By doing this job, I gain much merit.” Ahead of their departure for the Saudi lands, the pilgrims will attend a one-day training course on hajj rituals. They will also be given hajj manuals and white clothes, which the pilgrims wear during the ritual. The pilgrims will also be equipped with necessary tools such as masks and medicine to protect them against diseases during hajj. This year’s hajj comes amid concerns over the spread of the swine flu around the world. The swine flu (H1N1), a mixture of various swine, bird and human viruses, first emerged in Mexico in April. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus is moving around the globe at "unprecedented speed." More than 2,837 people have been killed around the globe from the virus