The Minister of Islamic affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance, Sheikh Salih bin Abdul Aziz Al Al-Sheikh, underscored the importance of Hajj. “Hajj, which is the fifth pillar of Islam, embodies the absolute submission of servants to their Creator, the Almighty God,” he said.
Al Al-Sheikh, who was speaking here on Saturday evening after an inspection tour of Mina, denounced the biased campaigns launched against Islam and Muslims, and said: “In such circumstances, the Muslims should strictly adhere to the Holy Quran and Sunnah (the teachings of the Prophet). He warned Muslims against psychological defeat and demoralization, and said that they should always believe that Almighty God will support His religion.
Al Al-Sheikh reiterated the determination of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance to shoulder its responsibility in promoting the Islamic call, and said that the Ministry will follow a moderate line that is far from any extremism and fanaticism. “The Ministry is keen to enable Muslims to preserve their belief and enable non-Muslim become acquainted with the principles of Islam,” he said, adding: “Islam should not be held responsible for the misconduct of some of its followers.”
Al Al-Sheikh praised the initiative of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz to host a number of pilgrims every year, and said that the number of the guests of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance this year amounts to 1,400, from 35 countries.
He criticized any exploitation of the Hajj season to raise certain slogans or stage demonstrations. “This phenomenon contradicts the proper goals of Hajj, he said. “Hajj should be exclusively for worshipping Almighty God”.
Source: SPA
