HYDERABAD Nizam descendants demand new properties be acquired for Rubat
HYDERABAD : With the Nizam's Rubat ( guesthouse ) in Makkah unable to serve a large number of Hajis , the descendants of the Nizam VII , Mir Osman Ali Khan , demand the Nizam Augaf Committee to acquire new properties in Saudi Arabia by utilising the compensation paid by the government there .
The Augaf Committee controls the Rubat and only about 1,300 Hajis from the city and other parts of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad are accommodated .
The Saudi government , which acquired properties as part of the expansion of the grand mosque in Makkah and Medina , paid huge compensation .
The amount is yet to be spent on acquisition of new properties . About 5,000 Hajis can be accommodated if the compensation is utilised for purchase of new buildings , says Osman Ali Khan's grandson Nawab Mir Najaf Ali Khan , who is also the president of Nizam's Family Welfare Association.Stay at the Rubat is free and thus , Hajis save a considerable portion of their Haj budget .
Hajis are aware only of the Nizam's Rubat in Makkah . In fact , there were seven Rubat and 35 properties attached to them .
There is no Rubat at present in Medina .
The properties were acquired between 1857 and 1869 with the mehar ' ( dower ) money of Nizam's wives .
" Where are the 42 properties bought by Nawab Afzal udDowla , Nizam V , between 1857 and 1869 CE ? It is evident from records that the Nizam V bought 33 properties in Makkah ( 5 Rubat , 17 shops , 3 houses and 8 godowns ) and nine properties in Medina ( 2 Rubat , 6 shops , and 1 house ) . He wanted to give dower to his wives , but they requested him to buy properties in the holy cities to provide free residential accommodation for Hajis , "Najaf Ali Khan said . He told TOI that Mir Osman Ali Khan appointed Mohammed Shareef , a Saudi national as a caretaker in 1960s . After Shareef's death , his son Hassan Shareef is looking after the Rubat as a caretaker . As per Saudi law the caretaker should be a Saudi national .
" Who is holding the money that was received ? I posed this question several times , but the Augaf committee did not reply , " Najaf Ali Khan alleged .
He said the committee was formed three decades ago but it did not bother to obtain documents related to the properties . " Neither the committee nor the Mutavalli has ever bothered to keep an account of the 42 properties or the compensation which runs into millions of Saudi Riyals . Najaf Ali also found fault with MA Faiz Khan , who holds general power of attorney , for allegedly not taking full control of the Rubat . Source
The Auqaf-e-Shahi is a charitable trust BHOPAL that was endowed by the royal family of the princely state of Bhopal. The trust manages a portfolio worth Rs 1200 crore, consisting mainly of real estate (both, religious and otherwise) in Bhopal, apart from properties in Mecca as well as Medina in Saudi Arabia.
The seats can be increased in Rubat, the Saudi Arabian team is preparing to check
In 2015, 400 people were accommodated here, currently 228 seats- after that, 172 seats decreased
Published: March 14, 2019 09:05:19 am
Bhopal For pilgrims from Bhopal, Sehore and Raisen, the number of seats in Mecca's Rubat may increase. Officials of the Royal Archdiocese of Saudi Arabia have gone to check this arrangement. Currently, there is room for 228 people. Efforts are being made to increase it to more than 400.
About 800 people from these three districts will go on pilgrimage. There will be a place for everyone in Madinah, but in Makkah, because of the limited number of seats, the Kurau is resorted to. In 2015, there were 400 people in Makkah. During that time, the royal palace built an additional building to accommodate the travelers. This arrangement is ready to be done this time. A team of royal officials has gone to Saudi Arabia for this review. If arrangements are made, pilgrims will benefit from this.
It will cost less than 80 thousand
Pilgrims who will have a place in both Rubats will benefit up to 80 thousand rupees in the cost of the pilgrimage. The expenses incurred for the release of these passengers will not be paid.
What are the rubats?
Those who are selected for pilgrimage from Bhopal, Sehore and Raisen will find a place in Mecca and Medina. They were built there during the Nawab dynasty. Anyone from the capital who was going on a pilgrimage was provided with free accommodation in Rubat. This continues today. The decision has started to be made through the increase in the number of people. SOURCE
Two Muslim families from Kerala fight over Saudi money equal to billion dollars
Cithara Paul By Cithara Paul Issue
Date: November 07, 2021 Updated: October 31, 2021 10:43 IST
This work was made using a woodcut image of Mecca of 1870s and an old map of Kannur | Artwork Bara BhaskaranThis work was made using a woodcut image of Mecca of 1870s and an old map of Kannur | Artwork Bara Bhaskaran
In 1870, Mayankutty Keyi, a shipping magnate from Kerala’s Malabar region, performed the hajj. The wealthy Mayankutty was not pleased with the facilities provided for Indian pilgrims in Mecca.
So, he bought 1.5 acres, barely 300m away from the Kaaba—the most sacred site for Muslims—and built a villa there with seven rooms and a huge hall. He named the villa Keyi Rubat, adding the Arabic word for rest house to his surname.
Buying the house was not a big deal for him, as he already had homes and warehouses across the globe including in Amsterdam and Vienna. Keyi means ship owner in Persian. The Keyi family’s clients included traders of all sizes and even the biggest joint stock company of those times, the English East India Company.
Mayankutty’s father, Abdul Qadir Keyi, was a renowned trader who had hired great scholars to tutor his son. Barely three years before performing his hajj, Mayankutty did something that irked orthodox Muslims in Malabar; he translated the Quran into Arabi Malayalam, the traditional language of the Mappila Muslims of Kerala. He took 15 years to complete the translation, which he thought would make the Quran more accessible to the common man. Enraged puritans tied stones to the translated copies and dumped them in the Arabian Sea. Mayankutty ignored the critics and printed more copies.
Mayankutty married from the Arakkal family. It is the only Muslim royal family in Kerala, and it follows a matrilineal system. The senior-most member, regardless of gender, heads the Arakkal family. Before Mayankutty and his wife left for Mecca, he handed over his business operations to his brother. There are multiple versions of what followed. One is that the couple stayed on in the rubat and never returned. Another is that Mayankutty appointed Moosa Haji Malabari, a Malayali, as his nazir (representative) at the rubat, and returned home.
The fact remains that the rubat continued to host Malabari pilgrims for nearly a century. After the death of the nazir, the wakf department of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia maintained the property.
Precious land: A view of the Grand Mosque of Mecca in the 1930s before the Saudi government started the mosque extension project | Getty Images
Around the same time, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Nawab of Arcot also built rubats near the Kaaba. Later, many nawabs and elite Muslim families built rubats in Mecca, Medina and Jeddah. Being the first mover, the Keyi Rubat had more land than any of them.
The oil boom of the late 1930s transformed Saudi Arabia, and with it the holy cities. In 1956, the Saudi government took over Keyi Rubat’s land as part of a mosque extension project and allotted another plot, a little away from the original site. In 1970, the second plot, too, was acquired for expansion and a generous amount was issued as compensation. As Mayankutty’s legal heir could not be traced, the Saudi government ordered that the money be held in escrow by the treasury of the Awqaf department, which manages wakf affairs, until the heir is found.
THE BIG SEARCH
The Saudi government then launched the hunt for Mayankutty’s legal heirs. It approached the Indian government in 1971; the Indira Gandhi government forwarded the request to Kerala chief minister C. Achutha Menon and asked him to report back.
Like the Arakkals, the Keyis, too, are matrilineal. So, hereditary property is transferred from mother to daughter, or from brother to sisters’ children.
On November 28, 1972, the Thalassery tehsildar issued a certificate of legal heirship to C.V. Aluppy Keyi and C.V. Moidu Keyi, Mayankutty’s great-grand-nephews. The Arakkals challenged the certificate on three reasons: i) The Keyis’ claim that Mayankutty died childless is false; ii) Mayankutty’s children—a son and a daughter—were the legal heirs; iii) Saudi Arabia does not accept the matrilineal system. This challenge triggered a tussle that continues to this day.
FAMILIAL FIRE
Rafi Adiraja, head of the Arakkal Museum in Kannur, has ties to both families. His mother, Adiraja Zainaba Ayisha Beevi, was the 37th queen of the Arakkal dynasty; his father was C.O. Moidu Keyi. “I belong to both the families. Still, I am saying that the Arakkals are the legal heirs of Keyi Rubat, because that is the truth,” he said. Rafi said that the original deed of 1870 showed Mayankutty’s name with the suffix Elaya (the younger)—a title bestowed on him after his marriage to the Arakkal beevi.
Kozhikode-based Harshad Adiraja, a dry-fruits merchant from the Arakkal family, accused the Keyis of fabricating documents to show that Mayankutty died childless. “Mayankutty Elaya’s son, A.P. Ummerkuttty, wrote a book, Keyi History, in 1916. It clearly says that (Mayankutty) had two children—a son and a daughter. We are his heirs.”
The Keyis, however, insist that the Arakkals have only claims and no proof. “We have enough documented proof to nullify their claims,” said P.V. Zainuddeen, a lawyer representing the Keyi family. “The Kerala government had reported back to the Union government in 1972 itself that Mayankutty had no kids, and had chosen his two nephews as the heirs.” Zainuddeen's father is from the Keyi family, but he is not considered a Keyi because of the matrilineal system practised in the family.
FAILED MEDIATIONS
Successive state governments have been trying for a consensus ever since the tussle became public. Similarly, Indian Union Muslim League leaders such as chief minister C.H. Mohammed Koya, Sayed Abdul Rehman Bafakhy Thangal and Union minister E. Ahamed had mediated; the tussle outlived all three.
The first government-level attempt was made by the E.K. Nayanar government in 1998; it appointed P. Kamalkutty IAS to find a solution. “I could not make much headway as there was not much documentary proof available here,” recalled Kamalkutty. “So, I recommended a detailed investigation with the support of the Saudi Arabian government. But nothing much happened after that.”
The matter was followed up by the A.K. Antony government, which took over in May 2001. The government asked state wakf board CEO B.M. Jamal to submit a report. “I studied the matter in detail and even managed to get the original deed of 1870,” said Jamal. “But nothing much could be done as the state government has limitations in dealing with a foreign country. It needed the permission of the Union government to take it forward.”
The matter gathered momentum again in 2013, when the Saudis sounded out the Union government again. Chief minister Oommen Chandy then appointed T.O. Sooraj IAS to follow up. “I had collected all available documents,” Sooraj told THE WEEK. “Going to Saudi was necessary for joining the missing dots, but the state government did not give permission for the travel.”
The matter was taken up by the first Narendra Modi government, too. In 2016, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the then minister of minority affairs, had sought the details of the case. But the tussle remains.
SPECULATORS AND SCHEMERS
There is no end to speculation about how big the amount with the Awqaf treasury is. In 1971, according to official documents, 1.4 million Saudi riyals had been deposited. Many international media reports value this at $1 billion (approximately Rs7,500 crore) today.
Sooraj admitted that there is no clarity about the amount. “There is no interest [system] in Saudi Arabia, but what is not clear is whether the amount will be adjusted for inflation since 1972,” he said. “There had also been talks that the money was invested in the land bank there. In either case, the amount would be humongous.”
The controversies have brought lots of attention good and bad to both families. According to Zainudeen, some international agents and middlemen have approached the family with some deals for lobbying. “The amount they promise is so huge that people will go crazy,” he said.
“There are a lot of conspiracies and vested interests in play. The money involved is that huge,” said a Keyi, who requested anonymity.
Rafi, however, said that since the rubat was taken away without due process, the Saudi were willing to meet any demand of the legal heirs. “The amount is what we ask for.... It can go anywhere up to Rs1 lakh crore,” he said.
Harshad said that he shudders at times “thinking of the amount his family is owed”. “We may or may not get it. But it does give a sense of satisfaction may be a false one that a huge amount is awaiting us in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
WAKF PROPERTY OR NOT?
Interestingly, there is a third claimant to Keyi Rubat God, through wakf. Wakf property is a permanent dedication of any movable or immovable property by a Muslim, for a cause which is pious or charitable according to the shariah. A section of the Keyis insist that Keyi Rubat belonged to God. “It was certainly a wakf property dedicated to Allah. How can anyone even think of taking it home?” said Zainuddeen.
His view was corroborated by Jamal. “The wakf would be a continuing entity. A person creating the wakf cannot take back the property,” he said. “All that the legal heir can decide is the muthavally (manager) to look after it.” According to him, the Saudis may allow the legal heirs to bring the money to India. “But that money can be used only for religious purposes,” he said. He added that the state wakf board has requested the Central wakf board to re-establish Keyi Rubat as a rest house for hajj pilgrims from Kerala.
But Rafi says there is no evidence that the rubat was a wakf property. “Keyi Rubat was certainly a rest house for pilgrims, but that does not make it a wakf property,” he said. He pointed out that the legal heirs of the other three Indian rubats were compensated by the Saudis.
Rafi also said that Saudi Arabia, being a rich country, does not need the money. “They do not need our money, while our country needs it badly. We want to build something meaningful with the money to reinforce the secular culture of our land,” he said.
A Keyi, who wished to remain anonymous, told THE WEEK that he did not understand why some family members were insisting that it was wakf property. “Who will say no to such an amount?” he asked. According to him, many Keyis are no longer as rich and powerful as they used to be. “We would be grateful if we get at least a small share of the family fortune,” he said.
When asked about the delay in producing the legal proof, which both families claim to have, Zainudeen said there are hundreds of family members to be traced and established. “It will take some time,” he said.
Rafi, on his part, said he had set all the records correctly and would be making the “right moves” soon.
Both the families are meanwhile planning to take up the matter with the state and the Union governments again. Thalassery MLA A.N. Shamseer said that the Pinarayi Vijayan government would do its best to settle the matter amicably. “We all are proud of Mayankutty’s contributions. The need of the hour is to find his legal heir,” he said.
SAUDI’S PREROGATIVE
Despite these claims and counterclaims, the ball is in the Saudis’ court. “The last word, certainly, is that of the Saudi government,” said Jamal. “If anyone from the two families could stake their claim with evidence, then they will be accepted as the legal heir by the Saudi government.”
According to Kannur City Heritage Foundation director Muhammed Shihad, any proof should match Saudi records. “Only the Saudis have the [original] documents. The day someone can provide matching proof, the matter is settled,” he said.
Culture connection
The culture of north Kerala, especially that of the Muslim community, is a mix of Arab and Kerala traditions, thanks to long-standing trade links between Arabia and the Malabar coast. The sea trade to India was almost entirely controlled by Arabs, until the Portuguese landed. Many Arabs settled in Malabar and married into local families, cementing the blend of cultures. The origin of Arabi Malayalam is one striking example of this cultural blending.
The Keyis
The Keyis of Thalassery were wealthy traders and reportedly owned properties in all major ports in India, and some in Europe, too.
The Keyis started trading in the 17th century, when the French East India Company established a factory at Thalassery. Aluppy and Moosa were the pioneers. Their successor, Kunhipacki Keyi, who became the head of the family in 1809, was the first one to receive the honorific keyi (ship owner). He had a large number of sea-going vessels; reportedly, 650 at one point.
His nephew Moosakakka Keyi took the business to greater heights. When Tipu Sultan invaded north Malabar, he hid the Chirakkal Hindu royal family and then provided the Chirakkal raja with safe passage to Travancore. Tipu’s invasion hit the Keyis badly and it was the king of Venad who helped them rebuild their business.
The Arakkal royals
There are many stories about the founding of the Arakkal family, Kerala’s sole Muslim royals. A popular legend is that a princess from the Chirakkal Hindu royal family was saved by an Arakkal man from death by drowning. He gave her a dhoti after pulling her out of the river. The princess insisted that she was given a pudava—a Hindu marriage ritual—and that she would prefer to live with the man who first performed the rite.
The Chirakkal Raja, though not happy initially, accepted his daughter’s choice, granted her property and a palatial home. It is generally believed that the matrilineal system followed by them began with this princess and her inter-religious marriage.
In the Arakkal family, the senior-most family member becomes the head—regardless of gender. If the titular head is a female, then she will be called Arakkal beevi. The beevi’s husband’s name is suffixed with the title Elaya, to denote that he is the royal consort. That is how Mayankutty Keyi became Mayankutty Elaya. Historically, the Arakkal royals and Keyis have had strong ties through marriage.
Finding the rightful heir is key
V. Muraleedharan, minister of state for external affairs, told THE WEEK that the Union government will do everything possible to solve the Arakkal-Keyi dispute. “It has been going on for quite some time and needs to be sorted out,” he said. He said that the only official communication that the Indian government has received is a letter from the Saudi Arabian government requesting assistance to trace the legal heir of Keyi Rubat. “Being a native of Kannur, I have heard lots of stories about this rubat since my childhood,” he said. “The solution lies in finding the rightful heir, and that needs to be done.”
When Aurangzeb’s army took on the English East India Company in the Anglo-Mughal War (1686-1690)—the first Anglo-Indian war on the Indian subcontinent—the Arakkal royals sent their warships to support him. The company was humiliated in this war.
The Keyis were keen sportsmen. Cricketers such as C.P. Poker Keyi and Kunhipackey ‘Sixer’ Keyi had played against English teams, as Kannur was a cantonment for the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British. The family is also credited with popularising tennis in Thalassery, Kannur.
According to legend, Mumbai’s Malabar Hill, now an elite residential area, once belonged to the Keyis, who are Malabari Muslims. The port city would have been a natural base for this shipping family.
In the Arakkal family, the senior-most family member becomes the head—regardless of gender. Among the 39 titular Arakkal heads, 13 were women. Junumabi, the 23rd ruler, reigned for 42 years, and Aishabi, the 25th, ruled for 24 years SOURCE
Saudi Arabia is holding a fortune for the legal heirs of a 19th-century businessman from Malabar. And, two prominent families from Kerala have been fighting over it since 1971
CITHARA PAUL
In 1870, Mayankutty Keyi, a shipping magnate from Kerala’s Malabar region, performed the hajj. The wealthy Mayankutty was not pleased with the facilities provided for Indian pilgrims in Mecca.
So, he bought 1.5 acres, barely 300m away from the Kaaba—the most sacred site for Muslims—and built a villa there with seven rooms and a huge hall. He named the villa Keyi Rubat, adding the Arabic word for rest house to his surname.
Buying the house was not a big deal for him, as he already had homes and warehouses across the globe—including in Amsterdam and Vienna. Keyi means ship owner in Persian. The Keyi family’s clients included traders of all sizes and even the biggest joint-stock company of those times, the English East India Company.
Mayankutty’s father, Abdul Qadir Keyi, was a renowned trader who had hired great scholars to tutor his son. Barely three years before performing his hajj, Mayankutty did something that irked orthodox Muslims in Malabar; he translated the Quran into Arabi Malayalam, the traditional language of the Mappila Muslims of Kerala. He took 15 years to complete the translation, which he thought would make the Quran more accessible to the common man. Enraged puritans tied stones to the translated copies and dumped them in the Arabian Sea. Mayankutty ignored the critics and printed more copies.
Mayankutty married from the Arakkal family. It is the only Muslim royal family in Kerala, and it follows a matrilineal system. The senior-most member, regardless of gender, heads the Arakkal family. Before Mayankutty and his wife left for Mecca, he handed over his business operations to his brother. There are multiple versions of what followed. One is that the couple stayed on in the rubat and never returned. Another is that Mayankutty appointed Moosa Haji Malabari, a Malayali, as his nazir (representative) at the rubat, and returned home.
The fact remains that the rubat continued to host Malabari pilgrims for nearly a century. After the death of the nazir, the wakf department of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia maintained the property.
Around the same time, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Nawab of Arcot also built rubats near the Kaaba. Later, many nawabs and elite Muslim families built rubats in Mecca, Medina and Jeddah. Being the first mover, the Keyi Rubat had more land than any of them.
The oil boom of the late 1930s transformed Saudi Arabia, and with it the holy cities. In 1956, the Saudi government took over Keyi Rubat’s land as part of a mosque extension project and allotted another plot, a little away from the original site. In 1970, the second plot, too, was acquired for expansion and a generous amount was issued as compensation. As Mayankutty’s legal heir could not be traced, the Saudi government ordered that the money be held in escrow by the treasury of the Awqaf department, which manages wakf affairs, until the heir is found.
Culture connection
The culture of north Kerala, especially that of the Muslim community, is a mix of Arab and Kerala traditions, thanks to long-standing trade links between Arabia and the Malabar coast. The sea trade to India was almost entirely controlled by Arabs, until the Portuguese landed. Many Arabs settled in Malabar and married into local families, cementing the blend of cultures. The origin of Arabi Malayalam is one striking example of this cultural blending.
THE BIG SEARCH
The Saudi government then launched the hunt for Mayankutty’s legal heirs. It approached the Indian government in 1971; the Indira Gandhi government forwarded the request to Kerala chief minister C. Achutha Menon and asked him to report back.
Like the Arakkals, the Keyis, too, are matrilineal. So, hereditary property is transferred from mother to daughter, or from brother to sisters’ children.
On November 28, 1972, the Thalassery tehsildar issued a certificate of legal heirship to C.V. Aluppy Keyi and C.V. Moidu Keyi, Mayankutty’s great-grand-nephews. The Arakkals challenged the certificate on three reasons: i) The Keyis’ claim that Mayankutty died childless is false; ii) Mayankutty’s children—a son and a daughter—were the legal heirs; iii) Saudi Arabia does not accept the matrilineal system. This challenge triggered a tussle that continues to this day. SOURCE
Saudi Arabia announces successful,
safe Haj season 2022
Total number of pilgrims in the current Hajj season reached 899,353, including 779,919 foreign pilgrims and 119,434 domestic pilgrims
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has announced the current Haj season is successful and safe.
Saudi Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, also chairman of the Central Haj Committee, announced the success of the pilgrimage of 2022 at all security, service and health levels, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Saudi Press Agency.
The prince said no accidents nor epidemic diseases were reported among pilgrims, thanks to government efforts and projects as well as all those involved in serving pilgrims.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health Fahd Al-Jalajel said the health plan for the current Haj season was successful as there were no epidemic outbreaks or other major public health incidents.
He said only 38 Covid-19 cases were detected in the holy sites and were all dealt with in accordance with health protocols.
The Makkah light rail reopened pilgrimage transport service between July 6 and July 12 after a two-year suspension due to the pandemic of Covid-19, safely transporting hundreds and thousands of pilgrims on time.
This year is also the first time since the coronavirus outbreak in 2020 that Saudi Arabia allows foreign pilgrims to perform Haj, as the last two seasons were limited only to domestic pilgrims.
The Saudi General Authority for Statistics announced on Friday that the total number of pilgrims in the current Haj season reached 899,353, including 779,919 foreign pilgrims and 119,434 domestic pilgrims. SOURCE
The Well of Zamzam is a lasting miracle
With no impurities, its water contains a good amount of natural minerals and hence distinct heavy taste
Before the end of the Hajj or Umrah journey, visitors make sure to get a bottle or two of Zamzam water
MAKKAH: It is one of the most enduring miracles of Islam, representing God’s mercy. The Well of Zamzam first sprang 5,000 years ago under the feet of the Prophet Ismael after his mother Hagar, the second wife of Ibrahim, ran seven times between the two hills of Safa and Marwah looking for water to save her thirsty son.
The name of the well comes from the phrase Zome Zome, meaning “stop flowing,” a command repeated by Hagar as she attempted to contain the spring water.
The well’s ever-clean water has no moss, insects, fungus, or any other impurities. It contains a higher level of natural minerals than normal desalinated water. For this reason, it has a distinct, heavy taste.
Pilgrims are always keen to drink from the well and carry bottles filled with the water to their homelands since it is believed to be a natural source of healing for the sick, according to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The Holy Kaaba in the center of Makkah’s Grand Mosque on March 21, 1967. On the left is the entrance to the Zamzam well. Every year, millions of Muslims complete the Hajj pilgrimage to this sacred spot. (Getty Images)
The development and maintenance of the Well of Zamzam has been of major importance, with the water source protected for centuries in many ways. As the main source of water for visitors to Makkah in ancient times and for present-day pilgrims, the well has never stopped generating the blessed water for Muslims, except for a short period of time.
Throughout the ages, the well was guarded by Abd Al-Muttalib bin Hashim, grandfather of Prophet Muhammad, then by many Muslim caliphs up until modern times, when it fell under the protection of Saudi kings starting with the founder of current Saudi Arabia, King Abdul Aziz.
He also started the King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Zamzam Water Project (KPZW) in 2013.
With the increasing number of visitors coming for Umrah and Hajj, the demand for Zamzam water also rapidly increased. This necessitated more development for the well.
The construction cost of the project amounted to more than SR700 million ($187 million).
The project did away with many of the old unprofessional methods related to pumping, filtering, distributing and filling the water, replacing these with the newest, safest technologies.
In the past, the water used to be bottled manually in different-sized containers, without following an authorized bottling process, resulting in unwanted water pollution.
With this new project, however, there are two main sizes of authorized containers — five and 10 liters — in which the water is treated, bottled, stored, and distributed efficiently.
Before the end of the Hajj or Umrah journey, visitors make sure to get a bottle or two of Zamzam water before they leave, which in previous years used to result in chaos and unorganized queues. Today, the project allows water containers to be distributed to pilgrims inside buses or in airports in order to save time and prevent crowding.
Inside the Two Holy Mosques, the water is provided in coolers that undergo a daily cleaning and filling process.
The online purchase of Zamzam water is a part of the National Water Company’s project, which was initiated following the suspension of sales as a precaution during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
Zamzam water is now distributed via the Saudi electronic business platform HNAK, which offers home delivery service as well.
Extraction, pumping and continued surveillance of storage and pipelines are achieved through the optical fiber technology of the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition network.
With all these technologies, the quality of Zamzam water’s natural minerals is preserved and sustained according to meticulous research carried out to determine the most suitable methods of pumping and filtering.
To prevent all the characteristics of Zamzam water from being affected by any external natural contaminations, the Zamzam Studies and Research Center has applied rigorous quality control.
“In order to be able to manage the Well of Zamzam in a sustainable manner, we need to have a full understanding of the environmental and hydrogeological setting of this holy well and the sources of water reaching it, including water conductors in the area,” Samer Showman, president of the research center, told Arab News.
“We need to see how the water is being stored and how fast it is moving and the types of minerals it extracts through its journey between the rocks to understand what characterizes the fingerprint of Zamzam water.
“We have linked the mathematical model with a rainfall data network and rainfall stations in a different part of the aquifer to determine the exact volume and quantity of water that can be extracted throughout the year in Wadi Ibrahim,” he added.
Showman said that a special laboratory for Zamzam water in Makkah tracks and tests different samples of the water, which are analyzed on a weekly basis to maintain water quality.
THE MIRACLE OF ZAMZAM WATER...
Zamzam Water Well :
Zamzam well is 10.6 feet long and it pumps 8000 liters of water per second to the higher side which is 28.8 million liters per hour.
Interesting that Zamzam water fountains fill back the water in 11 minutes that was out for 24 hours. And not to forget this well is providing water from the time of Hazrat Ismaeel as till now.
There are 2 miracles here, the first that ZamZam was re-filled immediately, & the second is that Allah Holds the extra-ordinary y powerful Aquifer for not throwing extra ZamZam out of the well.
It is the translation of the word ZamZam, which means Stop Stop!said by Hajirah RZ. Zimam is an Arabic word, it is the rope / REIN attached to bridle or noseband & it is used / pulled to stop the running animal.
Zamzam water has no color or smell, but it has a distinct taste. Water usually fills your thrust. But surprisingly, Zamzam fills your hunger as wel as your thrust. One can stay alive just by drinking Zamzam water for as long as he can.
The results of the water samples tested by the European laboratories shows that Zamzam water contains
1. CALCIUM & MAGNESUIM:
The difference between Zamzam water and other water was in the quantity of calcium and magnesium salts. The content of these was slightly higher in Zamzam water. This may be why this water refreshes tired hajis.
2. FLUORIDE:
But more significantly, the water contains fluorides that have an effective germicidal action.
Masaru Emoto is a Japanese energy scholar, author and entrepreneur, best known for his claims that human consciousness has an effect on the molecular structure of water. Following is his research on zamzam water:
1. The quality / purity of Zamzam water has, will not be find any where else in the water on this earth.
2. He used the technology named NANO, and researched a lot on Zamzam water. And found out that if one drop of Zamzam water mix in 1000 drops of regular water, regular water will get the same quality like Zamzam water.
3. He also found that a mineral in one drop of Zamzam water has its own importance that will not be find any other water on this earth.
4. He also found in some tests that the quality or ingredients of Zamzam water can not be changed, why, science does not know the reason.
Even he re-cycled the Zamzam water, but no change it was still pure.
5. This scientist also found out that, the Muslims say BISMILLAH before eating/drinking. He says that after saying BISMILLAH on regular water, there are some strange changes happened in the quality of regular water. That make it best water.
6. He also found out that if some one recites the Quran on regular water, it gets the ability for the treatment of different diseases.
Saudi Arabia: Six jailed for desecrating
Masjid-e-Nabawi by hurling abuses at Pak PM
Saudi court convicted six Pakistani out of which three Pakistanis were sentenced to jail for 10 years each and three Pakistanis were sentenced to jail for 8 years each . 6th August 2022
Islamabad: A Saudi Court on Thursday convicted six Pakistanis over desecrating the holy place Masjid-e-Nabawi by raising slogans against Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation.
Some protesters, allegedly belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), violated the sanctity of the Masjid-e-Nabawi by loudly chanting slogans against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s delegation in Saudi Arabia.
A viral video had been circulating on social media platforms that showed hundreds of pilgrims raising “chor chor” [thieves] slogans upon seeing the delegation making their way to Masjid-e-Nabawi.
The Saudi court convicted six Pakistani out of which three Pakistanis were sentenced to jail for 10 years each and three Pakistanis were sentenced to jail for 8 years each, Pakistani local media outlet The News International reported.
According to the Saudi Court, all six were found guilty of blasphemy at Harm-e-Madina. Anas, Irshad and Muhammad Salim were sentenced to 10 years, while Khwaja Luqman, Muhammad Afzal and Ghulam Muhammad were sentenced to 8 years.
In a video, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and member of the National Assembly Shahzain Bugti were seen along with others.
According to the Pakistani newspaper, Aurangzeb indirectly blamed ousted Imran Khan for the protest. “I will not name this person on this holy land because I do not want to use this land for politics. But they have destroyed the [Pakistani] society,” she said.
This came during Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s maiden three-day official visit to Saudi Arabia. Dozens of officials and political leaders have accompanied the Pakistan Prime Minister on his visit to the Kingdom.
Moreover, the Madina court slapped 200,000 riyals fine on the six people and confiscated their mobile phones as they were found guilty of abusing Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and other ministers.
A statement issued by the Madina Police spokesperson said, “The legal process has been completed with the arrest of these Pakistanis and the matter has been referred to the appropriate authorities. SOURCE
Work starts on major expansion of
historic Quba Mosque in Madinah
expansion of historic Quba Mosque in Madinah. (SPA)
Quba Mosque will be able to receive more than 66,000 worshippers in an area covering 50,000 square meters
The road network and surrounding infrastructure will also be revamped to provide easier access to the mosque
JEDDAH: Major redevelopment work has got underway at Madinah’s historic Quba Mosque to further expand the holy site first built upon by the Prophet Muhammad more than 1,440 years ago.
In April, during Ramadan, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced that the mosque would be increased tenfold in size as part of a project named after King Salman.
Four years ago, the crown prince ordered the restoration of 130 historical mosques in the Kingdom under the Saudi government’s national regeneration program.
In a visit to Madinah during the recent holy month of fasting, he said the enlargement project was aimed toward achieving the objectives of Vision 2030 within the Guests of God Service, and Quality of Life programs.
On completion of the largest development in its history, Quba Mosque will be able to receive more than 66,000 worshippers in an area covering 50,000 square meters.
The project was designed to link the current mosque with shaded courtyards on four sides, all capable of providing the necessary services but not structurally attached to the main building.
The road network and surrounding infrastructure will also be revamped to provide easier access to the mosque and improve visitor safety and security, while the project will resolve overcrowding issues as well as preserving the architectural style of the mosque and other nearby monuments.
Its current praying area covers 5,000 square meters, with the building and facilities taking up 13,500 square meters and accommodating a maximum 20,000 worshippers.
Crown Prince Mohammed said the improvements would heighten visitors’ devotional and cultural experience.
Quba Mosque is located 5 kilometers south of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah and was constructed in 622. It is believed that the Prophet Muhammad frequently prayed at Quba Mosque, especially on Saturdays, and urged his companions to do so too.
There is a hadith about the mosque, with the Prophet Muhammad reported to have said: “Whoever makes ablutions in this house and offers one prayer therein, will be rewarded the equivalent of one Umrah.” It is why the mosque remains of considerable religious and historical importance to Muslims.
It underwent renovation during the eras of caliphs Uthman bin Affan and Omar ibn Al-Khattab. The latter was the first to add a minaret to the structure.
During the Saudi era, Quba Mosque, along with other houses of worship, were regularly revitalized. In 1968, its northern side was expanded, and then in 1985, King Fahd ordered several enlargements while maintaining the building’s historically significant architectural features.
Work starts on major expansion of historic Quba Mosque in Madinah
Quba Mosque will be able to receive more than 66,000 worshippers in an area covering 50,000 square meters
The road network and surrounding infrastructure will also be revamped to provide easier access to the mosque
JEDDAH: Major redevelopment work has got underway at Madinah’s historic Quba Mosque to further expand the holy site first built upon by the Prophet Muhammad more than 1,440 years ago.
In April, during Ramadan, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced that the mosque would be increased tenfold in size as part of a project named after King Salman.
Four years ago, the crown prince ordered the restoration of 130 historical mosques in the Kingdom under the Saudi government’s national regeneration program.
In a visit to Madinah during the recent holy month of fasting, he said the enlargement project was aimed toward achieving the objectives of Vision 2030 within the Guests of God Service, and Quality of Life programs.
On completion of the largest development in its history, Quba Mosque will be able to receive more than 66,000 worshippers in an area covering 50,000 square meters.
The project was designed to link the current mosque with shaded courtyards on four sides, all capable of providing the necessary services but not structurally attached to the main building.
The road network and surrounding infrastructure will also be revamped to provide easier access to the mosque and improve visitor safety and security, while the project will resolve overcrowding issues as well as preserving the architectural style of the mosque and other nearby monuments.
Its current praying area covers 5,000 square meters, with the building and facilities taking up 13,500 square meters and accommodating a maximum 20,000 worshippers.
Crown Prince Mohammed said the improvements would heighten visitors’ devotional and cultural experience.
Quba Mosque is located 5 kilometers south of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah and was constructed in 622. It is believed that the Prophet Muhammad frequently prayed at Quba Mosque, especially on Saturdays, and urged his companions to do so too.
There is a hadith about the mosque, with the Prophet Muhammad reported to have said: “Whoever makes ablutions in this house and offers one prayer therein, will be rewarded the equivalent of one Umrah.” It is why the mosque remains of considerable religious and historical importance to Muslims.
It underwent renovation during the eras of caliphs Uthman bin Affan and Omar ibn Al-Khattab. The latter was the first to add a minaret to the structure.
During the Saudi era, Quba Mosque, along with other houses of worship, were regularly revitalized. In 1968, its northern side was expanded, and then in 1985, King Fahd ordered several enlargements while maintaining the building’s historically significant architectural features. SOURCE
Nizam’s Rubath in Saudi to serve
pilgrims from three States
Nikhila HenryHYDERABAD JULY 22, 2017 23:19 IST
UPDATED: JULY 22, 2017 23:19 IST
568 pilgrims from Telangana to stay there this year
This Haj season, an old home set up by the Nizam of Hyderabad State, Afzal ud-Dawla Bahadur, would accommodate 1,153 pilgrims from the former Nizami provinces.
Rubath, a pilgrim house built at the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to serve Hajis from Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka which were once part of the Nizam’s State, would also provide food for the pilgrims who were selected by a draw of lots this month. While 568 pilgrims who would get to stay at Rubath during Haj-2017 are from Telangana, 450 are from Maharashtra and 117 from Karnataka.
It was Mir Barkath Ali Khan Mukarram Jah Bahadur, who assumed the Nizam title in 1967, who declared Rubath a Waqf property which should be used for public good. Apart from those selected by the draw of lots, 10% of the accommodation at Rubath is reserved for the descendants of the erstwhile royal family of Nizam.
The management rights of Rubath was granted to Md. Mudar Hussain Al Shareef, a Saudi national, in 1980. Currently, his children Md. Mudar Husain Al Shareef and Sheikh Yousuf Awad Al Ahmadi maintain the property, which has been serving the travellers for over 100 years. Since their takeover as Nazer or caretakers of Rubath in 1996, the pilgrim home has been maintaining strict records to facilitate maximum number of travellers from deprived economic backgrounds. “The Rubath tradition shows close ties between different States in India,” said Deputy Chief Minister Md. Mahmood Ali, who conducted a review meeting on Thursday with the departments that coordinate the Haj pilgrimage.
This year, 3,676 pilgrims from Telangana, 2,672 from Andhra Pradesh and 700 from Karnataka would go for Haj. A total of 7,045 passengers would start their journey from Rajeev Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. The Deputy Chief Minister directed the officials to make all arrangements to facilitate a smooth pilgrimage. The first flight to Saudi Arabia from Hyderabad left on July 14 and the last left on Saturday.
Rubath, located on a prime property on Taqwa Street, Mecca, has already started taking applications for the next Haj in 2018. SOURCE
Great pride for Tamil!
'Arafat speech in Tamil too!..
'Saudi Arabia Mecca'
Good rain falling on the Grand Mosque.
Aug 6, 2022
Part of the Kaaba's Changing Ceremony.
Jul 30 2022
The Security Barriers Around
The Holy Kaaba Were Removed
Aug 3 2022
The following number of pilgrims
arrived in Saudi Arabia each year
to perform Hajj:
There has been a substantial increase in the number of pilgrims during the last 92 years, and the number of foreign pilgrims has increased by approximately 2,824 percent, from 58,584 in 1920 to 1,712,962 in 2012.[132] Because of development and expansion work at Masjid al-Haram, the authority restricted the number of pilgrims in 2013.[133][134]
Between 1940 and 1945, foreign pilgrims were restricted from arriving in Saudi Arabia as a result of World War II; all pilgrimages from 2020 onwards will be severely restricted as the country deals with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following number of pilgrims arrived in Saudi Arabia each year to perform Hajj:
| Gregorian year | Hijri year | Local pilgrims | Foreign pilgrims | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 1338 | 58,584[132] | ||
| 1921 | 1339 | 57,255[132] | ||
| 1922 | 1340 | 56,319[132] | ||
| 1950 | 1369 | 100,000 (approx.)[3] | ||
| 1950s | 150,000 (approx.)[135] | |||
| 1960s | 300,000 (approx.)[135] | |||
| 1970s | 700,000 (approx.)[135] | |||
| 1980s | 900,000 (approx.)[135] | |||
| 1989 | 1409 | 774,600[136] | ||
| 1990 | 1410 | 827,200[136] | ||
| 1991 | 1411 | 720,100[136] | ||
| 1992 | 1412 | 1,015,700[136] | ||
| 1993 | 1413 | 992,800[136] | ||
| 1994 | 1414 | 997,400[136] | ||
| 1995 | 1415 | 1,046,307[136] | ||
| 1996 | 1416 | 784,769 | 1,080,465[136][17] | 1,865,234 |
| 1997 | 1417 | 774,260 | 1,168,591[136][17] | 1,942,851 |
| 1998 | 1418 | 699,770 | 1,132,344 | 1,832,114[136][137] |
| 1999 | 1419 | 775,268 | 1,056,730 | 1,831,998 |
| 2000 | 1420 | 466,430[138] | 1,267,355 | 1,733,785[138] |
| 2001 | 1421 | 440,808 | 1,363,992 | 1,804,800[139] |
| 2002 | 1422 | 590,576 | 1,354,184 | 1,944,760 |
| 2003 | 1423 | 493,230 | 1,431,012 | 1,924,242[140] |
| 2004 | 1424 | 473,004[141] | 1,419,706[142] | 1,892,710[141] |
| 2005 | 1425 | 1,030,000 (approx.) | 1,534,769 | 2,560,000 (approx.)[143] |
| 2006 | 1426 | 573,147 | 1,557,447 | 2,130,594[144] |
| 2006 | 1427 | 724,229 | 1,654,407 | 2,378,636[145] |
| 2007 | 1428 | 746,511 | 1,707,814 | 2,454,325[146][147] |
| 2008 | 1429 | 1,729,841[18] | ||
| 2009 | 1430 | 154,000 | 1,613,000 | 2,521,000[148] |
| 2010 | 1431 | 989,798 | 1,799,601 | 2,854,345[149] |
| 2011 | 1432 | 1,099,522 | 1,828,195 | 2,927,717[150] |
| 2012 | 1433 | 1,408,641 | 1,752,932 | 3,161,573[19] |
| 2013 | 1434 | 600,718[151] | 1,379,531[152] | 1,980,249[151] |
| 2014 | 1435 | 696,185[151] | 1,389,053[153] | 2,085,238[151] |
| 2015 | 1436 | 567,876[151] | 1,384,941[154] | 1,952,817[151] |
| 2016 | 1437 | 537,537[155] | 1,325,372[155] | 1,862,909[155] |
| 2017 | 1438 | 600,108 | 1,752,014 | 2,352,122[16] |
| 2018 | 1439 | 612,953 | 1,758,722 | 2,371,675[156] |
| 2019 | 1440 | 634,379 | 1,855,027 | 2,489,406[157] |
| 2020 | 1441 | 1,000[158] | ||
| 2021 | 1442 | 58,745[159][160] | 0[159] | 58,745[160] |
| 2022 | 1443 | 119,434[161] | 779,919[161] | 899,353[161] |
The economics of Hajj: Money and pilgrimage
By Ahmed Maher BBC Arabic, Mecca Published 25 October 2012
The Hajj pilgrimage netted Saudi Arabia an estimated $10bn in 2011
Millions of Muslims from all walks of life have converged on Saudi Arabia to perform the pilgrimage known as the Hajj.
The annual occasion has become a lucrative business in recent years, proving a great financial asset to the economy of the oil-rich kingdom.
Many pilgrims, however, struggle to reconcile their spiritual needs with their wallets.
Mohammed Zayan, a 53-year-old pilgrim from Tunisia, has waited a lifetime to perform the religious obligation, which does not come free.
"I spent up to $6,000 (£3,700) on my Hajj," says Mr Zayan, who wears the traditional white pilgrims' clothes.
"I thank God that he enabled me to save this amount of money but I'm sad I could not afford taking my wife and son with me."
The millions who come to Mecca every year bring billions of dollars to the Saudi economy.
Restaurants, travel agents, airlines and mobile phone companies all earn big bucks during the Hajj, and the government benefits in the form of taxes.
Last year, the 10-day event generated some $10bn (£6.2bn), according to the Chamber of Commerce in Mecca.
Worthwhile investment
The private sector also maximises its returns during Hajj, with investment in real estate an attractive proposition ahead of the pilgrimage.
The highest rents in Saudi Arabia are found in the holy city of Mecca, the birthplace of Islam.
Owners of hotels close to the main mosque ask for $700 a night, blaming the skyrocketing prices of land for the sharp rise in rates.
"I have been investing in this sector for 35 years. I remember when I first sold a metre of land in Mecca for just 15 rials ($3), now it has reached 80,000 rials ($22,000)," said Mohamed Saed al-Jahni, one of Mecca's real estate tycoons.
"The demand is higher than supply and that is why many buildings and hotels have been built in recent years to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims".
Super-tall buildings are filling the Mecca skyline at an unstoppable pace.
The ancient city's centuries-old sites are giving way to glitzy luxury hotels, which are not affordable for many pilgrims.
The government says it is a necessary step, even if the construction comes at the expense of historical mountains dating back to the age of the Prophet of Islam Muhammad and his companions.
Spiritual relief
Muslim pilgrims perform their prayers in the Grand Mosque of the holy city of Mecca, on October 22, 2012
Selling Mecca souvenirs is another very lucrative business during the Hajj.
There are no official estimates for this profitable trade, but it is believed to bring hundreds of millions of dollars every year.
Ahmed Abdel Rahman, 43, will leave Mecca laden with presents and souvenirs for loved ones back in Mauritius.
"These are blessed souvenirs," he says, holding a bead he just bought at almost three times its original price outside the city.
The price of Mecca souvenirs is often eye-wateringly high and most of the products like prayer mats and beads are not made in the city, but rather in China.
But Mr Abdel Rahman says he feels a great spiritual relief when he spends his money in Mecca.
"I don't find shop owners opportunists but we help our brothers in Islam to make profit and make ends meet. This is a highly rewarded act."
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and an obligation, provided a Muslim is financially and physically able.
The ritual, which demonstrates the unity of Muslims and their submission to Allah, has been carried out for nearly nearly 1,400 years.
However much it costs, Muslims will not stop coming to this spiritual and also commercial hub. They simply cannot do Hajj anywhere else. SOURCE
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Rubat meaning in Urdu is "سرائے مسافر خانہ".
In English, Rubat name meaning is "Inn, Stopping Place, Hospice".
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