Abuja, Jan. 23, 2023. Some Umrah pilgrims has urged the Saudi Arabian government to ban smoking in public transportation across the country.
The call was made in a statement sent to HAJJ REPORTERS by Syed Rahamathullah, a pilgrim from India on Tuesday.
He said the ugly habit was affecting other non-smoking pilgrims to the Holy places of Muslim faithful.
Rahamathullah said the act denies comfort to pilgrims who are on pilgrimage to the city from performing their religious obligations.
“I went for Umrah from Dammam, Saudi Arabia with 45 people in the bus that includes eight girls and seven children.
“When we stopped for prayers and some people went to the bathroom other stayed in the bus with air conditioner on and smoked.
“Pilgrimage is supposed to be a time for dhikr and practicing how to perform activities at the Kaaba,” he said.
Rahamathullah said that pilgrimages was an act that is expected to bring individual and general change to people.
He added that all pilgrims should consider the feelings of the fellow pilgrims in order not to cause discomfort to each other.
He added that all Muslims should lend their voices to the call on the Saudi authorities to ban the act of smoking.
