King Mohammed VI, Amir Al-Mouminine, called on Moroccan pilgrims to be worthy ambassadors of their homeland, and the standard-bearers of its secular civilization and its identity, illustrated by the attachment to the values of openness and tolerance, and to abstain from all polemics and all grounds for discord.
In a message addressed, on Friday, to Moroccan pilgrims having to go to the Holy Places of Islam for the year 1444 H, the Sovereign also urged Moroccan pilgrims to be “the worthy representatives of your religion during this sublime meeting, displaying an attitude and conduct marked with the seal of Muslim brotherhood and moderation, and impervious to any extremism, any excess, any desire for discord or of dividing”.
The King also invited the pilgrims to show piety, “so true that it is the best viaticum one can acquire to carry out this peregrination carrying many benefits”.
“Show also exemplary morality during this grandiose gathering where Muslims are required to keep in mind two fundamental and complementary truths: their proclamation of faith in the Oneness of God the Most High and their desire to illustrate their unity and their unanimous adherence to the unshakeable Law of God”affirmed the King in this message, which was read by the Minister of Habous and Islamic Affairs, Ahmed Toufiq, on the occasion of the departure of the first contingent of pilgrims from Rabat-Salé airport.
And the Sovereign to emphasize that“In Islam, the dogma of pilgrimage symbolizes, in fact, the equality of the faithful who, on the occasion of the Hajj, find themselves gathered in one place: The Sacred Kaaba, Mina and Arafat, wearing the same emblematic fabric of the ‘Ihram (the solemn entry into the sacred universe of Hajj) and mingling with each other without any distinction of title or status”.
The King also reminded pilgrims that their stay in the Holy Places demands the greatest discipline and the most sincere observance of the obligations and canonical rules of pilgrimage.
“In this respect, there is no doubt for Us that you have prepared yourself as it should be for this spiritual enterprise by immersing yourselves in the teachings dispensed by our honorable ulemas, men and women, under the aegis of the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs, and with the commitment of Our Minister of Habous”, stressed Amir Al-Muminin.
The King also urged Moroccan pilgrims to devote all their time, wherever they are, to invocation of God and to imploring His forgiveness, to also strive to multiply acts of devotion to to enter into the good graces of the Lord, to demonstrate moral elevation to transcend all sorts of trivialities and to abstain from any antagonism likely to incline them to transgressive behavior.
“Furthermore, be careful, blessed pilgrims, to perform the rites of pilgrimage by conforming to the precepts of your religion and by raising sincere prayers to the Almighty. This is how you will achieve the ultimate objective for which the Hajj was instituted: access to divine forgiveness and obtaining the most generous of rewards, the object of a promise made by God to His faithful in pilgrimage and announced in the Hadith of Our Prophet and Grandfather, peace and blessings be upon him. wrote the Sovereign.
The King invited the pilgrims to strictly comply with the organizational measures adopted by the competent authorities in the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who took care to provide the Lord’s guests with ideal conditions of tranquility, “so that the pilgrimage season can take place in an atmosphere marked by responsiveness, discipline, peace and security, in accordance with the high directives of Our very dear and benevolent Brother, the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Salman Ibn Abdulaziz, Sovereign of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia brother. May God grant him good health and long life, and bless him in the person of His Royal Highness, Our very dear and august Brother, Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salmane, Vice-President of the Council of Ministers, may God keep him, grant him long life and guide his steps”.
The Sovereign wished, on this occasion, to express His deep consideration and to warmly salute the fraternal relations which bind the two Kingdoms and the two brotherly peoples.
The King called on Moroccan pilgrims not to forget to raise ” the most ardent prayers for Your King, who watches over your security and that of your country, by imploring the Most High to grant Us assistance and to crown with success all Our development initiatives as well as Our sustained actions in favor of the safeguard of the sovereignty and unity of our dear country, Morocco, and for it to remain a pioneer in the realization of the ambitions of our citizens who aspire to dignity and for it to provide unwavering support to our brothers in Islamic countries and Africans on the path to progress, unity and prosperity”.
“Also pray that He fulfills Us in the person of Our Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Moulay El Hassan as well as the whole of Our illustrious Royal Family, and that He covers with His infinite mercy Our August Grandfather and Our Venerable Father, their late Majesties Kings Mohammed V and Hassan II, may God reward them amply and in a very beautiful way for the commendable works they have accomplished for the liberation of Morocco, the building of its State and the safeguarding of his unit“, underlined the Sovereign.