Top Civil Servant Cries in Mecca
Sierra Leone’s Administrator and Registrar General has said in the Holy Land of Mecca that tears of repentance streamed down her face when she saw the grave of the Prophet of Islam in Medina for the first time.
Haja Mariama Siray Kallay (Mrs. Zubairu) who also doubles as Secretary General, Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) made the remarks in a brief interview at her downtown Mecca Hotel shortly before she departed the Holy Land last weekend after the completion of her Hajj rites.
“When I arrived in the Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque, Al- Masjid al- Nabawi, where he is buried, I wept bitterly. When they showed me the graves of the first two caliphs, Abubakar and Umar, I continued weeping. The graves are like the Garden of Heaven, I assumed. As a matter of fact, I was full of emotions.”
Another emotional scene, she added, was when she saw the Holy Kaa’ba. “Visiting the Kaa’ba and seeing thousands of people; ranging from the young, middle aged, old to disabled converging on the black stone, reciting, Allahu Akbar, meaning God is Great, your tears will drop unnoticed,” she said humbly.
The Prophet’s grave is an important reason for the high sanctity of the mosque. Millions of visitors come to visit it every year, particularly when they are on pilgrimage to Mecca. According to Islamic scholars, the Prophet’s Mosque is the second holiest mosque in the world after al-Haram in Mecca.
Haja Kallay granting interview to Press Attaché, ALhaji Jalloh
The Administrator General also called on Muslim Civil Servants in Sierra Leone to use the opportunity, if they have the financial means and are physically fit, to come to the Holy land and perform the fifth pillar of Islam, Hajj.
She noted that once a Civil Servant has performed Hajj, it helps in executing his/her duties and responsibilities to the nation more effectively with the fear of the Almighty God in mind; considering the fact that they took an oath of office before assuming duty.
She praised the Government for properly organizing this year’s Hajj. “Based on what I have heard from observers, this year’s Hajj is the best in terms of accommodation, feeding and movement of pilgrims from one holy site to the other.
“I must commend the Hajj team led by Hon. Minkailu Mansaray and the complementary role played by Sierra Leoneans resident in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Mariama Kallay was amongst over 650 Sierra Leonean pilgrims who successfully performed this year’s Hajj.
Alhaji Jalloh, Information Attache, Sierra Leone Embassy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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