Cairo, Oct 11: Putting an end to the controversy about whether ‘mahram’ is required to accompany women while performing Hajj or Umrah, Saudi Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah on Monday said that it is no longer mandatory, the Saudi Gazette reported.
During a press conference at the Saudi Embassy in Cairo yesterday, the minister made it clear that women from any part of the world can perform Hajj or Umrah without ‘mahram’.
Giving the details of the expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, he said that it is the largest-ever expansion. The total cost has crossed SR 200 billion.
Speaking on Umrah visas, he said that there is no cap on the number of visas. He also said that Muslims from any part of the world who come to the Kingdom on any visa can perform Umrah.
Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the five pillars of Islam. The other four pillars are Shahadah, Salat, Zakat and Sawm.
It is mandatory for Muslims to perform the pilgrimage once in a lifetime if they are physically and financially capable of it.
