CAIRO: Be careful about how you approach your duty in Hajj and Umrah, do not use the excuse of being only one person who cannot possibly affect millions, said Sheikh Ali Gomaa at a press conference. The conference, entitled Hajj and Umrah, was reportedly organized in response to a letter sent to Gomaa from tourism companies that arrange trips to Mecca, asking him about the Islamic take on those who go on Umrah and extend their stay to Hajj. Gomaa, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported, said that those who stay in Mecca to the time of Hajj were breaking the law and therefore they would not receive their reward based on what the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) once said: Hypocrites are those who speak and lie, make a promise and break it and who claim loyalty but betray. He further quoted Prophet Mohamed (PBUH): It is not for the Believer to humiliate himself. Therefore, he continued, the person who overstays [in Mecca after Umrah] and has to pay a fine for every day he breaks the law, is humiliating himself as well as his country. Gomaa added that most of the accidental deaths, harassments and tripping over one another that occur are due to the increased number of people at the time of Hajj who weren t accounted for. The Saudi government limits the Hajj visas. Thus, those staying on after completing the Umrah overcrowd the Hajj, something that could lead to injuries. However, Dr. Ibrahim Negm, the media spokesperson for Gomaa told Daily News Egypt that he couldn t recall when exactly this press conference had taken place. But he did confirm that from a religious perspective it is forbidden [to stay on beyond the period of the Umrah]. However, legally speaking, what Saudi Arabia plans to do with the [pilgrims] who break the law is their business and Sheikh Ali cannot speak about this issue because it would be interfering with a country s politics, Negm said. Negm added that pilgrim who stays to the time of Hajj will be punished by God and no one else. The rules placed by the visited country - Saudi Arabia - for issuing the visa are simple: Respect the country and leave when you are supposed to without disturbing the peace. If anyone doesn t respect these rules there will be a penalty, an official at the Saudi embassy in Cairo said. The fine that will be set is not 50 Saudi Riyals like it used to be. The exact amount has not been decided upon yet but it may go up as high as 2,000 Saudi Riyals. It is still unclear what the punishment will be but it could even extend to jail time, the official continued.
