MAKKAH – Sheikh Saleh Al-Talib, imam and khateeb of the Grand Mosque, said that it was not acceptable to misuse any accident happening to Muslims for worldly or political gains. In his Friday sermon, Al-Talib said that Saudi Arabia is fully capable of managing Haj affairs effectively and it has sovereign power in carrying out the sublime duty of serving the Two Holy Mosques and the guests of God for which the Almighty Allah has honored it. “The Kingdom, equipped with all its resources and capabilities, is exerting every effort to serve Haj and Umrah pilgrims as well as visitors to The Holy Mosques for decades, and occurrence of an accident due to heavy rush or stampede of some pilgrims or violation of its regulations won't mitigate this lofty position of the Kingdom,” he said referring to Thursday's stampede in Mina. Al-Talib urged the Saudi authorities to ensure that such incidents are not repeated and hold the negligent in this regard accountable for their faults. “The efforts of tens of thousands of the people who engage in serving the guests of God should not go waste,” he said. While emphasizing that the authorities have chalked out rules and regulations for the smooth conduct of Haj, he called on the pilgrims to abide strictly by these rules so as to enable them to perform their rituals in ease and comfort. More than a million worshipers, including hundreds of thousands of pilgrims performed Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque. At the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, Imam and Khateeb Sheikh Ali Al-Hudaifi delivered the sermon and led the prayers.
