* We carried out our rites dutifully and religiously under the agency: Iba Ilu Kishi
* Despite the economic downturn, many pilgrims performed Hajj with us: MD
Nigeria’s leading Hajj and Umrah operator, Hajj Mabrur Ventures Limited, has received tons of commendations from pilgrims across various backgrounds who embarked on the spiritual journey to the holy land in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the agency.
The pilgrims, drawn from different parts of Nigeria and professions, including those in the Diaspora took turns to appreciate the excellent services provided by Hajj Mabrur in making their hajj rites from beginning to the end a wonderful experience that will linger on.
This year, over 1.8 million Muslims from across the world converged on the plain of Arafat to perform the hajj rites, with 65,000 pilgrims making up the Nigerian contingent, Muslim News reports.
Hajj Mabrur, which came first during a screening exercise by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), together with two other companies travelled with 400 pilgrims for Hajj 2024.
Among its contingent to the holy land was a prominent monarch in Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria, HRH Oba Mashood Aweda Oyekola Lawal (Iba of Kishi), who also testified to an excellent performance of his hajj rites dutifully and religiously with professional support courtesy of Hajj Mabrur in an interview with our medium live at Mina, the City of Tents.

“This is not my first hajj. I’ve been here not less than 6 times for Hajj and Umrah. This would be the third time with Hajj Mabrur,” Oba Oyekola stated.
“My hajj experience this year is distinct and unique from the previous ones. It’s as if I’ve never done hajj before. This is due to Hajj Mabrur’s conscious supervision that ensured we carried out all the Hajj rites dutifully and religiously. They enlightened and counseled us at every point in time. On our part, we, the hujjaj, adhered to instructions, cooperated, and worked in making the exercise seamless.”
The Yoruba monarch said he was so delighted about the way things played out this year, for the many lectures, enlightenment, and counseling that influenced the pilgrims positively.

“All our activities were well guided and coordinated, especially at Arafat and Jamarat. The aged among us were also given the required support. In short, I’ll give Hajj Mabrur a big thumbs up for this year’s hajj. The staff and management were also very subtle. It’s a deliberate effort. They didn’t take anything personally. I’ll implore them to do even more. I won’t hesitate to refer anyone I know to the agency.”
Speaking on feeding, the Iba of Kishi highlighted the need for perseverance in Mina since the experience is just for a limited time.
“Perseverance is key for everyone on a sojourn. So, regarding the food we were served in Mina tents, we all had to endure, especially at the point where only Arabian food was available. The staff took the same, so, why should anyone complain when there’s no preferential treatment? Hajj Mabrur can only do what they are capable of in this foreign land. However, all the dishes served at Makkah were good to go.”
Showering encomiums on Muslim News Nigeria, he said, “By the grace of Allah SWT, the medium will grow in leaps and bounds, be reckoned with by every household across the globe, and fulfill its purpose.”
Hajj Mabrur’s performance is excellent: Alhaji Adisa
In his assessment, Mr. Adisa Adams, a farmer based in Osun State, said he has been a regular client of Hajj Mabrur, noting the consistency in the quality of the services rendered by the company.

He said, “Hajj Mabrur has been wonderful. The best I have ever come across. This is the fifteenth time embarking on a pilgrimage with the firm. 13 times for Umrah and the second time for Hajj. I chose Hajj Mabrur because I enjoy their services; the way they treat their pilgrims is excellent.
“Hajj Mabrur gave us all the necessary steps and they guided us properly. They also gave us spiritual talks that contributed to the success and benefits of coming for hajj.”
Mr. Adams also praised the Saudi government, saying they have improved their services to the guests of Allah during the just concluded hajj.
“I wasn’t here last year but from what I gathered, Saudi Arabia has improved in their services to the guests of Allah. Unlike last year, we had good accommodation in Mina and Arafat with good beds and a conducive environment. We were served with good food. They did well but it can always get better, particularly in serving us African foods.”
He told Muslim News Nigeria that the Saudi government should try and maintain this performance and build on it for the coming years.
The welfare of pilgrims is highly improved in this year’s Hajj: Alhaji Sanni
With a recommendation from a friend, Engr. Sanni Ahmed who works with a construction company in Kano State, Nigeria joined Hajj Mabrur for the first time to hajj, saying it was his best to date.

The engineer who has performed hajj at least seven times said the recommendation by the friend did not turn out to be a mistake.
“Alhamdulillah. I appreciate following Hajj Mabrur for the first time. In shaa Allah, I will refer people to Hajj Mabrur,” he said.
“Hajj Mabrur showed me the unity and diversity of Islam. They are highly organized, ahlu Sunnah to the core and I have no regret following them. This is one of my best hajj experiences ever in Arafat and the epic of all is when we did the last prayer in Arafat with Hajj Mabrur and I’m impressed”, he noted.
Hajj Mabrur made Hajj exercise easy for us: Rahmat Oshoola
Another pilgrim, Rahmat Oshoola, urged Muslims not to delay performing the hajj when they have the capacity. She said the experience was exciting and people don’t have to wait to be old to be at hajj.
“I couldn’t describe the feelings of every hajj rite. They were all emotional, seeing myself taking the same path walking by the best of Mankind, Muhammad (SAW), and praying at the Rawdah, the feeling was just so much. It was so exciting and something we all enjoyed.

“Upon sighting the Ka’abah, I wanted to scream but I kept it calm with praises, alhamdulillah. I almost forgot what to say upon sighting the Ka’abah, I was just screaming alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah. It was a dream come true.
“One of the things I love about Arafat was Hajj Mabrur’s guidance to maximize the reward of Arafat Day. They explained to us why we don’t need to climb the mountain, saying prayers are also accepted on the plain of Arafat. The atmosphere in Arafat was just unique and one could see the sign of prayers being answered.
“My message to Muslims across the world is that they should not postpone going for hajj if they have the money. It is a pillar of Islam. We don’t have to wait till we get older before embarking on this spiritual journey because the younger you’re, the better the chances of doing it perfectly,” she added.
Saudi Arabia upgraded the standard of Hajj 2024: Oyinlola
The Operations Manager of Hajj Mabrur, Mr. Oyinlola AbdulHamid, spoke with Muslim News Nigeria, saying there’s a substantial improvement in the services rendered by the Saudi Arabian authorities for this year’s hajj.
“On our second day in Mina, I can tell you that it was better than the previous year’s hajj. There have been substantial improvements in the services by the Saudi government to pilgrims in Mina. Our pilgrims enjoyed their stay and they were very cooperative.

“We came with some respected Muslim scholars in Nigeria to handle the spiritual diets for our pilgrims, with two lectures on a daily basis (morning and evening). Generally speaking, the standard of the 2024 hajj has been upgraded by the authorities, alhamdulillah. We can only pray that they will sustain the standard in subsequent years.”
The Operations Manager revealed that two other hajj companies, Markaz Haqq, and Dwise collaborated with Hajj Mabrur for the 2024 Hajj.
“Even though the fee for this year’s hajj was double last year’s, the pilgrims that came with Hajj Mabrur for this year’s hajj were more than last year’s. We had a total of 400 pilgrims that came with Hajj Mabrur in collaboration with two other companies.
“According to Saudi standards, for this year’s hajj, only 40 private companies, were approved and Hajj Mabrur was the leading company. Under Hajj Mabrur, we had two other companies; Markaz Haqq and Dwise, and for this year’s hajj, we had 400 pilgrims. 200 from Hajj Mabrur, 74 from Markaz Haqq, and 126 from Dwise.
“Talking about the facilities, the tent was well organized and we were given the 400 beds that we deserved. The air conditioner (AC) worked well and for the food, we would appreciate it more if they could serve us Nigerian dishes. That aside, the meals served were better compared to last year’s .”
Hajj for us, is worship, not business: Alhaji Solate
In his remarks, the Managing Director of Hajj Mabrur, Alhaji AbdulHameed Solate, said despite the economic downturn, especially the fluctuations in the exchange rate, they were able to fill their slots and maintain their standards in service delivery.

He also agreed that the Saudi government has improved the services at Mina, Arafat, and many other places for this year’s hajj.
“The naira-dollar issue had a great impact on hajj. It brought up the fare. People paid between 8 to 10 million Naira and more depending on the package. Initially, we thought the increments would affect the number of participants for this year’s hajj but a lot of people made it with us going by the value of services we have rendered in the past. We were still able to maintain the standards.
Last year, we came with 310 but this year, we exceeded that and alhamdulillah, we were able to give them the spiritual fulfillment they desired.
“When you come for hajj rites, starting from the 8th of Dhul-Hijjah, which begins with the movement to Mina, a lot of things are in the hands of Saudi Authorities. One thing we observed for this year’s Hajj was that there was a clear improvement compared to what was obtainable last year.

“At Mina here, it was better. We went back to the usual tents we used to, unlike the new arrangement they tried to introduce last year, which actually failed. Things got better this year. Rugs were replaced. Even in Arafat, there was improvement. Although we had challenges with the AC due to high temperature, alhamdulillah, there was an improvement that made it much easier for people to cope and able to do their acts of Ibadah.”
The MD/CEO said Hajj Mabrur joined the hajj and Umrah industry some 23 years ago following an observation that people were not getting the right guidance towards performing hajj.
“At Hajj Mabrur, our main goal is hospitality and spirituality. That’s our focus and core value. We aren’t really in the hajj industry for business as people call it. For us, we are in it for spirituality, because Hajj Mabrur is owned by an organization that prioritises worship over money. That’s why we were rated as the number one operator for Hajj 2024 during the screening done by NAHCON,” he said.
“We ensure people are guided spiritually throughout hajj rites. That’s why we organize a series of lectures to prepare their minds for the rigours of hajj. We took them through the process and what they should do, we guided them on what to do.
“We organised individual and collective adhkaar for them at Arafat. We ensured people supplicated for themselves and engaged in Ibadah. Towards maghrib, we expected them to stand, face the qibla in line with what the Prophet (SAW) taught us, and supplicate to Allah.”
Alhaji Solate commended NAHCON for the improvement in their service at the 2024 Hajj, noting, however, that there is still a need for the area of feeding to be looked into.
“I would like to commend NAHCON for the improvement in their services this year. Some of the issues we raised last year were addressed even though there are still skirmishes. For the Saudi Arabian authorities, we know it’s not easy managing about 2 million pilgrims, that is one of the reasons they introduced NUSUK but they still need to do a lot that for things to get better. They should work more on the feedback they get from the pilgrims through the Hajj Commission, among others. They still need to do a lot on the feeding but we thank Allah nonetheless.”
We had a hitch-free, less stressful hajj, says Alhaja Odejayi-Thomas
Recounting her experience, an entrepreneur, Alhaja Odejayi-Thomas, said the hajj is a rite Muslims would love to perform again and again.

“Seeing the Ka’abah even though not my first time was so emotional for me. I wept, especially when I was praying.
“Despite the highs and lows of hajj, you will still want to come back. If God allows me, I will be back here again next year. I want to commend Hajj Mabrur for organizing a wonderful Hajj experience. I will give them 9/10.”
I was speechless seeing Ka’abah: Bint Ibraheem
Masturoh Ibraheem, a registered nurse, is performing hajj for the very first time. The nurse is pleased that she was able to perform hajj rites by the sunnah on the watch of Hajj Mabrur.
She disclosed that her husband and mother performed the 2023 Hajj with Hajj Mabrur and their experience was the recommendation she needed to choose the tour operator over others.
“With Hajj Mabrur, there’s a lot of food that there’s no need for me to bring my pot or meal along except snacks, and the fact that if I go with Hajj Mabrur, I will be able to perform my rites according to the Sunnah.

“The feeling that I am in Makkah, facing the Ka’abah, wasn’t the same when we watched it on television. Being here is something I can’t express; more of being speechless. I was also curious and lost not until I was pushed then I realized that I was in Makkah truly,” she added.
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