…hosts members of his delegation to dinner in Mecca
By Ola Kay
As part of Muslim tenets, President Tinubu kissed the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad) at the Kaaba before being granted the rare honour of entering the Holy Kaaba in Makkah as he performed this years Umrah, also known as lesser Hajj.
The Kaaba, located within the Grand Mosque in Makkah, is the focal point of Muslim prayers worldwide and a central site of the annual Hajj and lesser Hajj.
Umrah in Muslim tradition is typically embarked on by faithful with means to do so, which is for the privileged .
Last week, President Tinubu travelled to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform the lesser Hajj pilgrimage, known as Umrah.
The President had promised to use the occasion to offer prayers for Nigeria, in a statement heralding his departure .
Also, President Tinubu on the sidelines of the holy prigrimage hosted members of his delegation to a dinner in Mecca. Those on the entourage included Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, billionaire businessman and Chairman of BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu, among others.
He used the opportunity to seek divine guidance and protection for Nigerians at home and abroad, praying that Allah would strengthen the bonds of brotherhood among citizens and inspire patriotism, compassion and service to the nation.
Meanwhile, some opposition political parties have criticized the president for what they regarded as his penchant for frequent travels, while some critics alleged that Tinubu left the country on different occasions to seek medica treatment, which the Presidency denied through a statement.
Earlier, President Tinubu made a trip to France on annual vacation before embarking on the latest prigrimage to Mecca.
About The Author
