With more travel agents able to offer trips to Makkah and Madinah, more Bruneians are taking advantage of the school holidays to perform umrah.
Bibi Khamimah, who is performing umrah with her family, shared it took a month of planning.
“We registered with a local travel agent, which I would advise to anyone as everything is arranged by the travel agent,” said Bibi Khamimah.
“From my experience, it’s best to take a direct flight to Jeddah instead of staying overnight in Malaysia or Singapore to reduce the hassle of travelling,” she added.
She said her registration was confirmed in June for their December trip.
“We paid our deposit in August and made the full payment in October,” she said.
Asked why she and her family decided to perform umrah, the mother of two said she was inspired by social media posts and prayed that one day she would be able to perform umrah. When the opportunity presented itself, she took the leap and did not let it go to waste.
“And now here we are, with my husband, my children and my parents-in-law performing umrah,” she said. She added that bringing along her children was a hard-fought decision, but after research, she was convinced it would be a good idea.
“As long as we are prepared and positive, umrah is an investment for akhirat. May Allah the Almighty ease and grant those who pray to visit Madinah and Makkah,” said Bibi Khamimah.
Meanwhile, Hajah Salimah binti Haji Hassan of AZ Back to Nature Travel and Tour Sdn Bhd said, “Travel agents play a major role in helping Bruneians seeking to perform umrah or haj pilgrimage.”
Al-Hijrah Travel and Tours managing director Haji Shamsul Baharin bin Haji Abdul Rahman said there are around 300 pilgrims for the December batch.
He added, “The long school break is a huge reason for the interest, topped with the recommendation to travel to Makkah when the weather is cooler, which is now.”
Pilgrim Haji Bakar said it was his family’s second time performing umrah and commended the travel agent for their services including ensuring the comfort of the pilgrims.
Meanwhile, Hajah Hamidah said, “It is the best time to perform umrah. We had the opportunity to visit several historical heritage sites such as the Wahyu Museum and learnt about the journey of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and visited the Prophet’s tomb.”
Meanwhile, Hajah Siti Norsyahdina Sabrina binti Haji Sallehuddin of Darussalam Services Sdn Bhd (DSSB) said the company’s umrah packages have drawn in some 600 pilgrims. Thirty pilgrims departed the Sultanate for Jeddah yesterday, she added. – Adib Noor & Rokiah Mahmud
