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- Can a Woman Travel Without a
Mahram for Hajj? And is her Hajj Valid?
- When is your Hajj Deposit Due?
- When are all my required documents,
and full payment due?
- When is the last date for the
booking?
- Are work out or gym facilities
provided?
- Are any group discounts offered?
- I have three friends traveling
with me, and we all want to stay together. When
you say three per room, do you really mean it?
I have had several friends who have gone to
Hajj, and had 6 or more people in their room!?
- Who do you have designated to
accompany the Hajj Group? Is it an Imam, Is
it a representative? Is it a volunteer?
- By when do I have to submit
all my documents for Hajj Travel?
- I do not have a British Passport
– Will I get a Visa for Hajj?
- What happens if the date of
Hajj changes due to moon sighting?
- I am having a problem obtaining
my "Meningitis" Vaccination before
the end of Ramadan deadline. What can I do?
- What happens if I register
for Hajj Late? Basically I will only know if
I can go to Hajj about two weeks before departure.
is it too late by then?
- When will I receive the Tour
Confirmation with the Itinerary?
- Do you have a list of Sales
or Travel Agents who can sell your Hajj Program?
I prefer to deal with someone local.
- How do you match roommates
at Hajj in Makkah & Madinah? Can I choose
who I stay with? What if I do not like who I
am staying with?
- Do you process Hajj visas or
is there a charge?
- Is the Hajj Draft and Qurbani
included in the price?
- How far are the hotels to Haram
Sharif and Madinah?
- Can I book a Haram facing room
in Makkah or Midinah?
- How do I get my clothes washed?
- How much money do I need to
take with me?
- How much does a meal cost?
What is the exhange rate?
- Should I take Travellers Cheques?
- Where can I exchange my pounds
into riyals?
- What if I get ill or require
medical assistance?
- Are buses government buses
or private buses?
- Do you provide transportation
for Tawaf Al-Ifadha?
- Do Alims (Scholars) / Medical
doctors accompany The Group?
- How far are the tents in Mina
from the Jamarat?
- How are the men & women
accommodated in Mina? Will I be able to contact
my wife in Mina?
- What interpretation of Islam
will be adopted?
- What kind of clothing should
I take?
- How do I arrange to take zam-zam
back to the UK?
- Who pays for the shipping of
our Passports back to us?
- Why should I choose GO4 Hajj
& Umrah Tours? I mean what sets you apart
from the rest?
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1.
Can a Woman Travel Without a Mahram for Hajj?
And is her Hajj Valid?
Al-Hafiz says: "Among the Shafi'ite
scholars the most commonly accepted opinion in
this regard is that a woman may travel with her
husband, or one of her Mahram relatives, or a
group of trustworthy women, or even one such (trusted)
woman companion. According to one view, reported
by Al-Karabisi and recorded as sound in Al-Muhazhib,
a woman may travel by herself provided the way
to Hajj is secure and safe. This applies to both
Hajj and Umrah.
It is reported in Subul as-Salaam:
"A group of scholars hold that an old woman
may travel without being accompanied by any mahram
relative."
This permission for a woman to travel without
a mahram in the company of trusted companions
or when the journey to Hajj is safe is supported
by what is reported by Bukhari from 'Adi ibn Hatem,
who says: "I was with the Prophet (peace
be upon him) when a man came to him and complained
of poverty. Another man complained about highway
robbery. Thereupon the Prophet (peace be upon
him) said: 'O 'Adi! Have you seen the city of
Hira in Iraq?' I said: 'No, but I have heard about
it.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'If
you lived long enough you will see that a woman
will travel from Hira and will perform Tawaf round
Ka'bah, and she will have no fear except that
of Allah."
This opinion is supported by the fact that
'Omar gave permission to the wives of the
Prophet (peace be upon him) to perform Hajj while
accompanied by 'Othman and Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Awf.
'Othman would announce them to people telling
them to avoid looking at them or coming close
to their camels.
If, however, a woman fails to abide by this
provision and performs Hajj alone - without being
accompanied by any mahram - her Hajj would still
be valid.
The author of Subul as-Salaam says that Ibn
Taimiyyah said: "Hajj of a woman without
a mahram is valid, and likewise of a person who
is financially not able to perform it."
In brief, those for whom Hajj is not compulsory
due to sickness, poverty, fear of highway robbery,
or in the case of a woman because no mahram is
available to accompany her, if these people nonetheless
perform Hajj, it will be credited to their account.
Some of them try their best (and exert themselves
to the utmost) like those performing Hajj on foot,
while others are guilty of sins, such as those
who beg others to help them perform Hajj, or a
woman that performs Hajj without a mahram male
companion. Notwithstanding their valid excuse,
if any of these people perform Hajj, it will be
quite valid, for their sin relates to their (choice
of unlawful) means and has no bearing on the objective
as such.
It is reported in Al-Mughni: "If a person,
not obliged to perform Hajj because he is unable
(financially) to do so, should seek to perform
Hajj, suffering hardship, travelling on foot and
without necessary provisions, his Hajj will be
quite valid and acceptable."
Finally, a condition of Hajj is that all women
must be accompanied by a close male relative (Mahram)
– we are unable to accept any bookings from
lone females. |
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2.
When is your Hajj Deposit Due?
Your £2,000 Hajj Deposit is due immediately
after you submit your Hajj Application. The remaining
balance is due before the last day of Ramadan. If
you want to confirm your seats, you must take action
immediately. We cannot guarantee that application
will be accepted if we do not receive payment on
time. Call now on 0800 198 7000 or View Hajj Booking
Form |
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3.
When are all my required documents, and full payment
due?
All required documents and full payment (including
all fees, and add-on amounts) must be received no
later than the last day of Ramadan. Anyone that
registers after the end of Ramadan will be doing
so at his own risk, subject to strict availability
rules and must submit all payments in full as well
as all required documents with their Hajj Application.
The balance must be made no later than 10th November.
View Hajj Booking Form |
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4.
When is the last date for the booking?
We do not have a published deadline for bookings
– our capacity is limited once we sell the
last seat for a particular package, we will not
be able to accept any further bookings. Our packages
are very popular and sell very quickly – we
therefore recommend that you book as soon as possible |
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5.
Are workout or gym facilities provided?
No, no workout facilities are provided in most local
Hotels in Makkah and Madinah with the exception
of some 5-star Hotels that are run by International
Hotel chains. Jeddah Hotels tend to be an exception
as they cater to all types of customers (not only
Hajji's - i.e. they usually do provide workout facilities
for brothers only). |
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6.
Are any group discounts or Commissions for Sales
Agents offered?
Group Discounts are available for groups of 10 people
and more. We also offer commissions for Sales Agents
and Travel Agents within UK & Europe. You can
see the discounted rates by clicking here. |
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7.
I have three friends travelling with me, and we
all want to stay together. When you say three per
room, do you really mean it? I have had several
friends who have gone to Hajj, and had 6 or more
people in their room!?
Unlike what many other Hajj Companies do at Hajj,
when we say 3 people per room, we actually mean
3 (not 6).. etc. |
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8.
Who do you have designated to accompany the Hajj
Group? Is it an Imam, Is it a representative? Is
it a volunteer?
The Imams that will be guiding our Hajj Tours are
leading Imams here in UK and in Saudi Arabia. These
are brothers who are very knowledgeable in the Qur'an
and Hadith and some are also "Hafez" of
the Qur'an. They are also eloquent speakers in Arabic,
English and Urdu. Most of these Imams have been
guiding Hajj tours for many years and have a lot
of experience doing that. We also have very strong
ties with the Saudi Department of Hajj and Islamic
Affairs, who works closely with us during the Hajj
Season in providing Imams to join some of our own
in guiding our Hajj Programs. |
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9.
By when do I have to submit all my documents for
Hajj Travel?
By the last day of Ramadan, we expect to have received
all of your required documents, as well as the remaining
balance due. If you are registering for Hajj after
the end of Ramadan, all documents and the full balance
are due immediately with your Hajj application. |
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10.
I do not have a British Passport – Will I
get a Visa for Hajj?
Non British passport holders will be given a visa
if they are on a work permit, student visa, a passport
with indefinite leave to remain, or are in the UK
to live with their spouse. Passports carrying only
visit visas will not be granted a hajj visa. |
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11
. What happens if the date of Hajj changes due to
moon sighting?
Our itinerary has been set according to the official
Saudi calendar, however, if due to the actual sighting
of the moon the day is adjusted, we have no control
over this and will have to adjust the programme
accordingly. We cannot prepare for this eventuality
in advance and will do our utmost to make alternative
arrangements. |
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12.
I am having a problem obtaining my "Meningitis"
Vaccination before the last day of Ramadan deadline.
What can I do?
We recommend obtaining your "Meningitis"
vaccination immediately after you make up your mind
to make Hajj in order to avoid the rush that occurs
every year immediately after the end of the month
of Ramadan. Please do not delay you vaccination
in order to avoid unnecessary delays in processing
your Hajj Application and the process that we follow
to obtain your Visa from the Saudi Embassy or Consulate.
Please make sure to have your original vaccination
certificate stamped with the official seal of the
issuing clinic. The Saudi embassy will reject any
photocopies, and will also reject any originals
that are not stamped. The date of the vaccination
and type of the vaccination must be clearly indicated
on the certificate. The original vaccination certificate
will be returned to you with your passport after
the hajj visa has been issued. |
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13.
What happens if I register for Hajj Late? Basically
I will only know if I can go to Hajj about two
weeks before departure. is it too late by then?
All late Hajj Applicants and new applicants
must submit their applications including all documents
and full payment before the end of the month of
Ramadan. However, we will still accept new Hajj
Applications beyond the deadline date subject
to strict availability rules.
Applications received within 1 month of departure
have a very low chance of getting accepted and
are subject to strict availability rules as well
as late Processing Fees (between £50-£250
or more if necessary) to cover Administrative
Costs for Express Processing *.
We will return all passports to the Hajj Applicants
within 1 week of departure. In some rare cases,
passports will be handed over to their applicants
at the Airport in the city of departure (i.e.
London).
* These Applications will be submitted in person
which means that we will have to send someone
to the Saudi Consulate to submit the Passports
by Hand in order to guarantee processing of the
Hajj Visas, and the return of passports to Hajj
applicants in a timely manner. |
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14.
When will I receive the Tour Confirmation with the
Itinerary?
It will take at least 24-48 hours from the day we
receive your deposit payment before we can send
you the initial tour confirmation. If you provided
a credit card to pay for your airline tickets, it
will NOT be charged until we have prepared your
itinerary. Please be assured that we would block
enough Airline seats for you and your party for
the dates of your Hajj Package upon receipt of your
credit card information or your deposit. |
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15.
Do you have a list of Sales or Travel Agents who
can sell your Hajj Program?
We do not publish our Agents information online.
Please call our main Freephone number at 0800 198
7000 or any of the local phone numbers published
in our contact page, and a Sales Agent will be assigned
to you if requested. |
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16.
How do you match roommates at Hajj in Makkah &
Madinah? Can I choose who I stay with? What if I
do not like who I am staying with.
We have no set guidelines to follow in
assigning people to rooms, but we do take into consideration
Age, Location, and Profession. The brothers are
separate from the sisters. If you have any special
requests let us know when you are applying (i.e.
if husband and wife want to stay together and have
booked the right type of package) |
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17.
Do you process Hajj visas or is there a charge?
No we do not process Hajj Visas alone. You have
to buy a Hajj Package to get Visa through us. |
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18.
Is the Hajj Draft and Qurbani included in the price?
Hajj Drafts as required by Saudi Government are
included in our Package price. Please. We can arrange
the Zabiha/Qurbani (Sacrifice) for you, it will
cost approximately £65. You will be given
the precise information in Makkah. |
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19.
How far are the hotels to Al-Haram Al-Sharif in
Makkah and Madinah?
Both our 2 & 3 week Premium Hajj Package Hotels
are located in front of the Al-Haram in Makkah as
well as in Madinah. See Hotels |
20.
Can I book a Haram facing room in Makkah or Midinah?
All our rooms are standard rooms, therefore we are
unable to guarantee a Haram view room, however if
we are given any Haram view rooms, these are allocated
on a random basis to remain as fair as possible.
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21.
How do I get my clothes washed?
There are lots of laundrettes near the Haramayn in Makkah & Madinah that will wash and press your clothes, usually within 24 hours, ask one of the GO4 Hajj & Umrah Tours organisers or the hotel reception. The 5 Star hotels provide this service for their guests but it is considerably more expensive.
|
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22.
How much money do I need to take with me?
You should take a few hundreds pounds with you.
You will have to pay for the sacrifice (around £65)
and also food. |
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23.
How much does a meal cost? What is the exhange rate?
An average meal would be about 20 riyals (approx.
£3). The exchange rate is around 6 riyals
to the pound. |
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24.
Should I take Travellers Cheques?
No, because you will not have your passport with
you to cash them. |
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25.
Where can I exchange my pounds into riyals?
There are many money exchangers dotted around Makkah
& Madinah, ask one of the GO4 Hajj & Umrah
Tours organisers. Five star hotels will normally
exchange money but at a lower rate. |
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26.
What if I get ill or require medical assistance?
The Premium Packages have a doctor that accompanies
us from the UK who will be available for advice
and to prescribe medicine. Most medicines are available
over the counter. If you need to go to hospital,
you would be entitled to free medical treatment. |
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27.
Are buses government buses or private buses?
We provide Upgraded Super Deluxe Private Air-Conditioned
Buses in all of our 5 Star Packages. These buses
are late models and are very comfortable. We always
pay more to give our Hajj customers the best that
we can provide during Hajj. Also, our buses are
dedicated, meaning that they stay with us throughout
the duration of your Hajj Journey, unlike other
Hajj companies who use the government "rotational"
buses which pick up as many people as they can in
Mina & Arafat before having to make a second
or third round (or as many rounds as needed) to
pick up the rest of the passengers. This means more
waiting, more confusion and more frustration for
you. Our "dedicated" buses mean less waiting,
more comfort, and more peace of mind for you. However,
traffic congestion during Hajj days may cause even
our buses to be a late depending on traffic and
road conditions (i.e. accidents, construction, closed
tunnels or bridges, .etc.) |
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28.
Do you provide Transportation for Tawaf Al-Ifadhah?
Yes, we provide transportation to Haram for both
Tawaf Al-Ifadhah on the 10th of Thul-Hijjah, as
well as Tawaf Al-Wada' on 12th of Thul-Hijjah (because
everyone will be doing "Ta'ajjul Fee Yawmain").
Transportation will be in our Upgrade A/C Private
Buses as usual. |
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29.
Do Alims (Scholars) / Medical doctors accompany
The Group?
Yes. Imam Guides and several doctors accompany our
packages, Al-Hamdu-Lillah. This is what sets us
apart from many other groups which take you without
guidance. We will guide you and give you directions
from the very first day you arrive in Saudi Arabia
until the day you leave, In-Sha' Allah. |
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30.
How far are the tents in Mina from the Jamarat?
All of our packages provide Private Tents that accommodate
8-10 people per tent within 100-120 meters from
Al-Jamarat. These Air-Conditioned Tents are furnished
with special chairs that convert into comfortable
Mattresses (beds). We provide you with bathroom
and shower facilities that are far better than what
others get in the distant tents that are normally
designated for Europe and North America. Our private
tents cost about £500 extra per Hajji and
are part of our standard service in all of our 5
Star packages. |
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31.
How are the men & women accommodated in Mina?
Will I be able to contact my wife in Mina?
Men and women stay in seperate tents in Mina. The
men’s and women’s tents are adjacent
to each other. Yes, but under no circumstances will
men be allowed to enter the women’s tent. |
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32.
What interpretation of Islam will be adopted?
Everything will be done according to the Quran &
Sunnah, inshallah. |
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33.
What kind of clothing should I take?
The weather is generally quite warm, so take light
clothes, however in the evenings it can get cold,
especially in Madinah so it would be a good idea
to take a jumper. |
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34.
How do I arrange to take zam-zam back to the UK?
We can arrange for a container to be delivered to
your hotel at Jeddah at a small charge, please speak
with our ground support team. |
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35.
Who pays for shipping of our passports back to us?
You, the customer, are responsible for all Shipping
and Handling fees when sending your passport and
other important documents. |
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36.
Why should I choose GO4 Hajj & Umrah Tours?
I mean what sets you apart from the rest?
GO4 Hajj & Umrah Tours has dedicated itself
from the beginning to serve Allah (SWT) and all
the pilgrims that we take for Hajj and Umrah. Our
dedicated Imams and Group Leaders share the highest
standards in Islamic Values, Ethics, Integrity and
Quality of Service. We treat you like we want to
be treated. Our mission is to provide you with nothing
but the best in Hajj & Umrah Travel Packages
and Services. We learn from our past experience
and strive to work harder and smarter to improve
the quality of our Hajj & Umrah packages, and
to maintain our reputation as the most reliable
source for 5 Star Hajj & Umrah travel. In 2007
we aim for our customer satisfaction rate to top
90% which is something practically unheard of at
Hajj. Most Hajj service providers are lucky to achieve
70% and most fall even below that. It takes proper
planning, learning what customers need, educating
customers about the difficulties of Hajj and the
nature of the Hajj trip, a lot of hard work, and
due diligence, to become a successful Hajj service
provider and that is what we do Wal-Hamdu Lillah |
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