Ramadan: Get ready for 15-hour fast

Those fasting during Ramadan this year face a tough test with more than a 15-hour long fast in the season’s hottest and most humid days.
Those who work outdoors will face the toughest test of all, forecasters warn, and there is a chance people could become unwell if they do not take necessary precautions.
“Do reap the blessing of the month but be careful when working outdoors,” said weather forecasters.
“Ramadan this year comes in the summer period [it starts on July 10] and this period of the year is characterized by high temperatures during the day,”

Allah’s Apostle said, “When Ramadan begins, the gates of Paradise are opened.”

Haj pilgrim numbers cut due to expansion work in Makkah

“The expansion plans [of the Al Masjid Al Haram] aim to provide safety and as much services as possible for pilgrims, Hajjar said,

The mosque expansion projects are aimed at enabling pilgrims to complete their Haj and Umrah rites with ease. The Mataf [the circumambulation areas around the Kaaba, the heart of Al Masjid Al Haram] will also see expansion, he noted.

The pilgrimage quota for each country, as set by agreements already signed by the government of Saudi Arabia and governments of other countries, is 1000 per one million of the total population of each country, the Saudi minister further noted.

Hajjar said the expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah would add 400,000 square metres, raising its capacity to accommodate 2.2 million people at the same time.

The mosque houses the Kaaba — the cube-shaped structure towards which Muslims worldwide pray.

The decision comes also as Saudi Arabia battles the spread of the Sars-like MERS virus, which has killed 28 people in the kingdom since September out of 33 victims worldwide.