The RAF has led the UK Armed Forces delegation to the annual Hajj pilgrimage alongside 2.5 million Muslims from around the world.
Nine Muslims were selected from across the UK Armed Forces to accompany the Islamic Religious Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff and Service Chiefs, Imam Asim Hafiz OBE, for this important defence engagement and religious event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Hajj means ‘to intend to journey’ and is the fifth pillar of Islam. All Muslims who are able to, are required to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, the Holy City for Muslims, and surrounding locations of historical significance.
At the invite of the KSA Armed Forces, the UK delegation travelled from Mecca to Mina, Arafah, Muzdalifah and finally to Madinah. The Hajj provided an opportunity to develop a greater understanding of service values, strengthen relationships among participating nations and elevate the participants’ spiritual well-being.
During the visit, the UK delegation conducted high-level religious and cultural engagements with senior military officials from the KSA Armed Forces and other participating nations, such as Malaysia, Jordan, Indonesia, the US and Bangladesh.
The delegation also visited and met the British Consul General in Jeddah, Cecille El Beleidi, prior to the commencement of Hajj on 24 Jun 23, which also coincided with UK Armed Forces Day.
They performed various acts of Hajj at times in testing conditions to complete the pilgrimage, which was recorded as the largest Hajj pilgrimage in history, with a congregation of over 2.5 million.
All 10 personnel successfully performed Umrah and Hajj.
The UK Armed Forces pilgrimage was led by Flight Lieutenant Marikkar, a communications engineer at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire; he said:
Undertaking the Hajj has been an incredible experience and I was immensely proud to lead the UK Armed Forces delegation. I am very grateful to the Royal Air Force and the KSA Armed Force for providing me with this opportunity. I met some incredible people and have some unforgettable memories.