On June 1, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov began a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia to perform the umrah (small pilgrimage) rite, the state information agency TDH reports .
Hajj and Umrah are pilgrimages in Islam. However, the hajj is one of the obligatory pillars of Islam, that is, every Muslim must perform it once in a lifetime, if possible. Umrah is a small pilgrimage, which is not an obligation and is performed at any time of the year, except for the month when the Hajj is performed. They differ in duration and number of rites.
This is the first foreign visit of the head of state since he took office as President of Turkmenistan. He was seen off by his father, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty Milli Gengesh Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov , Chairman of the Mejlis, Deputy Prime Ministers and the Mufti of the country.
TDH notes that the elderly people of Turkmenistan went to Saudi Arabia together with the President. On the plane, "honorary elders and gray-haired mothers expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the honor and wished that the pilgrimage of the head of state be accepted by the Almighty ."
At the Jeddah airport, the head of state was met by the governor of the province of Mecca and adviser to the King of Saudi Arabia, Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud . Judging by the photos published by the Saudi news agency SPA , Serdar Berdimuhamedov was accompanied on his trip by his son Kerimguly.
The President of Turkmenistan and members of the delegation visited the mosque, where they prayed, and then performed the rituals necessary for the death.
The TDH recalls that in May 2016, the president's father, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, died (after that, the state media began to add the prefix haji to his name), who was presented with a teperrik - a highly revered gift-blessing. On behalf of the president, it was exhibited in the mosques of Turkmenistan so that residents of all regions could bow before the shrine.
This time, a teperrik from the Kaaba was presented to Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
On May 3, Serdar Berdimuhamedov approved the proposals of the hyakims of the velayats on the construction of mosques and premises for gardening in the administrative centers of the regions. However, they decided to collect money for their construction from the population through a charitable collection .
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan