“Yes it is permissible for pilgrims to wear medical masks during the rites to protect themselves from airborne infectious diseases; this is considered an indispensable necessity for some of them. A pilgrim who wears a medical mask is not obliged to offer expiation. This is because there is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars on the ruling on covering the face during Hajj.

According to the Shafi'ites and Hanbalites, it is permissible to cover one's face without the need of expiation. Imam al- Shirazi in his renowned book "al- Muhadhab" permitted the covering of the face and so did Imam al-Nawawi.

Therefore, it is permissible to follow the opinion of scholars maintaining permissibility due to necessity and because the preservation of life is one of the objectives of Islamic law.”

Source: https://www.dar-alifta.org/Foreign/ViewFatwa.aspx?ID=7508

“In cases of necessity, there is nothing wrong with the pilgrim in ihram wearing a mask, such as if he has an allergy in his nose and he needs to wear a mask, or if he is passing through thick smoke and needs to wear a mask, or he is passing by smell and needs to wear a mask. There is nothing wrong with that.” End quote.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 22/130, 131

Source: https://islamqa.info/en/answers/106560/is-it-permissible-for-the-pilgrim-in-ihram-to-wear-a-mask

• Sanitising and disinfecting hand gel products must contain ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol or benzalkonium chloride as the main ingredient. The alcohol used for medical or personal care generally does not intoxicate (see https://sciencenotes.org/can-you-drink-hand-sanitizer/). Therefore it is permissible.    Source: https://archive.islamonline.net/784

• It is permitted to clean one’s hands with such a gel because synthetic alcohols (though impermissible to consume in intoxicating ways or purposes) are not impure.

Your Hajj Visa Fees include a medical insurance cover. This policy covers you for the following:

Maximum Limit for Health Benefits: (SR. 100,000 per person. )

1. Hospitalization (Up to maximum limit).
2. Limit of daily room and board for the patient including bed cost and nursing care, medical visits, and medical supervision and subsistence services. This include the cost of medications and medical supplies that are given according to the prescription of the doctor (Shared room, a maximum of 600 SR per day).
3. Limit of daily room and board for a patient companion (Shared room, a maximum of 150 SR per day).
4. Expenses of emergency pregnancy and delivery (A maximum of 5,000 SAR during the policy period).
5. Travel costs of one close family member caregiver (A maximum of 5,000 SAR during the policy period).
6. Emergency dental treatment (A maximum of 500 SAR during the policy period).
7. Treatment of premature born babies (Up to maximum limit of mother policy).
8. Injuries resulting from traffic accidents (Up to maximum limit of this policy).
9. Emergency Renal Dialysis costs (Up to maximum limit of this policy).
10. Medical evacuation inside and outside the Kingdom (Up to maximum limit of this policy).
11. Corpse repatriation to home country expenses (A maximum of 10,000 SAR during the policy period).

• The full details of the policy is available on this website: enaya-ksa.com.
• It is advisable to obtain travel insurance. If you do, you may want to check that your insurance fully covers all your personal requirements including medical expenses, pre-existing medical conditions and repatriation in the event of accident or illness.

Some insurers include cancellation charges, lost baggage and flight cancellations and delays. It may also be that your credit card company includes medical/travel insurance. Please check with your card issuer.

Unfortunately, most travel insurance providers do not cover Covid-19 related claims for policies purchased after February 2020.

We will provide goody bags and accessories that are essential to enhance your Hajj experience. We have written a Practical Guidebook for pilgrims that will be available in print and digitally. The guidebook is updated every year. We will also provide our Simple Umrah Guide that includes many of the common supplications prescribed by the Prophet (pbuh) to be recited as you undertake your rituals. These are in Arabic with English translation as well as transliteration.

We encourage you to learn the etiquettes of Duaa before the journey and collect precious and/or favourite supplications from various resources.

We do not provide either Ihram or footwear as these are subject to personal preference

We initially planned to hold our seminar on the 21^st of June. We will have further updates regarding the seminar once the decision on Hajj is finalised.

If Hajj goes ahead, it is likely that the pre-departure seminar will be held online (webinar).

Please also bear in mind that our regular educational programme will include daily lectures, scholar surgeries and daily reminders of the rituals during the days of Hajj.

The cost of the package may be affected by various factors including room occupancy, the exchange rate etc. On the 12^th of May, Saudi Arabia announced an increase of VAT from 5% to 15% from the beginning of July 2020 which will impact the cost of the package. Dome Tours has never increased the price of a package after bookings have been made. We will do our utmost to honour this, InshAllah..

As per our previous email update, we have requested all pilgrims to hold further payments until a decision on Hajj is finalised. We will issue an update regarding the payment deadline soon thereafter.

Revised cancellation charges due to Covid-19

• If you or any other member of your party decides to cancel your confirmed booking, you must notify us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only take effect when it is received in writing by us at our offices and will be effective from the date on which we receive it. We will accept your cancellation via email. Please note the following eventualities:

• Before issuance of Visa:

If Saudi Arabia allows British Pilgrims to perform Hajj 1441/2020, you will be notified immediately of the decision as well as the requirements by the authorities to obtain a Hajj visa and any conditions by the FCO for quarantine upon return to the UK after Hajj. We will allow 7 days for you to decide on your booking;

• Cancellation up to 28 days before travel:

As long as there are no stringent measures introduced either by the Saudi Authorities or by the UK authorities, you will have the option to either:

• postpone your Hajj booking to 2021, without any cancellation charges;
• cancel your existing Hajj booking. In this case, we will apply an administrative cancellation charge of £250 per person.
• If stringent measures are introduced either by the Saudi Authorities or by the UK authorities such as a mandatory two-week quarantine, you may:
• postpone your Hajj booking to the next year 2021, without any cancellation charges;
• cancel your existing Hajj booking and receive a full refund.
• Cancellations received 0-28 days before the date of departure will incur a cost of 100% of the package price.

• After issuance of Visa:

Please note that once visas have been issued, no refunds can be issued in the event you cancel your arrangements. Visas are usually issued by the Ministry 2-3 weeks before departure.

There are various factors that may affect the cost of the package including the foreign exchange rate, the cost of accommodation, flights and services, as well as visa fees and VAT on all services in Saudi Arabia. Incidentally, VAT in Saudi Arabia was increased on the 11^th of May from 5% to 15%.

Dome Tours will endeavour to minimise any increase in the Hajj price for next year.

Whilst Hajj is not yet cancelled, we understand that some customers feel apprehensive and may prefer not to travel. Whilst this is not one of the special cases we identified, as a gesture of goodwill, we have decided to waive the cancellation charges, which otherwise would equate to 30% of the package price as stipulated in our terms and conditions.

Customers will then be offered the following options:

• To postpone the Hajj booking to 2021, without any cancellation charges. We will issue a credit note for the amount paid and inform you of our Hajj 2021 package prices once released. If the package price for Hajj 2021 increases, such that it becomes unaffordable, you will have the option to continue with your booking or a full refund. If the package price for 2021 decreases, you will be reimbursed the difference in price.
• To cancel your existing Hajj booking. In this case, we will apply a fixed administrative cancellation fee of £250 per person (instead of 30% of the package price).