App Helps Hajj Pilgrims Find Their Way
The app, which has inbuilt features for security and safety, aims to inspire confidence and a sense of assurance in Muslims travelling to Mecca, and keep them connected to fellow travellers within their group.
The app, which can be operated on low cost handsets with internet facility, is expected to be especially effective during the emergencies that can occur in the course of the event that draws huge crowds from across the world.
Pilgrims can use the app if they or their companions get lost in the crowd, are unable to find the correct route in an unfamiliar place, need to locate their own hotel or other pilgrimage sites, face a language hurdle, or experience any other unexpected difficulty during their roughly 40-day stay in Mecca. In practical terms, this means pilgrims can use the app to navigate when they visit the Hajj Mission office at Mecca, the Haram Sharif, or their own accommodation during their stay in the region.
“It will serve as a locator, a navigator and also a message box. After registration, the admin can track the movements of all users. In an unfamiliar region, it will assist the pilgrims in a number of ways,” said Sajid Memon, CEO of the Chhattisgarh State Hajj Committee.
With Whatsapp and the global positioning system (GPS) navigator embedded in it, the Hajj app — believed to be the first of its kind developed anywhere in the world — will help locate pilgrims registered as app members, identify where he or she is at any point, and share free messages with members.
Hajj is the largest act of mass pilgrimage in the world. The holy pilgrimage is also a demonstration of Muslims’ unity and their submission to Allah.
Every able-bodied Muslim is obliged to perform the pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime.
Source: Hindustan Times
