MADINAH: Malaysian students at the Islamic University of Madinah are often picked to be guides for Malaysian pilgrims performing the haj and umrah.
Despite being in their second or third year of studies, their ability to handle and guide pilgrims during ziarah luar (visiting places of significance in Islamic history) is on a par with experienced guides, who are called mutawwif or muzawwir.
Nik Muhammad Muaz Nik Mohd Noor, 24, a second-year student at the Islamic University of Madinah, said a muzawwir was responsible for assisting in ziarah luar activities organised by Tabung Haji (TH) at historical sites here for pilgrims.
Muaz, who is also the 2024 Ziarah Luar programme director, said this year, 88 students from the university were selected as muzawwir.
He said sixty per cent of these students had acted as muzawwir before, while the rest were new.
"These students go through several screenings, including qualifications in terms of cumulative grade point average and communication skills, and some of those selected have experience as umrah and haj mutawwif," he told TH media officers here yesterday.
He said those selected to be guides would go through two courses, including field visits led by senior students.
Muaz, from Pekan, Pahang, said the opportunity to collaborate with TH as muzawwir allowed these students to impart their knowledge of of sirah (the history of prominent figures in Islam), besides exposing them on how to interact with pilgrims.
"Pilgrims have the opportunity to hear the complete sirah of Prophet Muhammad from the muzawwir, based on what they have learned before," said the Arabic language student.
Fourth-year Hadith Faculty student Ahmad Madani Ahmad Jalaludin said students of the Islamic University of Madinah were well-known as mutawwif and muzawwir.
"Because we study in Madinah, we can provide explanations that perhaps not many are aware of," said the student from Temerloh, Pahang.
Madani, who is the programme deputy director, said he was excited to guide Malaysian haj pilgrims during their visit to Madinah.
"I hope to provide the best service to pilgrims, especially those from our country, and we, as committee members, have selected the best students to be muzawwir to assist pilgrims this year," he said.
