By USMAN ALIYU

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced that the 2025 Arafah sermon will be broadcast live in 34 languages, including three major Nigerian languages of Hausa, Fulani, and Yoruba.

Mallam Musah Muhammad-Uduimoh, Chairman, Edo Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board, disclosed this on Sunday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said the announcement was made in Saudi Arabia by the Presidency for the Religious Affairs of the two Holy Mosques on Saturday.

Muhammad-Uduimoh described the initiative as a ?landmark gesture of religious inclusivity? that will allow Nigerian pilgrims to better understand the profound message of the Khutbah Arafah (Arafat Sermon), delivered on the sacred plains of Mount Arafat.

?This is a major step forward in making the Hajj more accessible and spiritually impactful for all Muslims, especially our people who speak Hausa, Fulani, and Yoruba.

?We thank the Saudi authorities for this thoughtful and commendable gesture,? he said.

When people hear the sermon in a language they understand, he said, the spiritual message would become clearer, more personal, and transformative.

?This is how true unity in the Ummah is fostered,? he posited.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sermon, scheduled for broadcast on June 5, will be delivered by Sheikh Bin Humaid, a senior Imam of the Grand Mosque in Makkah, at Masjid Namirah.

The sermon marks the most spiritually significant moment of the Hajj pilgrimage and is expected to reach millions of worshippers globally.

Similarly, Abdulkabir Muhammadkabir, Executive Secretary of the Edo Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, applauded the initiative, noting that it would enhance spiritual engagement and strengthen the pilgrims? connection to the message of Islam.

The state pilgrims, currently performing their rites in the Holy Land, are expected to join millions of other worshippers at Mount Arafat in what is regarded as the climax of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. (NAN)

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