Latest news with #Al-Majed
Arab Times
27-04-2025
- General
- Arab Times
'Performing Hajj Without a Permit is a Sin'
RIYADH, April 27: The General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars in Saudi Arabia reiterated its statement from April of last year, which mandates that individuals wishing to perform Hajj must obtain a permit. The statement emphasized that 'it is not permissible to perform Hajj without a permit, and anyone who does so is considered a sinner.' In a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), Secretary General of the Council of Senior Scholars, Sheikh Dr. Fahd Al-Majed, explained that the fatwa issued by the Council was based on several pieces of evidence and Sharia principles, particularly the Islamic law's focus on facilitating worship and removing hardships for worshippers. Al-Majed clarified that the requirement for Hajj permits was introduced to help organize the large crowds of pilgrims, ensuring that they can perform their rituals safely and peacefully. He affirmed that this is a valid Sharia objective supported by religious evidence. He also noted that government agencies responsible for organizing Hajj create a seasonal plan based on the number of authorized pilgrims, stating that 'the more the number of pilgrims matches the authorized limit, the better the quality of services provided.' Al-Majed highlighted that adhering to the permit is part of obeying the ruler in what is right, citing numerous texts that emphasize the duty to obey the ruler's rightful orders and the prohibition of disobedience. He further stated that adhering to the permit brings reward, while disobedience is sinful. The Council of Senior Scholars also emphasized that obtaining a permit helps avoid significant harm and risks, such as threats to the safety and health of pilgrims, the quality of services provided, and the logistics of transportation and grouping at the holy sites. The Council explained that the requirement to obtain a permit not only affects the individual pilgrim but also impacts other pilgrims who have adhered to the system, urging adherence as a sign of reverence for God. The regulations, it said, were established purely for the benefit of the pilgrims.
Saudi Gazette
27-04-2025
- General
- Saudi Gazette
Council of Senior Scholars reaffirms performing Hajj without a permit is a sinful act
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — The General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars reaffirmed that performing the annual pilgrimage of Hajj without a valid permit is a sinful act. The council has reiterated its previous statement, dated Shawwal 12, 1445 corresponding to April 21, 2024, underscoring that obtaining a permit is mandatory for anyone wishing to perform Hajj. The council's Secretary General Sheikh Fahd Al-Majed stated that the council's fatwa (religious edict) on this matter is based on numerous pieces of evidence and Shariah principles, foremost among them is the Islamic teachings that emphasize easing religious duties for worshippers and alleviating hardship. The requirement to obtain a Hajj permit was intended to regulate pilgrims, enabling these large crowds to perform their rituals in peace and safety. This is a valid Shariah objective established by Shariah evidence. Sheikh Al-Majed said that the obligation to obtain a permit is consistent with serving the interests required by Shariah. This is because the government agencies responsible for organizing Hajj draw up a plan for the Hajj season with its various aspects: security, health, accommodation and food, based on the authorized number of pilgrims. The more the number of pilgrims matches the authorized number, the better the quality of services provided to pilgrims, which is a Shariah objective. Al-Majed emphasized that adhering to the permit is part of obeying the ruler in what is right. God Almighty says: O believers! obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you." There are many texts on this subject, all of which emphasize the obligation to obey the ruler in what is right and the prohibition of disobeying his command. Adhering to the permit is part of obedience in what is right. Those who adhere to it are rewarded, while those who disobey are sinful and deserve the punishment prescribed by the ruler. The Council of Senior Scholars recommended compliance with obtaining the permit, stating that compliance with it prevents significant harm and multiple risks that arise from failure to obtain this permit, including impacts on the safety and health of pilgrims, the quality of services provided to them, and their transportation and grouping plans between the holy sites. The council emphasized the importance of adhering to the permit requirement, stating that compliance is essential to prevent significant risks and harms. These risks include potential threats to the safety and health of pilgrims, the quality of services offered, and the effective organization of their movements and crowd management at the holy sites. The authority clarified that performing Hajj without a permit not only harms the pilgrim himself, but also extends harm to other pilgrims who adhere to the regulations. It is established in Islamic law that harm that extends beyond harm is a greater sin than harm that is limited to harm caused by a minor act. The authority also emphasized that adhering to a permit is a manifestation of piety toward God Almighty. These regulations and instructions were established solely for the benefit of pilgrims, it added.
Zawya
21-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Boubyan Bank records KD 26.5mln in net profits for Q1 2025
Profit Before Tax Grew by 22% to KD 31.4 Million Adel Al-Majed: Boubyan Maintains Its Solid Financial Position & Profit Growth, and Expands Retail, Corporate, and Wealth Management Services Fifteen Consecutive Years of Excellence and Exceptional Quality Customer Service atop the Islamic Financial Sector in Kuwait Empowering Entrepreneurs via Well-Studied Strategies and Partnerships That Develop Business Environments and Boost Innovation Boubyan Bank has announced its financial results for Q1 of this year. The bank recorded KD 26.5 million in net profits at a growth rate of 6% compared with the same period of the past year, with Profit Before Tax 'PBT' amounting to KD 31.4 million at a growth rate of 22%, while the earnings per share amount to 5.31 Fils. Mr. Adel Al-Majed, Boubyan Bank's Vice-Chairman & Group Chief Executive Officer, commented: 'Boubyan has succeeded and excelled in achieving its strategic goals, thus maintaining its solid financial position, strong profitability and operational performance, while expanding its banking and wealth-management services.' He pointed out: 'Boubyan Bank's financial indicators during Q1, 2025 demonstrated positive results and significant growth, where the bank's assets grew to KD 9.7 billion at a growth rate of 12% compared with last year, while the bank's financing portfolio grew by 12% to reach KD 7.3 billion, whereas the bank's market share of local financing increased to 12.14%.' 'The bank continues with the implementation of its 5-year strategy 'Boubyan 2028', which focuses on pursuing sustainable profitability and maintaining the adoption of digital transformation standards, innovation, and resilience as a key driver to improve operational efficiency. This aims to instill the values of the strategy across the Group and to ensure the growth of all concerned parties, including employees, customers, shareholders, and the community as a whole.', he added. ** Leaders of Quality Service for 15 Years in a Row Al-Majed emphasized: 'Boubyan's management is constantly seeking to improve the quality of services and products to boost and enrich a banking experience based on quality, quick service, and attention to details. The bank sets its eyes on customer experience as a key pillar of its day-to-day operations to ensure catering for customers' needs and exceeding their expectations.' Boubyan Bank has recently received the 'Best Islamic Bank in Customer Service' award for the year 2024, in addition to being honored with a special recognition for being named the 'Best Islamic Bank in Customer Service in Kuwait' for the 15th year in a row by Service Hero, the consumer-driven customer satisfaction index. This adds to the bank' growing leadership in excellence and overall banking experience, reflecting the bank's commitment to offering banking services that align with international standards. In this context, Al-Majed pointed out: 'Boubyan is the only bank to have maintained this status for a decade-and-a-half long period, reflecting our constant and ongoing excellence. This gives credit to Boubyan's customer services which is not limited to mere daily interactions; rather, it is a complete experience that we are keen to improve constantly in line with the bank's culture, which believes that being customer-centric is the key pillar for offering the best.' ** Reinforcing Leadership and Improving Digital Financial Services Boubyan Bank continues to reinforce its leadership in digital transformation based on a clear strategy that aims to redefine the concept of cutting-edge banking services. This direction has led to the constant growth and improvement of Boubyan App, which has become a complete digital banking platform that combines innovation and usability, while providing customers with a convenient and secure banking experience that caters for their daily needs, thus reinforcing the status of the bank as a leading institution in providing digital financial services locally and regionally. Coinciding with the beginning of 2025, the launch of the Pro Salary Account was announced for new salaried customers employed by the public and private sectors, who are seeking to open a new salary account and to transfer their salaries to the bank. This emphasizes Boubyan's commitment to providing new, most innovative, and cutting-edge offerings, thereby strengthening its efforts towards enhancing an already exceptional banking experience that transcends the conventional meaning of banking as we know it in the banking services and products scene, thus reinforcing its leading status as an Islamic financial institution in the banking industry. To continue rewarding its customers and improving its banking offerings to make them more unique and exceptional, Boubyan has launched the Boubyan Xperience campaign to give Visa credit and prepaid cardholders exceptional and unforgettable travel experiences. Moreover, Nomo Bank has recently announced a new exceptional package of property finance solutions for residential or investment properties in the UK real estate market at competitive rates that cater for the needs of its GCC customers. What distinguishes these solutions the most is that they are fully digital and Sharia-compliant, in addition to combining good financial performance with well-studied diversification opportunities in a trusted investment environment. The new rates from Nomo offer a great opportunity for purchasing or refinancing properties, with flexibility in selecting from finance solutions that suit various GCC customers' needs, whether for residential or investment purposes. ** Community Initiatives and Empowering Entrepreneurs During Q1 of this year, Boubyan continued its community contributions and influential initiatives that support businesses and help them achieve sustained growth. This reinforced the bank's leadership as the 'World's Best Islamic Bank for CSR'. During the Holy Month of Ramadan, Boubyan completed a program full of activities where each initiative stood out as a success story that enabled the bank to reach record numbers of engagements and interactions, which reflected the deep impact of those efforts. This year's initiatives included humanitarian activities, in addition to cultural and religious awareness activities in order to create an outstanding Ramadan experience that embodies the meanings of solidarity and showing mercy to one another, which all influenced the society. In a step towards supporting the business environment in Kuwait and to boost the growth of SMEs, Boubyan Business Connect was organized to bring entrepreneurs among its customers under the same roof with a number of elite strategic partners in the field of financial & legal advisory, Fin-Tech, payment solutions, and others to help them build a strong network and create an integrated environment allowing for the exchange of expertise, exploring collaboration opportunities, and pushing innovation in the entrepreneurship's scene. This initiative highlighted Boubyan Bank's keenness on offering support to startups' owners, while providing them with an integrated environment that supports the growth of their businesses, and opening new horizons for them for growth and expansion in the Kuwaiti market. Accordingly, it was more than a mere networking event; rather, it was a dynamic and engaging platform for increasing communication between entrepreneurs and experts. ** Enriching Human Resources In line with its strategy that aims at investing in human capital, Boubyan continued strengthening its efforts to support and develop national cadres by ensuring the bank has an incentivizing work environment that fosters professional empowerment and ongoing growth. The bank has been keen on implementing specialized training programs and professional workshops that aim at increasing the efficiency of staff and increasing their skillsets to keep up with the developments in the banking industry and meet the expectations of customers. Boubyan Bank believes that its human cadres are the key pillar for achieving sustained growth and reinforcing the status of the bank as a leading financial institution in the local and regional markets. Highlights 1st Highlight Why is Boubyan the best in customer service? Boubyan's recognition by Service Hero was based on a group of criteria including a survey that extended over one year among consumers, who evaluated companies on a scale of 10 against their service-level expectations, their experience, and satisfaction following the customer-service experience. The evaluation relied on many elements such as staff's attitude, location of the bank, speed of service, confidence in the product, quality of service or product, value for money, the contact center, and the website of the bank. Service Hero's survey implements a strict protocol to confirm the identity of consumers who take part in the survey. 2nd Highlight Boubyan Bank's Contributions in Numbers throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan More than 12,000 participants walked 180 million steps as part of Boubyan Steps Campaign. More than 1,200 participants in the 11th 'Recite with Boubyan' Competition, and recognizing 30 winners who memorized the Glorious Qur'an by heart. Distribution of more than 26,000 Iftar meals to the visitors of the Grand Mosque and various areas of Kuwait. Distribution of more than 1,500 food baskets to needy families as part of 'Neamaty' Initiative. Participation of more than 250 customers and employees in 'Boubyan Team of Volunteers'. Offering hospitality to more than 50 mosques across various governorates of Kuwait. 50 customers benefitted from car-parking services at the parking lot of the bank's headquarters during Qiyam Prayers 'Night Prayers' at the Grand Mosque. More than 900,000 participants in the 'One Minute Challenge' throughout the Holy Month, with more than 600,000 correct answers. More than 100 female Premium customers attended Boubyan's Ghabga. 6,000 ladies and girls participated in Ramadan Diwaniya. Attendance of more than 2,000 participants in 'Boubyan Gergean' at Shuwaikh Park.
