Here follows the full text of the message which was read out by minister of endowment and Islamic affairs Ahmed Taoufiq, on the occasion of the departure of the first group of Moroccan pilgrims, on Thursday at the Rabat-Salé airport:

"Praise be to God

May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin

Honorable pilgrims,

May Almighty God's peace, mercy and blessings be upon you.

It has been an auspicious tradition for me, with the advent of each Haj season, to address you in my capacity as Commander of the Faithful and Protector of the Homeland and the Faith, and, through you, all Moroccan men and women departing for the Holy Land, in order to congratulate you and to offer you all my sincere wishes for an accepted Haj and for the best of rewards.

As my glorious ancestors did before me, I am addressing you to remind you not only of the virtues and good morals you should abide by in that sacred place, but also of the need to be knowledgeable about the pillars, obligatory rituals and habitual practices relating to pilgrimage and to the visit to the Sacred House of the Almighty, be it in connection with Tawaf, Sa'y or Wuquf at Arafat. May the Almighty help you fulfill these rituals and obligations with ease and in a safe manner.

As you know, the best provision you may take with you for the proper performance of this obligation is piety. You should remember that you stand before the Almighty and should strive to please your Creator and seek His satisfaction. You should abide by the virtues of tolerance and cooperation and rise above small, trivial matters, or wrangling, lest you succumb to what is prohibited. The Almighty says: “For Haj are the months well known. If anyone undertakes that duty therein, let there be no obscenity, nor wickedness, nor wrangling in the Haj. And whatever good you do, (be sure) God knows it. And take a provision (with you) for the journey, but the best of provisions is right conduct. So fear Me, O you that are wise!". True is the Word of God.

As you know, Islam has made pilgrimage one of the pillars of our faith. The aim is to enable Muslims to get to know one another, to meet in one place and to come together in solidarity as brothers and sisters in order to uphold what is right and avoid sin and aggression, to show publicly and privately that they are equal, to don garments without seams or stitching, reciting tahleel and takbeer, in keeping with the words of Almighty God: 'And proclaim the Pilgrimage among men: they will come to you on foot and (mounted) on every kind of camel lean on account of journeys through deep and distant mountain highways; that they may witness the benefits (provided) for them and celebrate the name of God through the Days appointed’.

And since reminding the believers is of benefit to them, I wish to draw your attention to what is expected from you in connection with the performance of this great pillar of Islam, including mental preparedness, sincerity of intent, shunning of worldly desires and downright selfishness, and realizing that one is standing before God Almighty, reciting the talbiyah with one voice: ‘Here I am; at Your service; You have no partner; Yours alone is All Praise and All Bounty; and yours alone is the Sovereignty; You have no partners”.

I am sure you are aware of the obligations, rituals, conditions and habitual practices and good manners associated with Haj. I am also convinced that you have benefited from the guidance and instructions provided to you by our religious scholars, by way of preparation for pilgrimage.

Therefore, while in those places of worship, devote your time to prayer, remembrance, takbeer and the seeking of the Almighty’s forgiveness in order to achieve the great purpose for which Haj was instituted, namely to secure the ultimate reward Allah has promised the believers, in accordance with the words of my ancestor Prophet Mohammed - may peace and blessings be upon him - who said: ‘There is no reward for an accepted Haj except Paradise’.

Honorable pilgrims,

I am sure you realize that the presence in the Holy Land of such a large number of pilgrims coming from all corners of the globe requires strict regulatory and security measures. It also requires the joint efforts of the competent authorities in the Kingdom of Morocco and in our sister nation, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to make sure the great Haj experience goes according to plan.

In this regard, I commend my esteemed brother, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud - may God protect him - on the praiseworthy efforts made to receive the guests of the Almighty and ensure their comfort. May Almighty God reward him for serving pilgrims as well as he does, and for being keen to constantly improve pilgrimage conditions.

In this regard, I urge you to be among the first to observe and comply with these measures and regulations, including those set by my Minister for Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, who spares no effort to improve your travel and accommodation conditions, provide for your comfort, health requirements and administrative needs, and give you the necessary religious guidance, in accordance with my instructions to this effect. I also commend the ministry staff on their efforts.

I want you to keep in mind your national obligations when performing this religious duty. Indeed, throughout the Haj, you are expected, both individually and collectively, to embody the values of your homeland - Morocco - and reflect its civilization as well as the characteristics of the Moroccan identity. Therefore, you should adhere to your religious duties and uphold your national sanctities, which are based on moderation, temperance, the unity of the religious rite and the shunning of extremism and exclusion. You would thus be your country’s best ambassadors to those holy places.

Honorable pilgrims,

While in the Holy Land, you will perform an indubitable sunnah, through which you will be living out your faith and satisfying your spiritual yearning. I am referring to the visit to the ar-Rawada an-Nabawiyyah, or the Sacred Chamber, where you will stand humbly and reverently by the grave of my ancestor, Prophet Muhammad - may peace and blessings be upon him. Therefore do keep in mind the awe and veneration required by that holy place, and remember the obligation for whomever Almighty God has enabled to make that visit to pray upon the Prophet and send blessings upon him, and thus reap the reward promised by him, for he said: ‘He who prays for me once, will be blessed by God tenfold’.

And when in that sacred location, as in other holy places, remember to pray for your King, who attends to your safety and prosperity and to your country’s unity and the preservation of its sovereignty, so that it may hold its rightful place in the region and the Islamic world. Pray that I see only such things as please the eye and delight the heart from His Royal Highness, the beloved Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, and from all members of the Royal Family. Pray that Almighty God grant forgiveness to and be satisfied with my venerated grandfather and with my revered father, Their Majesties King Mohammed V and King Hassan II - May God bless their souls.

Before concluding and once again, I wish you, honorable pilgrims, an accepted and most gratifying and rewarding Haj. May Almighty God answer your prayers, help you improve your situation, spread felicity in your homeland, consolidate the firm ties of the Bei’a binding you to your King and return you safely to your homes. He has power over all things and He is oft-responding.

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullah wabarakatuh.”