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The Hajj is the Islamic religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia’s Mecca and other nearby holy sites. One of the biggest religious gatherings in the world, it takes place only five days out of the year. This year’s Hajj is also the first time since 2020 that Mecca is open to full capacity, totally lifting COVID restrictions to welcome about 2 million people into the holy city.
Completing the Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslim people are supposed to complete all five pillars within their lifetimes, given that they have the money and physical ability to do so. The other pillars are shahādah, the Muslim profession of faith; ṣalāt, or prayer, which a believer does in a specific way five times every day; zakāt, the alms tax that benefits the poor and the needy and ṣawm, which is the fasting period during the month of Ramadan.
During the Hajj, pilgrims perform rituals to show unity with other believers and to pay tribute to God. The religious significance of the Hajj centers around Ibrahim (also known as Abraham), a major figure in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Baha’i faith. It’s believed that he and his son, Ismail (Ishmael), built the Kaaba, a big black cube in Mecca symbolizing unity and monotheism, which Muslims all around the world face when they pray. Muslims believe that God told Ibrahim to call for the Hajj pilgrimage to this site.
Unfortunately, global economic instability seems to be catching up with this holy event. Even without COVID restraints, global inflation and economic crises have made it difficult for many Muslims around the world to complete the pilgrimage. Inflation has led to costs mounting for airlines, transportation, food and accommodation in the Mecca area. This year, a few countries had trouble filling the visitor allotments designated to them by Saudi Arabia. Usually, the demand overwhelms these allowances. While some countries subsidize Hajj trips, those subsidies have also been cut – Indonesia’s went from 60% to 50%.
"The number of bookings has significantly dropped this year. It's too costly for many people," explains an employee at a private Egyptian tour operator that arranges Hajj trips. This year, the cheapest government-subsidized Hajj in Egypt costs about US$6,000, about twice as much as last year.
Dakika chache kila asubuhi ndizo unazohitaji. Kukaa hadi sasa juu ya vichwa vya habari vya dunia na Hadithi za Binadamu. Ni ya kufurahisha, ni ya kweli, ni ya bure. Hajj ni ziara ya kidini ya Kiislamu kwenda Mecca ya Saudi Arabia na maeneo mengine matakatifu ya karibu. Ni mojawapo ya mikusanyiko mikubwa zaidi ya kidini ulimwenguni, na hufanyika siku tano tu kwa mwaka. Mwaka huu wa Hajj pia ni mara ya kwanza tangu mwaka 2020 kwamba Mecca imefunguliwa kwa uwezo kamili, ikiondoa kabisa vizuizi vya COVID kuwakaribisha watu milioni 2 katika mji mtakatifu. Kukamilisha Hajj ni moja ya nguzo tano za Uislamu. Waislamu wanapaswa kukamilisha nguzo zote tano katika maisha yao, ikiwa wana pesa na uwezo wa kimwili wa kufanya hivyo. "Mstari wa pili ni ""Sha'adah"" (Ufunuo wa Imani), ""Salat"" (Salaam) ambayo ni ibada ya kila siku ya waumini watano, ""Zakat"" (Mzaka) ambayo ni malipo ya misaada kwa maskini na wahitaji, na ""Sawm"" (Mwaka wa kufunga) ambayo ni mwezi wa Ramadhani." Wakati wa Hajj, watalii hufanya desturi ili kuonyesha umoja na waumini wengine na kumheshimu Mungu. Maana ya kidini ya Hajj inazunguka Ibrahim (anayejulikana pia kama Abraham), mtu mkuu katika Dini ya Kiyahudi, Ukristo, Uislamu na imani ya Baha'i. Inaaminika kwamba yeye na mwanawe, Ismail (Ishmael), walijenga Kaaba, kiunzi kikubwa nyeusi huko Mecca kinachoashiria umoja na monotheism, ambayo Waislamu kote ulimwenguni wanakabili wakati wa kuomba. Waislamu wanaamini kwamba Mungu alimwambia Ibrahim aitane kwa ajili ya ziara ya Hajj kwenye tovuti hii. Kwa bahati mbaya, ukosefu wa utulivu wa kiuchumi ulimwenguni pote unaonekana kuwa unafikia tukio hili takatifu. Hata bila vizuizi vya COVID-19, mfumuko wa bei duniani na mgogoro wa kiuchumi umefanya iwe vigumu kwa Waislamu wengi duniani kote kukamilisha ziara ya Hajj. Mfumuko wa bei umesababisha kuongezeka kwa gharama za ndege, usafiri, chakula na malazi katika eneo la Mecca. Mwaka huu, nchi chache zilikuwa na shida kujaza mgawo wa wageni uliowekwa kwao na Saudi Arabia. Kwa kawaida, mahitaji ya pesa hizo ni makubwa kuliko yale yanayotolewa. Ingawa baadhi ya nchi zinasaidia safari za Hajj, misaada hiyo pia imepunguzwa - Indonesia iliondolewa kutoka 60% hadi 50%. "Idadi ya maandishi imepungua sana mwaka huu. "Hii ni gharama kubwa sana kwa watu wengi,"" anaeleza mfanyakazi wa shirika la kibinafsi la kusafiri la Misri ambalo hupanga safari za Hajj. Mwaka huu, gharama ya safari ya Hajj nchini Misri ni ya dola 6,000, mara mbili ya mwaka jana.