Saudi Arabia Cancels The Hajj Pilgrimage and Grief Rocks the Muslim World
The hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It is a journey that all Muslims who can must make once in their lives. This year there will be no travels from far-off places to perform the hajj. Saudi Arabia cancelled the hajj. Some scholars say it may be the first cancellation in history.
One person said, “It is the dream of every Muslim believer to visit Mecca and do the hajj. But the pandemic came with no warning and took away that dream.”
The decision sent shock waves of sadness across the Muslim world. It upended the plans of millions of believers who intended to make the trip. Making the trip is a sacred milestone for the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims. Performing the pilgrimage at least once for those who are able is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is a trip that many look forward to their whole lives. For many it marks a profound spiritual awakening.
Many people save up their entire lives to make the hajj.
Muslim pilgrims attending noon prayers on Mount Arafat, during the hajj pilgrimage in 2018. Photo Credit: Dar Yasin/Associated Press.
“The hajj is a transformative, emotional and spiritually moving experience. It is the spiritual pinnacle of a devout Muslim’s life. There is today a sense of deflation and spiritual loss, and a great sadness,” a religious leader said.
The hajj is also big business. The hajj is a five- or six-day pilgrimage set to start at the end of July. It earns Saudi Arabia billions of dollars each year. Travel agencies from Texas to Tajikistan get pilgrims to and from the holy sites.
The Saudi government announced that no pilgrims from outside the kingdom could perform the hajj this year.
The next day Saudi officials said that it would permit only about 1,000 pilgrims would this year. This is a tiny fraction of the 2.5 million pilgrims who came last year.
The pilgrimage has been interrupted many times because of wars and disease. In the mid-1800s outbreaks of cholera and plague kept pilgrims away for years.
“This is the first time that the hajj been canceled in such a manner,” said a scholar. “The dynamics have changed. Five hundred years ago you could not ban it. There were no passports, no visas.”
An expert said that much of the pilgrimage’s importance comes from the way it mixes Muslims from different countries. It brings together races and social classes who might not otherwise cross paths.
“This is the religious, social, cultural aspect of the hajj,” he said. “It is not just the ritual, but the meeting places. Many great friendships and bonds are established and built there year after year.”
Source: The New York Times June 23, 2020
