A Holistic Guide for Those Contemplating Hajj

Alhamduillahi rabul ‘alameen, I have been blessed by Allah (SWT) to perform the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages multiple times in my short 9 years as a Muslim.

I work for the largest Muslim travel agency in the world as a female group leader and assist other Muslims in fulfilling their duty to Allah (SWT) by completing their 5^th pillar of Islam , the Hajj.

Time and time again. I have people who are born into Islam tell me how “lucky” I am to have such an opportunity, but I remind them that it isn’t luck that’s on my side—it’s Allah.

 

Allah, in his infinite wisdom, has written this job for me, and I’m incredibly humbled and thankful to do what I do.

Although many times my job can be mentally and physically exhausting, the satisfaction I receive from guiding Allah’s honored guests in the most sacred place on earth makes every difficulty throughout the journey completely worth it.

 

Every year that I have prepared myself for Hajj, I am asked by a number of Muslims what they should consider before making the intention to perform Hajj for themselves.

 

In all honesty, there are many things to take into consideration, whether they be financial, spiritual, social, or personal.

I will say, however, that each person who is blessed with the opportunity to go to Hajj has an obligation to prepare themselves before embarking on this life-changing experience and should do everything possible to prepare for the journey ahead.

I won’t get into the fiqh (jurisprudential) issues; those are for your local scholar to answer. I’m here as your sister in Islam to help give you some practical advice based on lots of personal experience and what I have seen work for other hajjis on their journeys.

 

Financial

Everyone knows that the prices for Hajj packages can vary. From what I have heard through the masjid aunty grapevine, prices have soared drastically in the last few decades. Hajj packages today can range anywhere from $6,000 upwards to $20,000 USD.

Of course, this is all dependent on the travel agency you choose, what amenities are included in the package through your travel agency, whether or not the hajj package includes airfare or just a land package, and so forth.

In a nutshell, there are many factors that can influence the amount of money you pay for the hajj pilgrimage, and as you can see, there is a wide monetary range amongst the available packages.

My straightforward and practical advice is this: when it comes to Hajj, you get what you pay for.

 

Make sure to take it upon yourself to ask other Hajjis what their experiences were with their particular group and travel agency. What they liked and disliked, pros and cons, and if they would recommend their travel agency to you.

How will you fund your Hajj trip, you ask?

Unless you are independently wealthy, a trust-fund baby, or have magically come into a large sum of money, you will have to make a conscious effort to save some cash to fund your Hajj trip.

I know, I know. Saving money is easier said than done. And for many people, setting aside an average of $10,000 USD is very difficult to do.

My unsolicited advice is this: save, save, save, and don’t touch your savings! I have met dozens of Hajjis who did just that and eventually saved enough money to go.

 

Spiritual

Another way to prepare if you are contemplating a Hajj trip is by making sincere du’a.

I know some of you might be rolling your eyes at this, but it’s true that prayer changes things, and oftentimes rizq comes from unexpected places.

Let me tell you a quick story about my convert friend Maria and her Hajj journey.

Maria has been Muslim for over 23 years and has been saving money in an effort to fund her pilgrimage to Makkah. She’s a housewife and mother and loves to dedicate her free time to calling Latinos to Islam.

 

She has a spouse that supports her, but she decided to work odd jobs and sell hand-made jewelry pieces in order to fund her trip.

No matter how hard she worked to save, she felt as though she would never have enough money to go to Hajj, and she often became discouraged.

This past Ramadan, Maria made a sincere and heartfelt du’a and decided that the only way she would ever save enough money for Hajj was by leaving the matter to Allah.

She called upon His names and attributes and knew that someway, somehow, Allah would open the doors for her and facilitate her journey.

To make a long story short, the travel agency I work for was giving away free Hajj trips for those who demonstrated leadership, dedication, and servitude in the Muslim community.

 

By the grace and mercy of Allah, my good friend Maria won the Hajj trip and will be performing the Hajj this year in sha’ Allah after decades of trying to save enough money for it.

The moral of the story is this: make your intention, save your money, and with a sincere du’a, Allah (swt) will do the rest. When it is written for you and when you are summoned by the Most High, what is meant for you will not miss you.

Moreover, Du’a is an essential component of performing the actual Hajj as well.

Taking the time to memorize and understand the supplications throughout these blessed rituals will be helpful to you so that: A) you can focus on your ‘ibadah and connection with Allah during this very sacred journey; and B) you aren’t fumbling around with a book, phone, or flyer in your hand while in the holiest places, spaces, and times.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to attain nothing less than Jannah; don’t get distracted and come prepared.

 

Personal Preparation

If you have already decided to embark on this blessed journey, the next thing to do is to prepare oneself on a personal level to ensure that the journey can reap the benefits it is intended to.

If your travel agency, mosque, or local Islamic education center offers courses on the manasik (rituals) of Hajj, it is very important that you understand the fundamentals of this blessed journey.

We live in a time where an abundance of information is only a click or stroke away.

 

There are plenty of online blogs, videos, and scholarly articles that will help you understand the fundamentals of the Hajj. Being prepared for the Hajj is easier today than ever before.

Hajj can also be physically demanding.

If you aren’t in the best physical shape of your life then I would strongly suggest that you consult a physician prior to your trip and seek medical advice on how to best physically prepare for the long, hot, and demanding pilgrimage to Makkah.

On the same note, if you have any medical prescriptions that are essential to your health, please ensure that you have enough to last you the entirety of your trip and that your medications will be safe to travel with and will not expire or be affected by the high desert temperatures.

Hydration is also key to ensuring that you are safe and prepared for your Hajj trip.

If you don’t like to drink water, I suggest you start. If water is difficult for you to drink, I would also suggest buying small travel-sized packets of electrolyte powder to help keep you drinking plenty of fluids all throughout your trip.

 

Items to Bring

It’s a good idea to keep copies of your travel documents with you at all times during your trip.

Travel documents include passports, visas, green cards, and government and/or national identification cards to prove your identity. It’s important to have them with you at all times in case you get lost or separated from your Hajj group.

Sometimes the Saudi police will ask you for your identification to ensure that you are traveling with an active Hajj visa.

 

Many times, people from all over the globe go to Hajj illegally without a government-issued visa, so for your safety and convenience, it is best to keep copies of these documents on hand.

I would also recommend leaving a set of duplicates at home in the event that the ones you are carrying are lost. It is also a good idea to take a picture of them on your cell phone so you have them on your phone.

 

Speaking of phones, a SIM card and an unlocked GSM cell phone would also be a good idea for the Hajjis to carry with them while on Hajj.

Regulations in Saudi Arabia require a copy of each person’s passport and his or her biometric data (usually fingerprints) before a Saudi SIM card is issued. The SIM card can be used on any unlocked GSM cell phone to make phone calls and send messages internationally—at a cost, of course.

Unlocked cell phones are also readily available for purchase in Saudi Arabia.

My advice is to save yourself the headache of dealing with Saudi retailers and bring your own unlocked GSM cell phone with international service ready to go from your cell phone provider. Trust me on this one.

Currency and Valuables

 

For us Americans, 1 USD is equivalent to about 3.73 Saudi Riyals; a little goes a long way in Saudi Arabia.

Visa and Mastercard are also widely accepted in major stores. Even in the small sooqs near the grand mosques of Makkah and Madinah, people will often take a card.

However, if you’re a bargain shopper like myself, never underestimate the bargaining power of cold, hard cash in the Middle East.

Weather

For those of us living in North America, the weather in Madinah and Makkah is expected to be very hot.

It is best that before you pack for the trip, you check the weather, including the long-range forecast for the duration of your trip.

 

Clothing & Accessories

Since the weather in Saudi Arabia is considerably hotter than North America, it’s best to consider purchasing clothing that is breathable, light, and appropriate for the religious journey for both men and women.

During the Hajj, women are not obligated to wear towels like men are, so we have the liberty to wear pretty much whatever color, cut, material, or style of clothing we want while in ihram—as long as it’s modest and within the bounds of sharia, of course.

I will advise the sisters who are not accustomed to wearing hijab to purchase hair ties to pull their hair back into a ponytail or bun.

 

Ensuring that you’re dressed modestly and not showing your hair is very important.

I would suggest buying long amirah-style hijabs—you know, the kind that you wear at home for prayer that come down to your waist.

 

If you don’t like the long-hijab look, you can always opt for wearing under-cap bonnets with your hijabs, just in case you have runaway hair strands that keep poking out of your hijab.

The reason I am emphasizing keeping your hair covered at all times while in the holy land is for two reasons: A) out of obedience to Allah and respect for the most sacred places on the planet; and B) because if the Saudi religious police (muawwin) see a Muslim sister with a convertible or sheer hijab with hair poking out of the sides, I promise you that you will get scolded and cited for your offense.

You don’t speak Arabic, you say? That doesn’t matter; the Saudi police have gotten creative and have an outlined woman on their bright pink citations that they use to circle the area of your offense.

 

For example, some offenses include showing the hair, wearing transparent clothing or headscarves, wearing pants or abayas above the ankle, not wearing an abaya, etcetera.

They will circle your offense and hand you this pink slip as a reminder, and they will continue to cite you until you comply.

I have met a few American sisters who were shocked by the citations handed to them.

But at the end of the day, you have to remember you are not in your home country, and at the very least, we should be respectful and cognizant of offending others, whether it be on a cultural or religious basis.

 

Hajj Benefits the Married and Single Alike

Time and time again, single Muslim sisters tell me that they won’t perform Hajj until they are married and can be accompanied by their spouse.

The romantic in me can understand their sentiment and reasons for wanting to wait, but I would ask them to consider that marriage isn’t a condition for Hajj.

Furthermore, whether you are married or single, the blessings from performing the Hajj are far too great to dismiss, especially if you are financially and psychically capable.

The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Keep on doing Hajj and Umrah, because they both eliminate poverty and sins just like a furnace eliminates the dirty impurities of iron, gold, and silver. And an accepted Hajj has no reward less than Paradise.” (Tirmithi, Nisaa’i, Ahmad).

 

It is important to note here that regardless of what our marital status is, we should not let our worries and self-imposed stipulations deter us from giving Allah (swt) His rights.

If we are concerned for our rizq and our success in this life and the next, then the next logical step is to go straight to the source of all of those blessings we so desperately seek.

We must remember that Allah (swt) is the ultimate provider. Not our spouses, not our parents, not our loved ones—Allah alone.

He is fully capable of taking care of each and every one of our needs, and we should trust in his name and attributes.

 

A Gem to Ponder Over Before Embarking on the Hajj

Hajj is a unique pillar of Islam because it requires two unrelated elements to be present for the act of worship simultaneously: financial and physical. Whereas the other pillars of Islam (shahadah, salah, zakah, and sawm) only require one or the other, never both.

No doubt all pillars of Islam and all aspects of Hajj and their rituals have their pearls of wisdom, but when it comes to the talbiyah of the Hajj, I think the message is very clear and full of meaning. Pilgrims chant the following in unison:

“Labbayk, Allahumma labbayk, labbayk la sharika laka labbayk, Innal Hamda wan ni’mata laka wal mulk, la sharika lak.”

 

It translates to; “I am at Your service, O Allah, I am at Your service. You have no partner. I am at Your service. Praise and blessing belong to You, and the Kingdom. You have no partner.”

If we stop for a moment and reflect on the meanings of those words, they are deeply profound.

Our sole purpose as Muslims is to worship God alone and make Him the center of our lives.

During Hajj, we are proclaiming our obedience to Him in our dress (i.e., ihram), our increase in worship, our speech (i.e., talbiyah), our obedience to the sunnah, submission, displays of brotherhood and sisterhood, and increased signs of humility and patience.

The talbiyah teaches us that not only is the pilgrim called to obey Allah in the few days he/she is performing Hajj, but they are publicly proclaiming their intentions to submit to Allah for the remainder of their lives and in every aspect.

 

Our dress, worship, speech, obedience, submission, brother/sisterhood, humility, and patience displayed while in the state of ihram should be implemented in our daily lives long after we have cut our hair, performed our tawaaf, taken kaaba selfies, and bought our exotic perfumes and prayer rugs we never use.

Hajj shouldn’t be just a ritual that is taken lightly. It should be a life-altering experience.

If you embark on this sacred journey, don’t you dare come back the same old person with the same old habits you had before Hajj.

 

 

SOURCE: https://aboutislam.net/family-life/culture/holistic-guide-contemplating-hajj/2/