Hajj in perspective
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- Category: Philosofaith
- Written by M. U. Ndagi
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This year’s hajj operation, according to media reports, began at the beginning of the week, with the inaugural airlift of pilgrims from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia on Sunday October 17, 2010.
In his remarks at the inaugural airlift ceremony, the Sultan of Sokoto and the country’s Amir ul-Hajj for the 2010 Muslim pilgrimage, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, called on intending pilgrims from Nigeria to be good ambassadors of the country during their sojourn in the holy land. As final arrangements are being put in place by various state governments, it was reported during the week that six female intending pilgrims from Niger state have been advised to jettison their proposed pilgrimage because of the discovery by the Niger State Pilgrims Commission that the six women are pregnant.It would be recalled that Saudi authorities in recent years have imposed sanctions including fines on countries that violate specific restrictions such as the one that prohibits pregnant women from performing pilgrimage until they have been delivered of their babies. One could readily understand the reasons for restricting pregnant women from undertaking the tedious hajj trip to the holy land.
First, it is for the health of the woman and the unborn baby whose lives could come under severe threat in the course of observing the rigorous rites of pilgrimage. Second, it is to forestall any inconveniences which might be caused by or to the wellbeing of the pregnant woman at the ever-crowded places and sites of worship in Makkah and Madinah.
We are impelled by the case of the six pregnant women to mention other categories of pilgrims who deserve to be restricted from performing hajj and in some cases lesser-hajj (Umrah). Hajj as one of the cardinal principles of Islam is obligatory only upon Muslims, males and females, who are financially, physically and mentally fit to endure the rigours and demands of the exercise. Allah (SWT) states in Qur’an 3: 97 “…pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to God, those who can afford the journey…” The religious injunction on hajj does not apply to those who are underage, sick or lack adequate financial capacity to undertake it.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) should in collaboration with various state pilgrims boards design efficient strategies to check the seasonal abuse of hajj by individuals whose participation in the hajj exercise is rather deemed unnecessary. The Qur’anic verse quoted in the preceding paragraph implicitly precludes aged persons who are perceived to lack sufficient physical strength and sound health to withstand the attendant fatigue and psychological stress that accompany the observance of hajj rites.
It is good enough that Islam allows pilgrimage to be performed by proxy on behalf of those who fulfill necessary requirements but lack the physical ability including old age. This, in fact, is in the best interest of the aged and of the entire congregation of pilgrims. Similarly, if the five pillars of Islam are duties that become obligatory on a believer only when he attains puberty, we consider it unnecessary to sponsor children who have not come of age to perform pilgrimage. Parents of such children could preferably pay for those upon whom pilgrimage is a religious duty to perform the hajj. The sponsor/donour would still earn his reward in full without reducing any measure of it from the reward of the person sponsored for the pilgrimage.
There are three other categories, which NAHCON must annually strive to screen out from among intending pilgrims, because they block the chances that are supposedly due to be taken by first-timers. The three categories under reference are more of sponsored contingents. They include prostitutes; destitutes; (almajirai in Hausa) and professional Alhajis/Alhajas (who have turned pilgrimage in to an annual jamboree rather than a religious duty). Such are pilgrims with ulterior motives whose reward for pilgrimage is as enunciated in the first hadith of Annawawi’s collection of forty prophetic traditions.
The hadith which is related by Imams Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Umar bn Al-Khattab (RA) quotes the prophet (SAW) as saying, “Actions will be judged according to intentions…” We expect NAHCON to evolve screening procedures that would help in the detection of the afore-mentioned groups of intending pilgrims who deserve to be restricted from performing hajj. The screening exercise conducted by the various States Pilgrims Commissions must be firm and stringent enough to sift out two other non-eligible groups of intending pilgrims whose participation in the exercise constitutes serious embarrassment not only to Muslims in Nigeria but also to the entire Muslim world. They are; one, Muslims who lack basic knowledge of hajj rites as well as of the fundamentals of Islam; and two, non-Muslims who deceitfully adopt Muslim names to enable them travel to Makkah for business and other purposes.
The limited number of hajj seats in recent years has brought about dubious syndicates and dupes that deal in fraudulent sale of hajj seats to unsuspecting intending pilgrims. Adequate measures must be taken to check the menace. More eligible pilgrims are likely to perform hajj annually if all the categories of pilgrims who undertake the hajj trip for ulterior motives are systematically disqualified from the exercise through strict screening exercises. This measure is desirous in view of the insufficient number of seats allocated to Nigeria over the years which fails to meet the increasing demands of various states of the federation.
This column advises NAHCON to examine how local government councils across the country operate their hajj bank accounts with a view to rationalizing hajj operations at that level. We have heard of instances in recent past where some local government chairmen misappropriated funds deposited by intending pilgrims which sadly resulted in failed hajj exercises. Authorities concerned must take concrete steps in this regard if only to restore the confidence of intending pilgrims that monies deposited for hajj are not diverted by corrupt public officers. We hope and pray that this year’s exercise would be devoid of the usual plea for concessions from Saudi authorities including extension of period for the airlift of pilgrims to or from the holy land, amin.
Articles
Hajj in perspective
Category: Philosofaith Written by M. U. Ndagi Hits: 658
This year’s hajj operation, according to media reports, began at the beginning of the week, with the inaugural airlift of pilgrims from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia on Sunday October 17, 2010.
In his remarks at the inaugural airlift ceremony, the Sultan of Sokoto and the country’s Amir ul-Hajj for the 2010 Muslim pilgrimage, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, called on intending pilgrims from Nigeria to be good ambassadors of the country during their sojourn in the holy land. As final arrangements are being put in place by various state governments, it was reported during the week that six female intending pilgrims from Niger state have been advised to jettison their proposed pilgrimage because of the discovery by the Niger State Pilgrims Commission that the six women are pregnant.It would be recalled that Saudi authorities in recent years have imposed sanctions including fines on countries that violate specific restrictions such as the one that prohibits pregnant women from performing pilgrimage until they have been delivered of their babies. One could readily understand the reasons for restricting pregnant women from undertaking the tedious hajj trip to the holy land.
First, it is for the health of the woman and the unborn baby whose lives could come under severe threat in the course of observing the rigorous rites of pilgrimage. Second, it is to forestall any inconveniences which might be caused by or to the wellbeing of the pregnant woman at the ever-crowded places and sites of worship in Makkah and Madinah.
We are impelled by the case of the six pregnant women to mention other categories of pilgrims who deserve to be restricted from performing hajj and in some cases lesser-hajj (Umrah). Hajj as one of the cardinal principles of Islam is obligatory only upon Muslims, males and females, who are financially, physically and mentally fit to endure the rigours and demands of the exercise. Allah (SWT) states in Qur’an 3: 97 “…pilgrimage thereto is a duty men owe to God, those who can afford the journey…” The religious injunction on hajj does not apply to those who are underage, sick or lack adequate financial capacity to undertake it.
The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) should in collaboration with various state pilgrims boards design efficient strategies to check the seasonal abuse of hajj by individuals whose participation in the hajj exercise is rather deemed unnecessary. The Qur’anic verse quoted in the preceding paragraph implicitly precludes aged persons who are perceived to lack sufficient physical strength and sound health to withstand the attendant fatigue and psychological stress that accompany the observance of hajj rites.
It is good enough that Islam allows pilgrimage to be performed by proxy on behalf of those who fulfill necessary requirements but lack the physical ability including old age. This, in fact, is in the best interest of the aged and of the entire congregation of pilgrims. Similarly, if the five pillars of Islam are duties that become obligatory on a believer only when he attains puberty, we consider it unnecessary to sponsor children who have not come of age to perform pilgrimage. Parents of such children could preferably pay for those upon whom pilgrimage is a religious duty to perform the hajj. The sponsor/donour would still earn his reward in full without reducing any measure of it from the reward of the person sponsored for the pilgrimage.
There are three other categories, which NAHCON must annually strive to screen out from among intending pilgrims, because they block the chances that are supposedly due to be taken by first-timers. The three categories under reference are more of sponsored contingents. They include prostitutes; destitutes; (almajirai in Hausa) and professional Alhajis/Alhajas (who have turned pilgrimage in to an annual jamboree rather than a religious duty). Such are pilgrims with ulterior motives whose reward for pilgrimage is as enunciated in the first hadith of Annawawi’s collection of forty prophetic traditions.
The hadith which is related by Imams Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Umar bn Al-Khattab (RA) quotes the prophet (SAW) as saying, “Actions will be judged according to intentions…” We expect NAHCON to evolve screening procedures that would help in the detection of the afore-mentioned groups of intending pilgrims who deserve to be restricted from performing hajj. The screening exercise conducted by the various States Pilgrims Commissions must be firm and stringent enough to sift out two other non-eligible groups of intending pilgrims whose participation in the exercise constitutes serious embarrassment not only to Muslims in Nigeria but also to the entire Muslim world. They are; one, Muslims who lack basic knowledge of hajj rites as well as of the fundamentals of Islam; and two, non-Muslims who deceitfully adopt Muslim names to enable them travel to Makkah for business and other purposes.
The limited number of hajj seats in recent years has brought about dubious syndicates and dupes that deal in fraudulent sale of hajj seats to unsuspecting intending pilgrims. Adequate measures must be taken to check the menace. More eligible pilgrims are likely to perform hajj annually if all the categories of pilgrims who undertake the hajj trip for ulterior motives are systematically disqualified from the exercise through strict screening exercises. This measure is desirous in view of the insufficient number of seats allocated to Nigeria over the years which fails to meet the increasing demands of various states of the federation.
This column advises NAHCON to examine how local government councils across the country operate their hajj bank accounts with a view to rationalizing hajj operations at that level. We have heard of instances in recent past where some local government chairmen misappropriated funds deposited by intending pilgrims which sadly resulted in failed hajj exercises. Authorities concerned must take concrete steps in this regard if only to restore the confidence of intending pilgrims that monies deposited for hajj are not diverted by corrupt public officers. We hope and pray that this year’s exercise would be devoid of the usual plea for concessions from Saudi authorities including extension of period for the airlift of pilgrims to or from the holy land, amin.