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Guests of Allah
A lifetime achievement for a Muslim is to fulfill the fifth obligation of Islam — to go on the haj — meaning they are physically and financially ready to undertake the pilgrimage
A
lifetime achievement for a Muslim is to fulfill the fifth obligation of Islam — to go on the haj — meaning they are physically and financially ready to undertake the pilgrimage. For most of us this means years of saving, planning, delaying and re-planning a trip to Mecca for more than a month.
The large amount of preparations required means a large portion of pilgrims are over 50 by the time they have saved up the US$3,500 required, and they must also be ready to undergo the rituals in the harsh desert conditions.
While Islam dictates that going on the haj does not mean selling property while you’re still wondering how to pay for your child’s university fees, try telling that to the millions who continue to do so, either because of their sense of devotion or the prestige associated with the “haj” title.
The first batch of this year’s 207,000 pilgrims, departed last Friday, a reminder of the constant enthusiasm for the haj in the country with the biggest Muslim population. This number would swell if not for the 1 percent quota set by the Saudi government, and with a queue of up to two years for candidates, and new aspirants registering themselves every day.
The pilgrimage is moreover a reminder of the annual troubles — an opportunity waiting to be grabbed by the new administration, again under Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The core of these troubles is that all the savings and sacrifice does not come with a guarantee of a safe and secure trip. Beyond the poorest pilgrims, many opt for the much more costly “plus” and “plus-plus” packages, not only for more privacy in decent hotels, but also to ensure the most basic certainties and safety measures are met.
For example, these packages offer candidates certainty of not getting stale food during the predeparture period or while on the trip; they are assured of places to sleep; certainty that they will be put on the same flight as their spouse, and more assurance of coming home in one piece and not getting trampled as crowds of two million descend on Mecca from all over the world.
Each year, this painful awareness reoccurs, not only of the mismanagement by those directly handling the haj, but also that the government hasn’t utilized its bargaining power and good ties with Saudi Arabia to ensure better facilities for Indonesian pilgrims. Pilgrims protest, but most keep quiet, enduring hardship as part of the spiritual test.
Last week, minister Suryadharma Ali had to assure pilgrims that thousands would have places to stay on reports that the Saudi government had issued new regulations affecting pilgrims’ accommodation after organizers had already made bookings.
Each year, Indonesians have the privilege (or disadvantage) of a few extra weeks in Saudi Arabia compared to pilgrims from other countries. Because of our vast numbers, and since there is only one terminal serving Indonesian pilgrims there, we are forced to wait in long queues for flights, (as if there is no way to avoid this problem). Reduce the length of their stay and many more Indonesians could undertake the pilgrimage, shortening its long waiting list.
Indonesians also realize it has been futile for independent bodies to attempt to tackle problems associated with the haj — and this is also part of the problem. Yudhoyono needs to wrest the power of the pilgrimage management away from the Religious Affairs Ministry. We have yet to learn from our small neighbor who we love to taunt (Malaysia), which treats guests of Allah with more respect.
