Comforts could rob Haj of its core value

The importance of Haj as a chance to mix with people from all walks of life should not be lost, writes Shelina Janmohamed

Muslim pilgrims arriving for a prayer at Mecca's Grand Mosque (AFP PHOTO / MOHAMMED AL-SHAIKH)

We’re in the middle of the Haj pilgrimage and Eid means that the pilgrims get a festive pause to reflect on their future.

It’s hard not to get caught up in the excitement. But to be a pilgrim carries practical worries. What is most concerning is the sharp rise in the cost of the once-in-a-lifetime journey. But it was not cheap even before, when there was no modern means of travel.

But gradually it started to become affordable, particularly for Muslims in the developed world, as the community started enjoying more and more affluence.

In fact, so affordable, easy and comfortable has the journey become that it is offering a new experience to many pilgrims. Cynics might describe it as a high-class adventure with a spiritual twist.

I say with great respect that if you can afford to go on Haj, why not stay in one of the best and most comfortable hotels close to the holy sites, including the Kaaba.

After all, even with the greatest of luxuries, the rituals of the pilgrimage are gruelling. The throng of people surrounding the Kaaba can turn a five-minute walk into an hour-long jostle to reach the hallowed sanctuary.

The gruelling journey of a few miles from Arafat to Muzdalifah, and the hot and congested tents of Mina make millions of people extremely tired and exhausted. If some pilgrims can afford the comforts, then we cannot begrudge them.

However, the outcomes of these entirely natural and understandable desires of pilgrims for a comfortable journey and for a wish to live in proximity to the holy sites raise some uncomfortable questions about the changing nature of Haj. Bluntly put, should the rich get a better Haj experience?

But that’s life, isn’t it? Except that the main principles of Haj are its egalitarianism, its blindness to individuals’ financial status, and equality in the quest for the divine.

This is the reason why pilgrims wear the same white clothes. This is the reason why pebbles are collected en route by rich and poor alike. This is also the reason why it is the same devil upon which the rich and the poor cast their hatred.

Unfortunately, Haj today can sometimes seem like a snapshot of wealth. As a result Haj is turning – albeit inadvertently – into an occasion when the consumption of water, electricity food and shopping rises.

These pilgrims are not doing anything wrong – they are benefiting from the best options available to them so that they can focus on their spiritual devotion.

But pan out to the big picture and there is something wrong when we see the rich of the world colonising the shared spiritual resources that should be equally accessible to all.

If our experience of Haj is to be one of rubbing shoulders with diverse communities from across cultures and from every strata of society, then we must ask ourselves how we should recalibrate our Haj experience to ensure it is open and accessible to all.

If we fail to do so, the inevitable consequence will be that poorer pilgrims will simply be priced out of the market.

So only the rich will enjoy all the privileges, which will mean that the main objectives of Haj – equality and togetherness – will not be achieved. That will be a loss for rich and poor alike.

Shelina Zahra Janmohamed is the author of Love in a Headscarf and blogs at www.spirit21.co.uk