FOR Muslims, performing the haj is a life-changing experience. Described by theologians and pilgrims as a spiritual journey of great significance, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia, is a religious undertaking that is mandatory for Muslims at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able.
Yesterday's announcement that Malaysia has deferred this year's haj to next year is not unexpected, considering that the Covid-19 outbreak across the globe has spawned disruptions in almost all spheres of our lives. The pandemic is not making exceptions for religious life. This is apparent in many instances — the restrictions on public life that are now in place worldwide also cover religious gatherings such as communal prayer, services and funerals.
This is the first time in Tabung Haji's (Malaysia's haj pilgrim fund) history that the haj has been deferred. TH has been managing the haj pilgrimage for Malaysians since 1963.
This year's haj, scheduled to begin on July 28, has caused much consternation among the 31,600 Malaysian pilgrims, some of whom have been waiting eagerly for it. But the deferment is with good reason. Covid-19 is a serious public health concern that has infected more than 7.5 million people globally with some 418,000 deaths.
The Saudi Gazette reported on Wednesday that the number of infections in Saudi Arabia was 112,288, the highest in the Gulf. Every year, more than two million Muslims perform the haj, a ritual that brings believers of diverse backgrounds to converge on Makkah. The presence of millions of pilgrims heightens the risk of contagion and will have fatal consequences. The new norm of social distancing most certainly cannot be observed during the pilgrimage. Plus, there is no vaccine yet.
Malaysia is not alone in the decision. Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and Cambodia have also deferred their haj plans. That Saudi Arabia is still undecided about how it intends to manage the haj is another factor that needs to be taken into account. In March, Saudi Arabia suspended the umrah pilgrimage until further notice, halted all international passenger flights indefinitely, and blocked the entry and exit points to several cities, including Makkah and Madinah. Saudi Arabia has taken the whole gamut of precautionary measures to control the spread of infection, yet cases are still rising.
Voices have been strident calling for Saudi Arabia to suspend the haj this year. Foreign reports say this was unlikely as the haj is a major source of foreign revenue for the kingdom. There are reports, though, that Saudi Arabia was considering cutting down drastically the number of pilgrims and limiting the haj to countries in the Gulf. If Saudi Arabia is forced to put the haj on hold, it will not be without precedent.
Historians say that since the haj was adopted in Islam, it has been suspended 40 times. The plague in the Ottoman Empire had disrupted the haj in 1814. One of the earliest disruptions was in 968 AD when a "mysterious" disease spread in Makkah and killed many pilgrims, according to a report by the King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives. However, in recent years, especially after the founding of the Saudi kingdom in 1932, the haj pilgrimage has never been cancelled or suspended.