Naeem's Blog

Every year in Saudi Arabia, tens of thousands of local pilgrims take the decision to perform their annual Hajj without the proper governmental authorization. You see, the Saudi authorities have placed a limit on the local residents by restricting them to once every five years. However, there are many who bypass this formality and find their own round-about ways to Mecca.

I'm caught in the middle as I recently performed Hajj with my wife two years ago and I really wish to go again, but I feel a bit dishonest in breaking the law.

On the one hand, I understand that Hajj is a once a year opportunity to refresh oneself and wipe the slate clean, stand before Allah (swt) in the most simplest of forms in the midst of a mass of humanity and commune in a most unique way. The blessings are unimaginable and the spiritual exuberance is beyond words.

Millions of Muslims across the world dream of coming but once in their life, and here is a God-given opportunity to attend every year!

Besides, the reasoning continues, I won't be squatting in problematic locations – I'll setup my tent outside the busy areas.

And besides, if the Saudis can't get their act together with the billions of petrodollars that Allah has blessed them with, why should I suffer for their incompetence and poor-planning?

And besides, why should I allow man-made laws to restrict my God-given right?

My spiritual needs are gnawing at me to screw all the bureaucratic red-tape and just return to Allah (swt).

And then on the other hand I think that I need only perform Hajj once in a lifetime – there is no obligation upon me to go ever again. So why should I break the law for something that is optional?

Besides, even though the authorities could have better designed and planned for millions more, the fact that they haven't is reason enough to not exacerbate the situation by adding to the overcrowding.

The analogy to this situation is that of a highway road. While the road is wide enough for a 4-lane highway allowing cars to travel upto 75miles/hour, the government has only paved a 2-lane road with a more restrictive 50miles/hour speed limit. If I choose to go faster thinking that the road has a 4-lane capacity and the government is to blame for failing to properly plan, I am only endangering myself and others. True, the government should expand the road, but until it does, it behooves everyone to obey the limits.

Besides, while I may not be squatting on busy intersections, the mere presence of myself (and the 100,000 other illegal pilgrims) in the Haram doing Tawaf is inevitably going to cause someone harm.

And of course there are countless scholars who have publicly denounced the illegal pilgrims, with some even considering it a blatant sin to perform the Hajj without the proper permission.

Here is a good workaround: I know some brothers who drive upto the plains of Arafat on the blessed day of Arafat and if the authorities allow them to enter (without the permission), it means the capacity is still there and the government is allowing more to enter. But if they are turned back, they simply turn around and go home.

Maybe that's the best route to take.

So what to do? Well, I've taken the easy way out and decided to go and spend Eid in Madina.

Can't go wrong with that, eh? :-)