Renad Ghanem

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Many Egyptian pilgrims, who were not able to perform Haj this year, called on the authorities in Cairo to limit Haj for a person once every five years — similar to the rule in Saudi Arabia for domestic pilgrims — or once every ten years. This, they said, would give others who have previously not done Haj a chance to perform the fifth pillar of Islam at least once in their lifetime.



As for those who have performed Haj many times and would like to do it again, they could consider the option of sponsoring a poor person to perform Haj instead of him/her. It would be more rewarding. Many pilgrims believe that the government should launch a campaign to educate people, who have performed Umrah or Haj more than once, to donate the cost of travel to someone who has not, especially the poor.



Saudi Gazette spoke to Egyptians who were not able to perform Haj this year over the phone. All of them were of the view that Haj permission should be granted once every five years in order for others to be given a chance. They said those who had already done Haj should not apply for permits, and as it is a once in a lifetime duty, should donate the cost to those who are less fortunate if they can afford it.



Ahmed El Sheriea, an Egyptian pharmacist, believes that there will be a greater reward when a man who is able and has performed Haj before, donates the cost of Haj to someone who has not or could not perform it.



“My parents went to Umrah every year, and they performed Haj seven times, and it’s surprising that they never took me or any of my three brothers even once to any of these rituals. We asked them many times but they just ignored our requests. It’s a selfish act in my opinion,” he said.



El Sheriea added, “We are well off when it comes to money in our family. Some of our relatives are very poor. I’m wondering why my parents did not donate the cost of Umrah or Haj to any of these relatives. I had requested them many times to sponsor others financially and give them a chance to go to the holy place and that the reward would be greater and even equal to someone who has performed Haj,” he said.



“I call on authorities to restrict people going to Haj or Umrah every year. Visas should be given once every five years just like in Saudi Arabia,” added El Sheriea.



Rawda El Sayaad, an Egyptian female, said it is selfish of others to perform Haj and Umrah every year, and blocking others who could afford to make the trip by taking up seats that could have gone to those who have not performed it.



“Despite the government’s warnings about the slipping economy, especially in the last three years, I know personally people, who travel to the Kingdom for Umrah every year, and the cost of this trip is not less than 15,000 Egyptian Pounds, and the Haj trip cost not less than 27,000 Egyptian Pounds. I wish the Egyptian authorities issue a rule banning these pilgrims from traveling every year,” she said.



She added, “Permission to do Haj and Umrah should be granted once every five or ten years. Haj is required once in a lifetime. If you do it twice even that is fine. But to do it ten times when others have not performed it once, is unfair.”



Mohammed El Okaby, an Egyptian customer relation representative working in a private company, said that every year he debates with members of his family, who were able to travel to Haj, to donate the money to others to perform Haj instead. “They do not know that the reward is greater from God and sometimes I feel they are selfish and do not want to do it. I think there should be more awareness. There should be a campaign to convince Egyptian pilgrims who travel every year to donate the cost of the trip to help a poor person to perform Haj or Umrah, and also a rule of giving permits to people every five to ten years,” he said.



“I know that Islam asks Muslims to help poor people, I did Haj and Umrah once, and since I have done those duties, I’m donating money annually, for the last three years, to support some poor people financially in my neighborhood to travel for Umrah, because sponsoring a person’s Haj is expensive for me,” he said.