Will Qataris Perform Hajj This Year?

Ka'abah

Islam stands on five pillars, they are: Testimony of Faith, Salah, Zakat, Sawn (fasting) and Hajj. Pilgrimage to the Holy cities of Makkah and Madina (Hajj) is compulsory upon every Muslim who is physically, mentally and financial capable of making it. 

During the Hajj of 2015, a stampede led to the death of 2,431 pilgrims though Saudi Arabia did not change their record of 769 dead and 934 injured.  It is described as the deadliest stampede in Hajj history. Iran recorded the highest casualty with 464 (19% of the casualties). This incident led to an outcry by the Iranian government and somehow, the Saudi Arabian government felt the best way to ‘punish’ the Iranians for crying foul was to ban Iranians from performing hajj. Consequently, there was a massive absence of Iranians from the hajj of 2016. Due to the fear of sympathizing with Shiites, the world’s Muslims were largely silent. 

In 2016, the Saudi Arabian government accused Qatar of funding ‘terrorists’ in Syria and elsewhere. The Saudi government also complained about Qatar being ‘too’ close to Iran and the Palestinians. This led to the Saudis severing ties with Qatar and stating conditions for its normalization of ties with Qatar. One of those conditions was for Qatar to close down its news network (Al Jazeera); one of the most reliable sources of credible news of the Muslim world. Qatar boldly declined and rubbished all 13 conditions laid by Saudi Arabia and its Persian gulf allies. Saudi Arabia banned Qataris from performing hajj in 2017.

Stopping a Muslim from performing hajj cannot be seen as different from stopping a Muslim from observing salah or from fasting; it is blasphemy.  The pagans of Makkah used to deny Muslims the right to perform hajj in the life-time of the Prophet (SAW) and Allah scorned them for this. 

Allah (SWT) said, “Indeed, those who have disbelieved and avert [people] from the way of Allah and [from] al-Masjid al-haram, which We made for the people - equal are the resident therein and one from outside; and [also] whoever intends [a deed] therein of deviation [in religion] or wrongdoing - We will make him taste of a painful punishment”. Suratul Hajj (22:25).

With the Iranians, banning them was ‘justifiable’ because they are Shiites but with the Qataris who are described as ‘Sunnis’, the Saudi loyalists became timid, tamed dogs. One year has passed since the Qataris were banned from hajj, relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia have not improved and we are currently in the hajj months of 2018.

However, a statement released by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah on 1st July 2018 read thus, “Due to lack of responsiveness by the office of the affairs of pilgrims in Qatar with the concerned parties to finalize the arrangements of the affairs and requirements of the pilgrims, and waste of time without any progress to complete the necessary procedures to enable Qatari citizens to perform Hajj, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah welcomes the arrival of Qatari brothers who wish to perform Hajj for this year 1439 AH through King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. Those brothers wishing to perform Hajj can register through the link which will be allocated on the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's website and which will be available during the month of Dhu al-Qadah this year, where they can contract for the services they need (housing, transport and subsistence) in Makkah and Madinah and the holy sites with the establishment for the service of Qatari pilgrims according to their wishes, like other pilgrims from around the world. The arrival and departure of Qatari pilgrims will take place via King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and through any airlines except Qatar Airways”.

The Muslim brothers in Qatar have not responded officially yet but, the exclusion of Qatar Airways from the hajj operations could yet again cause a stalemate.

Will Qataris perform hajj this year? Let’s be on the lookout.