The Saudi government has finally announced that Hajj will be closed to international hujjaj this year due to Covid-19. This is the dreaded announcement by millions of Muslims who have planned and saved for years to perform the fifth pillar of Islam.
Our hearts may be saddened, but we should never lose hope in Allah.
We are not the first to have been stopped from performing Hajj or Umrah in history. The first to experience this was Rasulullah s.a.w. and the sahabah in the year of Hudaibiyyah. The Quraish refused to allow the Muslims to enter Makkah to perform Umrah. They had to shave their heads and slaughter their animals at Hudaibiyyah without performing pilgrimage. But Allah rewarded them with the reward of Umrah for their sincerity.
This year, like last year, we have been stopped by Covid-19. Insha Allah, He will reward those who have made the arrangements for Hajj this year despite not being able to perform it.
Going to Hajj means being a guest of Allah. It is a great honour. While we make all the preparations necessary, we put our trust in Allah. Tawakkul. He knows when is the best time for us to go to Hajj. At the end of the day, it is He who invites us to visit His house.
Alhamdulillah, I had the honour of performing Hajj in 2019. It was as much a surprise to me as well as to my family and friends. While my heart yearned to go to Hajj, my situation made it very difficult for me to go. My wife and I just founded Qaswa House. Financially we were tight. We also didn't have enough teachers to cover me for three weeks of absence. But little did I know, Allah had a different plan for me.
Just two weeks before Hajj, I received a call from one Hajj operator who needed a Hajj sheikh. Their sheikh pulled out at the very last minute. I was offered to go to Hajj for free. I still have one more problem. I needed someone to replace me at Qaswa. Alhamdulillah, a friend, just came from his studies in Jordan. He agreed to take over my classes at Qaswa in my absence. Everything fell into place, alhamdulillah.
I quickly did my vaccination and sent in my visa application. Alhamdulillah, everything went through and off I went to Hajj. When I got back, the friend that agreed to replace me got a job offer in Sydney. The timing was so perfect that he left for Sydney the same week I came back from Hajj. Indeed, Allah is the best planner.
While this news from Saudi may seem devastating for those who have made all the necessary arrangements to go for Hajj this year, trust me, all the preparations that you have made will not go to waste in the eyes of Allah. And insha Allah, when the time comes, He will make everything easy for you.