Hajj at the expense of taxpayers: Islamic Community believes gifts can be accepted

Although it has been almost a month since Kurban Bayram, the public outcry over the departure of certain high-ranking officials from BiH for Hajj in Mecca has not subsided, writes the Patria News Agency.

BiH is in perhaps the worst economic situation since the war, so many people, at a time when thousands of young and educated people are leaving the country in search of a better life, rightly ask whether it is moral to go on Hajj several times.

What is the stance of the Islamic Community in BiH regarding individuals going on Hajj five or ten times? Is it morally acceptable from an Islamic perspective at a time when many people are struggling to make ends meet? We sought the Islamic Community in BiH's stance on this matter.

- Hajj is prescribed (a strict religious duty) for those who meet the conditions once in their lifetime, but it is permissible to perform it multiple times. Going on Hajj multiple times is a right of a believer that Almighty Allah has not limited, so the Islamic Community or anyone else cannot permanently prohibit it – say the Islamic Community in BiH.

The Islamic Community told Patria that they suggest to believers who have already performed Hajj to consider priorities when deciding to go on Hajj again, but that believers make that decision themselves.

- The Islamic Community can appeal to its members, and it does, that after fulfilling the fifth Islamic duty by performing the first Hajj, they redirect the funds they would spend on going on Hajj again to other good deeds. When discussing this issue, one should also consider the fact that people sometimes perform Hajj as proxies for their sick or deceased family members, and thus appear to go on Hajj multiple times.

The Islamic Community suggests to believers to think about priorities when considering going on Hajj again, but they make the decision independently, as it is their property which they have acquired and have the right to direct towards permissible purposes according to their own wishes – state the Islamic Community.

The news that the youngest pilgrim from BiH this year was a seven-month-old baby also caused quite a reaction in the public.

- When going on Hajj, the Office for Hajj and Umrah, which is responsible for organizing Hajj and Umrah, does so in accordance with the regulations and rules of the countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Saudi Arabia. It is evident that the regulations allow a child to travel with parents. Sharia does not prohibit such travel, and parents make the decision – the Islamic Community stated.

We also asked the Islamic Community how they view the fact that a large number of pilgrims from BiH go to Mecca at the expense of public companies, i.e., at the cost of budget users, but they told us they were not aware of this.

- We are not aware of the fact that many pilgrims go on Hajj at the expense of public companies where they are employed. As far as we know, most pilgrims finance their Hajj with their personal funds, and for a very small number of pilgrims, the trip is paid for by someone else. Sometimes it is individuals, associations or organizations, and sometimes public or private companies. Each organization/institution/company decides on the reasons for these payments and the method of selecting candidates based on its internal rules, and the Islamic Community does not decide on this.

Regarding the acceptance of such an offer by a person being offered to go on Hajj, from a Sharia perspective, that offer is treated as a gift. Like any other gift, it can be accepted or refused. If a person accepts the gift and performs Hajj, their Hajj is valid, provided they have performed all the prescribed Hajj rituals. If it is the first Hajj they perform in their life, they have fulfilled the fifth Islamic duty, and Allah knows best – stated the Islamic Community of BiH.