The Fifth Duty of Muslims: 1,411 Pilgrims from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Perform Hajj This Year

From Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1,411 future pilgrims will travel to Hajj this year, which is 25 more than last year, confirmed for the Bosnian news agency Patria (NAP) Nezim ef. Halilović, head of the Hajj office of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Last year, 1,133 pilgrims traveled from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Hajj, and the year before that there were 1,386. This year's reisu-l-hudžadž is the former mufti of Banja Luka, Edhem ef. Čamdžić.

Hajj is the fifth Islamic duty, which every man and woman who meets the conditions should fulfill during their lifetime.

Hajj means visiting the Kaaba, the holy site in Mecca, to perform certain rituals, or visiting specific places (the Kaaba, Arafat, Muzdalifah, and Mina) at a specific time (during the months of Hajj: according to the Islamic calendar, these are the months of Shawwal, Dhu al-Qa'dah, and Dhu al-Hijjah).

Performing Hajj is relatively difficult for Muslims from Europe, America, and other parts of the world far from the Arabian Peninsula, as traveling to the holy city of Mecca represents a certain financial burden for them.

Nevertheless, for true believers, this cannot be an obstacle.

Going on Hajj in Bosnia and Herzegovina has always been an extremely important event not only for the future pilgrim and his family, but for the entire neighborhood from which the pilgrim originates.

Thus, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is customary for the family of the future pilgrim to prepare for this moment for days; relatives, neighbors, and friends are invited to joint prayers (duas), lunches, gatherings... Neighbors and relatives give the pilgrim money as a gift before his departure to Mecca, and upon his return, the pilgrim gifts them with presents he bought during his stay in Mecca.

These are most often scarves for women, various perfumes, miswak – a traditional tooth-cleaning tool also used by the prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace be upon him), prayer beads, and the like, writes NAP.

Pilgrims traveling by plane from Bosnia and Herzegovina this year depart on September 20, 21, and 22, and return to the country on October 8, 9, and 10. Pilgrims traveling by bus from Bosnia and Herzegovina depart on September 15, reports NAP.