News Right Now: Inadequate Preparations

With the passing of the blessed Eid Al-Adha comes news of great tragedy as we learned that over 1300 brothers and sisters died due to the extreme heat in Saudi Arabia as they performed Hajj. This year, temperatures rose to 50 degrees Celsius, translating to a shocking 122 degrees Fahrenheit as Hujjaj made their way from Makkah to Madinah. The elderly and people with chronic diseases were especially impacted by this extreme heat, but no one was safe as nearly half a million Hujjaj were treated for heat stress by health facilities in Saudi Arabia as BBC reports. Many did not have access to shade, water, transportation and rest stops as they performed the acts of Hajj. Specifically, it's been reported that those traveling without a Hajj permit were explicitly denied access to methods of staying cool and conserving energy. Extreme heat can cause several dangers to one’s health, ranging from organ failure to death according to Human Rights Watch. Many Hujjaj suffered from the extreme temperatures of the sun without any escape, causing completely preventable illnesses and death. May Allah (swt) shower all those who fell ill or passed away while visiting His house with his infinite mercy and grant them all Afiyah.

Pakistan, Malaysia, Jordan, Iran, Senegal, Sudan, Iraq, India, Egypt and Indonesia are among some of the many countries which reported deaths of citizens at Hajj. Many of these countries had to send consulates to investigate the passing of their citizens, as Saudi Arabia remained silent on the matter until just a few days ago. Even then, Saudi Arabia’s government officials unashamedly called this year’s Hajj “successful” and placed accusatory emphasis on the fact that, according to BBC, nearly 3 quarters of the Hujjaj who passed didn’t have official permits to be there- as if this is supposed to excuse the Saudi Arabian government’s complete disregard for the accessibility of completing Hajj to our Ummah, an act we are all obliged to complete at least once in our lifetime. That's the weight of 7 billion individual 'faraidh' on the shoulders of the Saudi Arabian kingdom, yet instead of benefitting from inconceivable amounts of hasanat which could be earned from such an honorable responsibility, the Saudi government continues to make the completion of Hajj a matter of great hardship on our Ummah.

For those unfamiliar with how Saudi Arabia regulates Hajj attendance, let me break it down for you. The Saudi Arabian government hands out quotas to specific countries, like Qatar for example, only allowing a limited number of that country’s citizens in each year for Hajj. There is no regulation for how many slots are given to each country, and it is sometimes used as a political bargaining chip as with the case of Qatar, who King Mohammad Bin Salman, MBS, emphasized was receiving an honor for their citizens to receive slots in the first place despite tensions between the two countries. Those who can attain those slots are usually chosen by lottery systems, and after that, they are required to purchase special Hajj packages which can allow them to even set foot in the blessed towns in the first place. These packages cost tens of thousands of US dollars and the industry around setting those prices is highly corrupted. One anonymous source told TRT World News that after one year of providing Hajj permits through a licensed travel agency he opened, he was asked to pay a 30% commission for all Hajj profits if he still wanted to maintain the legitimacy of his agency. When he protested, the Saudi embassy informed him that the only way he could gain legitimacy other than providing the commission would be through a direct recommendation from a prince of Saudi Arabia themselves.

With outrageous conditions like this, its no surprise that according to statista.com, Hajj brings in approximately $12 billion annually for Saudi Arabia. Instead of utilizing our Ummah’s funds to save us from oppression and suffering worldwide, the Saudi Arabian government has been funneling it towards concerts, paying artists millions of USD for a performance which lasts one night. The money is used for things like hosting the FIFA 2034 Men’s World Cup, building a an artificial city geared towards the rich, and other mega-projects which have no benefit to the Ummah at a time when we are being attacked from every angle. Under MBS’s Vision 2030 plan, there’s an intentional effort to increase the number of yearly Hujjaj from 8 million to 30 million, no doubt to continue to capitalize on Muslims trying to perform Hajj to please Allah (swt) in a country whose soil’s rulers are focused on everything but that. These efforts, all made to please Western puppet masters, are wasted on the longing of the Saudi Arabian’s regime's thirst for the pleasure of this Dunya. These funds could have easily been used towards health campaigns, increased slots, water provision, shade infrastructures, and transportation for Hujjaj. Instead, corrupt officials working with negligent travel agencies worked together to take advantage of brothers and sisters who have saved funds all their life for the sake of pleasing their Lord one day and visiting their home.

With this, our Ummah has seen another sick form of exploitation at the hands of the Saudi Arabian government once again. Our hearts clench as we think of our brothers and sisters who passed away trying to complete Hajj for the sake of their Lord’s pleasure only. May Allah SWT grant them all Jannatul Firdaws, erase their sins completely, shower them with His mercy, and allow all their good deeds to be accepted. We find comfort in the narration from Ibn Abbas which states, “That a man was with the Messenger of Allah, and his she-camel broke his neck when he was in Ihra, and he died. The Messenger of all said,

«اغْسِلُوهُ بِمَاءٍ وَسِدْرٍ وَكَفِّنُوهُ فِي ثَوْبَيْهِ وَلاَ تُمِسُّوهُ بِطِيبٍ وَلاَ تُخَمِّرُوا رَأْسَهُ فَإِنَّهُ يُبْعَثُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مُلَبِّيًا»

"Wash him with water and lote leaves, and shroud him in his two garments, and do not put any perfume on him or cover his head, for he will be raised on the Day of Resurrection reciting the Talbiyah"

We know Allah (swt), the most merciful and the most forgiving, will not let the great suffering of his servants who completed Hajj for his sake go unnoticed. May Allah (swt) build for them a place in Jannah with Him. It is the Saudi Arabian regime that needs to realize that once again, they have been found with the blood of Muslims on their hands. They have once again failed Muslims for all over the world, in such a sick situation as when they are supposed to be taking care of those travelers who are visiting the blessed lands. They completely ignore the solutions provided by Islam, instead being driven by capitalism, greed, and their pathetic need for acceptance by Western powers to dictate what to do with the Ummah’s resources instead of using it to benefit us and uplift us. The resources which lie in Saudi Arabia are not the property of MBS’s regime, they are the property of the entirety of the Muslim Ummah, and we prompt the regime to think, what answer can they possibly give to Allah (swt) on the day of judgment when asked about the repeated betrayal, exploitation, and neglect they have consistently disappointed us with? We remind you to fear the day in the Hereafter when there will be no shade from the intense heat of Jahannam, a fraction of which you caused your brothers and sisters to suffer and die from in this Dunya, except the Lord’s whose hudood you arrogantly refused to enact upon HIS blessed lands.

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