After years of raising his children and saving money, Nauman Khan, 58, of Mount Sinai, decided this year was finally the right time to set out on the hajj, the holy pilgrimage, to Saudi Arabia with his wife.
In East Meadow, newlyweds Sundus Imam and Hamdan Saqlani couldn’t wait any longer for the event that Mr. Imam, 28, said was more important than his marriage. Mr. Saqlani, 32, had saved more than $14,000 over four years for the pilgrimage.
In Port Jefferson, Shahid Nawaz, 60, who did Hajj 20 years ago, wanted to bring his wife and eldest daughter with him this time, so he registered his family on a website that issues Hajj visas on a first-come, first-served basis.
Muslims on Long Island had the opportunity to take part in what is considered a highly significant journey for their religion. One of the five major festivals in Islam, the Hajj brings nearly two million Muslims together each year to the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad in what is now Mecca for an intense six-day pilgrimage, both spiritually and physically.
What you need to know
- Four people from Long Island traveled to Saudi Arabia for Hajj this year.A holy annual pilgrimage for Muslims, this day sees people remembering their spiritual journey.
- The Hajj attracts millions of pilgrims every year. For what many Muslims consider to be one of the most important milestones in their lives, they travel to the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad in what is now Mecca.
- Hajj is also physically demanding, especially this year due to the extreme heat. More than 1,300 pilgrims have died this year trying to complete the journey, many because they did not have the visas to qualify for supported care.
Hajj packages from licensed travel agencies typically cost more than $10,000 per person for those starting the journey in the United States, but all seven of the Long Island natives could afford that.
Still, their spots weren’t guaranteed until the visas were issued a few weeks before the start of the hajj. Saudi Arabia issues only one hajj visa per 1,000 Muslims to each country, meaning America’s more than 3 million Muslims can expect fewer than 4,000 visas per year.
Some people continue on the pilgrimage anyway, without the visas that would entitle them to comfortable accommodation and assistance along the way. And this year, the heat has made them suffer more than ever. Media reports suggest that of the 1,300 pilgrims who died on this year’s Hajj, more than 80 percent did not have the necessary permits.
Khan knew he was very lucky: Of about 100 Americans he knew who wanted to go to Hajj, he was the only one who had been able to get a visa.
“It was like I’d won a billion-dollar lottery. I jumped up and cried,” Khan said of receiving the visa.
An inspiring journey
Long Island residents said those high emotions continued throughout the trip.
On the first day of the hajj, pilgrims perform tawaf by circling the Kaaba, a cube-shaped marble shrine at the center of Mecca’s Great Mosque. Muslims face in the direction of the Kaaba during five daily prayers. Seeing it in person is the highlight of the hajj for many.
For Nawaz, performing the tawaf marked the official start of a family trip after more than two decades of preparation. “It was very emotional to do it together,” he said.
“When I see the Kaaba and see the people there, it’s overwhelming,” Imam said. “The moment I saw it, I was grateful to be there.”
This profound feeling for the pilgrims is soon rivalled by the Feast of Arafat the following day, which commemorates the Prophet Muhammad’s final sermon. Although the holiday is celebrated around the world, Hajj pilgrims are considered to have the special privilege of celebrating it at the Mount of Mercy, where Muhammad is believed to have delivered his final sermon.
“It was cathartic in a way,” Imam said of Arafat Day. “Everybody was praying, everybody was crying, everybody was letting it all out. And when it was over, you felt so lighter, and you felt at peace at the end of the day.”
As the journey progresses, the physical strain of navigating the sweltering heat and huge crowds grows, but some pilgrims say the mental strength of the hajj is helping them weather the challenges. This year, temperatures soared to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside, the mosque’s tiles were so hot that the building felt like an oven, Nawaz said.
“As soon as I go outside, I want to go back inside,” Imam said. “It’s like baking bread.”
Khan at one point Khan refused to use an umbrella to protect himself from the sun, then fainted in Mina, where pilgrims camp for the stoning of the devil ritual on the third day of the hajj. He also remembers falling at least twice while walking.
“I think the heat made it hard for me to remember what had happened to me,” Khan said. “I felt like I had died. In my dream I was going up and people were pouring cold water over me and two doctors were quickly there.”
Nawaz said he was excited to be able to perform his second Hajj with his family and that he had to perform the rituals for his daughter and wife as they needed rest after walking a lot.
Sacrani said the ritual was the most difficult part of the pilgrimage, and his wife, an imam, said she saw many people struggling to complete the at least two-hour walk.
The tragic cost of a dangerous journey
The Hajj witnessed by the four from Long Island also had a darker side.
For many Muslims who are denied visas or cannot afford to travel on one, not being able to perform the hajj could be a devastating blow.
Sometimes that misery turns to despair. Some Muslims worry they can’t afford the high costs of travel, or that their health won’t last, so some attempt the pilgrimage on other types of tourist visas that get them to the hajj sites but don’t offer the lodging and transportation that authorized pilgrims use to recuperate from long days in the heat.
Other pilgrims have been sold fake packages that only become clear once they arrive in Saudi Arabia that they are inaccessible.
Imam, a registered nurse on Long Island, recalled stopping at least five times during her walk to try to help people suffering from heatstroke or more serious conditions.
“Some appeared to be just resting, but in fact they may have been dying from the heat,” Imam said.
But without access to hospitals, imams can only splash cold water on suffering pilgrims or lift their legs, she said, adding that language barriers are usually also a challenge.
Mr Saklani, who was with his wife trying to help people, said there were plenty of police officers at the scene but a clear shortage of medical professionals. He said he was surprised no ambulances were prepared to help people, especially with extreme heat expected.
“We pleaded with the police to call medical professionals and they kept saying they would, but no one came,” Sakrani said.
In one case, a pilgrim had to be taken to hospital in a wheelchair for more than 20 minutes because medical attention was not provided quickly enough, Sacrani said.
Nawaz said that on his way to the ceremony he saw what appeared to be dead bodies and many people sleeping by the roadside and under bridges.
Nawaz lamented the difficulty of balancing saving enough money for the Hajj with being healthy enough to go, saying he saw pilgrims who looked frail, were in wheelchairs or clearly struggling.
For those who complete the Hajj in good health, the spiritual ecstasy lingers after they return home.
“After it, I feel so lighter, my mind and emotions are purified,” Nawaz said. “I feel closer to God. It’s a bittersweet feeling. I’m happy to be home but at the same time I wish I could stay here forever.”
“My body was here, but it felt like I was still there for at least 10 days,” Khan said.
