Wa-alaikum assalam,Assalaam walaikum,
Why is hajj so expensive now?
Wa-alaikum assalam,
You could do a break down of all the expenses, hotel costs, travelling from place to place, food, clothing ..profit for the companies?
Its just the way its become, sadly. Although I scoff at the posh companies who promise to take care of everything allowing you to concentrate on your ibaadah, they may seem more reliable, but best to take the middle ground, expect the unexpected, because the craziest things do happen on Hajj, and its all a trial, so I wouldn't pay an extra thousand in the hope some well made advert on Islam Channel, actually told the truth, noway.
I wouldn't set myself up for disaster, but I wouldn't plan on, (or pay for) 'perfection' either.
Asalaam walaikum,
I was at a workshop on hajj today. I looked at the prices and realized it would be easier to look for a husband.
$7000.00 to go to hajj.
The imam told a wonderful true story.
There was a Russian many centuries ago, who made the intention to do hajj. He said goodbye to his family. He was poor and could not afford proper transportation. He started his journey. While he was in Iraq some pilgrims fed him and asked him how long he had been on his journey. He said ten years.
He asked if they had a camel he could have. They did not. But they told him he would be able to make it to Mecca in a couple of months.
Two years later, this pious and strong man, crawled into Mecca.
He had no legs.
Subhana Allah.
It all depends on who you go with. The more luxuries you want the more expensive it is. You can go on a $4-5000 package if you are ok with 3 hotels, fetching your own food and stuff. That's the package i took in 2007 and did fine. Or you could pay $7-10,000 and they'll give you 7 start hotels, 3 meals a day buffet style at the hotel, give you food at mina and arafah, private buses, etc.
Some don't even by any of these packages, they just get a group of people in their community and select a leader and go as a group. A group from Oklahoma, Tulsa did that and they were very well organized and i'm sure they saved a lot of money.
So it all varies.
There is also other expenses, such as sacrifice, mina tent cost, and administrative cost saudis charge you for. And then you need some money for your own expenses, buying food, shopping, hair cut after hajj, and bribe money when coming back to give to those greedy porters at the airport or they won't put your luggage on the plane.
You have to bribe people to put your luggage on the plane!?
Yes, they call it "buckshish", them billionaire airhead saudis don't even have a real airprot. It's just wide open area with tents. No chairs either, everyone was sitting or laying on the ground, resting till their flight time. you have to run around to find out where your airplane will be and what you need to do (unless your paying for those extra expensive packages, then they'll take care of it for you). Then the porters carry your luggage and drop it off by the plane with you and you get in a line. There's a supposedly "agent" ahead standing behind a podium with his little computer. He does his thing so you can get on the plane and gives the luggage to the guy standing behind him who will put it on the belt going into the plane. But he will leave it there and not put it on the belt unless you give them some "buckshish" or they will just move onto the next person behind you. We refused to pay and they took care of the people behind us. So we had no choice but to pay. Then we paid some money to the computer guy and the back guy ran forward for some too and we stood back and the computer guy gave him the "ok", he was tossing our luggage and zamzam water on the belt instead of putting it gently because he was all pissed because he didn't get some "buckshish" either. way to treat the hajjis....
those saudis as you call them have a special terminal speifially for hajj..dont forget they have to deal with millions at one time ..not an easy task,,,
and those porters are surely poor workers just eaning a lving like anyone else..in any country porters expect tips...
your so quick to criticise ,dont forget the billions beiong spent to constantly improve faciliteis in mecca..to give more space and cater for more people,,,the area for throwing stones used to be very dangerous because of crowds....now there are four seperate levels to mae it easier
running between safa and marwah used to be onstantly congested,now it has been widened and another level added...
so before youcriticise think of all the good things too,
and surely if your coming to hajj in a sacred place ,its not advisable to criticise in this way..
Assalaam walaikum,
You hit the problem on the nose. We do waste money. And we need to be aware of our responsibilities for wasting Allah's wealth.
Yet, the other side of the coin is this and tell me if I am on the right track.
We wish to fulfill an obligation from the bottom of our hearts. I guess it is not to be easy. We see how much the love of profit has filtered into what really should be minimal cost to pilgrims.
My question thus becomes are these mere obstacles that stand in our way to the spiritual retreat that is mandatory for us.
Does this make sense.
Assalaam walaikum,
Well not much seems to have changed....
InshaAllah, I believe it will all work out...as it is written.
Dumb dumb question: what happens to all the zakat that is collected?
zakat? you mean qurbani/sacrifice instead?
Millions of animals are slaughtered and meat distributed to the poor in other countries.