People do not realize that there just isn’t enough space, which is why stampedes occur so frequently during Haj these days
I was among the over two million people who performed Haj in 2004. In Saudi Arabia, residents are allowed to perform Haj once every five years. Unfortunately, people, specially of the Indo-Pakistan origin, pay no heed to this restriction. They do not realize that the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) performed only one Haj. Islam also requires that those who perform Haj change their lifestyle to reflect the teachings of Islam in the truest sense.
The Saudi government requires that those intending to go for Haj get proper documents and procedures (meningitis shots, declaring the individual’s blood type and proceeding on the journey through Muatiffs or Mualims registered with the government who provide proper accommodation, transport and food during the five days of Haj).
But there are people who perform Haj every year illegally. I came across several people who had performed Haj a number of times. A Pakistani girl barely in her 20s was on her eighth Haj. Getting by the checkposts just outside Makkah is comparatively easy. It is not possible to check the millions of people who go through the gates. Also, some guards are uncomfortable stopping people clad in the Ahram. And even when people are stopped, they simply retrace their steps and come back.
Initially, the Saudi government had imposed a system of fines. Any pilgrim without proper documentation would be fined SR1,000. Around SR400 would be used as Dum to slaughter a sheep or goat (Dum is an Islamic requirement, a compensation given when a person makes an unintentional mistake in the performance of Haj). The rest of the money was intended as punishment to keep the person away from performing illegal Haj. But it did not work.
This year, too, there were scores of people trying all the tricks in the book to hoodwink the authorities. Taxi and bus drivers make a fortune helping people get to Makkah through back roads. One of our friends, who had already done Haj less than five years ago, took his extended family this year. He hired a GMC Suburban and the driver charged SR6,000 to get them to Makkah. In the first attempt, they were stopped and were returned. They waited for a couple of hours until the traffic to Makkah was extremely heavy. They got in without any problem.
I asked a few people why they performed Haj using such trickery. One of them told me, “The government has no right to put a limit. It is our business how many Haj we perform. I’ve done my Haj, but every year I do Haj-i-Badal for the deceased in my family, like my grandparents, uncles. Why shouldn’t I avail this golden opportunity while I’m in Saudi Arabia?”
Most people do not feel that they are doing anything wrong by performing Haj illegally. “If it’s a sin, it will be forgiven on the Day of Arafat, when all sins are forgiven,” said one person. But the fact that it is illegal make a big difference. The Mina Valley is scattered with the illegal camped out on the streets. There is always a shortage of bathrooms. These people answer the call of nature in the few bushes around, while others do it against a wall, in full public view. As I walked across Mina on the way to Jamarat, the stench and garbage hardly made me feel like I was on Haj. And then there was the stampede ... there just isn’t enough space, which is why stampedes occur.
Even in some camps, the atmosphere is not that of reverence. Most people in our camp had done several Haj. They were like pros, and advised the first-timers about rites and rituals. There were a lot of arguments over women stoning the devils, people living in Jeddah needing to perform the farewell Tawaf, and the quality of food. Almost everyone (including me) was armed with a cell phone and most of us kept getting SMS and calls. It was like we had never really left home.
Children also added to the distraction. Everywhere in the bathrooms there were soiled diapers and women washing away their children in the area reserved for ablution (Wudu). Most of the women in our camp were Pakistanis with some education and had lived in Saudi Arabia for many years. Still, they did not bother to wrap up the diapers properly and deposit them in the bins.
In spite of everything, Haj is a beautiful experience, a must-do for all who can afford it. But Muslims need to understand that it’s not a tour or a trip but a commitment, a practice for being tolerant, kind and grateful. There is a saying by the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him), the essence of which is that one day there will be more travellers to Haj than Hajis themselves. Have we reached that point in time?
People do not realize that there just isn’t enough space, which is why stampedes occur so frequently during Haj these days 
