Women require spousal, parental consent for Haj, says religious affairs ministry

Published January 7, 2025
Women pilgrims circle the Kaaba and pray at the Grand Mosque as Saudi Arabia welcomes back pilgrims for the 2022 hajj season. — Reuters
Women pilgrims circle the Kaaba and pray at the Grand Mosque as Saudi Arabia welcomes back pilgrims for the 2022 hajj season. — Reuters

Women who are not granted permission by their husbands or parents will not be able to perform Haj, a statement from the Religious Affairs Ministry said on Tuesday.

This year, the Saudi government has allotted a total Haj quota of 179,210 pilgrims to Pakistan. Some 89,602 people will be performing the pilgrimage under the government scheme, while the rest will perform it through private tour operators, according to the ministry.

According to the 2025 Haj Policy document, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, women will be able to travel to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage alone subject to conditions set by the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII).

“As per the decision of the Council of Islamic Ideology taken in its session no. 232 held on 6th and 7th June 2023, female pilgrim (without mehram) shall be allowed for Haj subject to the conditions that: a) She has been allowed by her parents, and in case of married, by her husband. b) She will have a group of reliable female pilgrims and there is no threat to her dignity,” the document read.

In the past, Pakistani women were unable to travel to Saudi Arabia alone for pilgrimage.

But in 2021, the Saudi government lifted its ban on women travelling alone for the Haj and Umrah. The move was part of a campaign by the Saudi political leadership to improve the rights of women in the country.

The document further said that children below 12 would not be allowed to go for Haj and immunisation of vaccines approved by Saudi Arabia was mandatory.

Opinion

Editorial

Dangerous times
Updated 14 Feb, 2025

Dangerous times

Pakistan accounted for six journalist killings in 2024, of which three were deliberately murdered, according to the CPJ.
Difficult target
14 Feb, 2025

Difficult target

A ONE-two punch delivered by an unforeseen, sharp dip in inflation and an extremely slim base of taxpayers is...
Amazing show
14 Feb, 2025

Amazing show

PAKISTAN’S ability to turn it up at the flick of a switch remains uninhibited. The latest show came in...
Trump’s folly
Updated 13 Feb, 2025

Trump’s folly

This latest pronouncement only reinforces the fears of those who see the plan as a blueprint for ethnic cleansing.
Corruption ranking
13 Feb, 2025

Corruption ranking

IT comes as little surprise. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2024, unveiled on...
Support from remittances
13 Feb, 2025

Support from remittances

EVEN though workers’ remittances dipped, albeit negligibly, in January on a month-over-month basis, the earnings...