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For many Muslims, making the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a sacred obligation. But the U.S. State Department is asking Americans to rethink any travel to Saudi Arabia because of the war on Iran. Nargis Rahman from member station WDET in Detroit reports.
(SOUNDBITE OF DOOR OPENING)
SHAMIMA AKTHER: (Speaking Bangla).
NARGIS RAHMAN, BYLINE: (Speaking Bangla).
AKTHER: (Speaking Bangla).
RAHMAN: Juber Ahmed and his mom, Shamima Akther, live in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Artar greets me in Bangla at the door.
(SOUNDBITE OF DOOR CREAKING)
RAHMAN: Juber Ahmed is a pharmacist. In January, he found out he and his mom's applications to perform Hajj were accepted after months of waiting. He dropped to his knees and performed a prayer of gratitude.
JUBER AHMED: Honestly, that feeling, I still can't find the words to express. I was in tears - (speaking Bangla). And then I hugged my mom, and both of us just were in tears.
RAHMAN: His mom, Akther, is 63 years old. Akther is looking forward to going this year while she's still physically able to make the rigorous journey.
AKTHER: (Speaking Bangla).
RAHMAN: It's a dream she's had for more than 30 years. Ahmed and Akther are among a few thousand pilgrims from the United States who will join the 1.5 million people this year performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia. Wahid Elfeky is part of the Aleman Groups USA travel agency in New York. He says that until 2019, as many as 16,000 people from the United States would make the Hajj each year. But Saudi Arabia has instituted quotas to prevent overcrowding.
WAHID ELFEKY: Right now it's - from America, it's, like,4,000 to 5,000.
RAHMAN: In April, the U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a travel alert, asking American pilgrims to reconsider going to Hajj due to the ongoing war between Iran and the U.S. So Ahmed sat his mom down and asked her if she wants to postpone the trip.
AKTHER: (Speaking Bangla).
RAHMAN: Akther says she feels a strong conviction to go this year. She told her son to stay behind, as he has two small children. But he says he won't miss this chance.
AHMED: I know it's a risk, but I also know that this chance may not come back around.
RAHMAN: Performing the pilgrimage at least once is mandatory for all able-bodied Muslims who can afford the costs of travel. Imam Steve Mustapha Elturk is the co-chair of the Imams Council of Michigan. He says several people have asked him whether they should still go. He assures them it's safe. U.S. military installations in Saudi Arabia are far from the holy sites.
STEVE MUSTAPHA ELTURK: I really encourage them. So, definitely, there's nothing going on there in terms of war or missiles or anything of that sort.
RAHMAN: In Washington, D.C., Sana Imam is preparing to make the Hajj later this month.
SANA IMAM: I'm still planning to go because the level of spiritual transformation that is possible to experience at Hajj might not be possible anywhere else for a lot of Muslims.
RAHMAN: Imam says she's focusing her attention on preparing for the trip.
IMAM: I've been doing, like, 30 minutes on the StairMaster machine every time I go to the gym, just because Hajj involves miles on foot every day. Spiritually, I've been trying to slow down my prayers instead of rushing through them.
RAHMAN: Although she's concerned about the ongoing war, Imam says she's leaning on her faith to get through this time of uncertainty. Hajj is performed between the 8 and the 13 of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, which follows a lunar calendar. This year, that's May 25 until the 30. For many American Muslims, the opportunity to go to Hajj outweighs their fear of not going to perform one of the greatest acts of worship in Islam.
For NPR News, I'm Nargis Rahman in Detroit.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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