Fifty-six-year-old Nadia Uwambaye Balinda of Kigarama Sector, Kicukiro District has been saving up to make it for the Muslim holy pilgrimage commonly known as Hajj for the last 12 years. Balinda says that besides being a staunch Muslim, she decided to commit herself to make the journey after she beat breast cancer which she battled in her early 40s. To her, this journey was meant to embody everything from gratefulness to thanksgiving. However, with the strict guidelines imposed by all countries all over the world, Balinda and more than 200 other Rwandan Muslims will, for the second year in a row, not make it to Mecca. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has issued a statement stating that due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has decided to allow only citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia to attend Hajj this year in limited numbers and consequently, the international Hajj has been cancelled for the second year in a row. “I feel like I have been waiting all my life. At my age, I feel strong enough to make the journey but with the Covid-19 challenges, I am beginning to wonder if I will make my dream trip,” she says. The Spokesperson of the Mufti of Rwanda told The New Times in a telephone interview that every year, at least 100 Muslims make it to Mecca for the pilgrimage. He said that before the pandemic, the journey would cost approximately Rwf3.7 million per Muslim and by this year, it has moved up to Rwf4 million. “This includes a return air ticket and accommodation but most choose low budget tents that are prepared for them ahead of time. So basically it is a loss for the Muslims who won’t make the journey but also Saudi Arabia loses billions after this cancellation,” he said. Why the pilgrimage is important The holy pilgrimage is one of the five pillars of Islam and all able-bodied Muslims are required to make it once in their lifetime. Khalifa Mwiseneza, an Islamic Scholar, told The New Times that the journey must only be made if it will not have a negative financial effect on the family that is staying behind. “Should one be financially able but physically not, they can delegate someone else and sponsor them for the trip. This is equivalent to making the journey themselves,” he said. The believers from around the world travel to the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca every year to take part in a series of rituals intended to bring about greater humility and unity among Muslims. The Hajj is seen as a chance to wipe clean past sins and an opportunity to start on a clean slate. Others make the journey to deepen their faith, with some women taking on the Islamic hair covering known as “hijab” upon returning. Mwiseneza said that for five days, a specific set of rituals are performed including circling Islam’s most sacred site; the cube-shaped ‘Kaaba’ counter-clockwise seven times while reciting prayers on the first day. Mwiseneza says that on the second day, the pilgrims head to Mount Arafat where they engage in one of the most important rituals of the pilgrimage. They scale a hill called the “Mountain of Mercy” where Prophet Muhammad delivered his final sermon, reminding his followers of women’s rights and unity among Muslims among other teachings,” he said. Around sunset, pilgrims head to an area called Muzdalifa, nine kilometres away where they spend the night picking up stones along the way that will be used in a symbolic stoning of the devil back in Mina, where Muslims believe the devil tried to talk Ibrahim out of submitting to God’s will. The last three days of the Hajj are marked by a final circling of the Kaaba and casting stones in Mina. Men often shave their heads at the end as a sign of renewal. The final days of Hajj coincide with Eid al-Adha, or the festival of sacrifice, celebrated by Muslims around the world to commemorate Ibrahim’s test of faith. On this day, Muslims slaughter livestock and distribute the meat to the poor. In 2017, more than 100 Rwandan Muslims made the journey together for the first time on the same plane availed by the government at a discount of 30 per cent of the flight charges.
