Nearly 2 million Muslims will make the greater pilgrimage to Mecca, or Hajj, next week.

Imam Steve Mustapha Elturk is President of the Islamic Organization of North America (IONA). He says this year, Hajj is different due to the ongoing war between Iran, the United States and Israel. 

“Many of our congregations are asking, ‘is it safe to go this year?’ It is very safe,” he says.

Elturk says the U.S. bases are far away from the holy cites in Mecca and Medina. 

“Saudi Arabia really does a great job in terms of safety and security. I’ve been going there for a dozen years, and I see it with my own eyes to make sure that the pilgrims are safe and secure,” he shares.

He says the systems have also changed from people booking Hajj travel through an agency to using the Nusuk app, which can be confusing for users.

“Then they offer you the packages. They ask me if I’m going or taking a group. I have not taken a group in the last few years since they launched the Nusuk… ” It’s different,” he reflects.

He says about a half dozen people are going to Hajj from his congregation this year, but he expects that more people are going from nearby suburbs of Detroit.

Elturk says, although he’s not going to Hajj this year, he provides spiritual guidance for his congregants if asked.

“I have had throughout the years, since some from our community who have gone there call me on the phone, say ‘we just finished this. I don’t know what should I do next, or I did this, is this correct?’ And I try to guide them over the phone sometimes at 3 o’clock in the morning because of the time differences,” he explains.

Hajj takes place during the eighth through 13th of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, following a lunar calendar. Pilgrims do specific tasks while they are in Hajj, what Elturk describes as an opportunity for repentance.

“Hajj is all about repentance, and the Prophet said, peace be upon him, ‘whoever performs Hajj, his or her pilgrimage is accepted, returns as the day he or she was born—in other words, sinless,'” he shares.

Pilgrims will perform Hajj from May 25-30.

About 2 million Muslims will perform Hajj, the greater pilgrimage in Saudia Arabia this month. But the U.S. Embassy of Saudia Arabia is asking pilgrims to reconsider their trip due to the ongoing war between Iran and the U.S.

Juber Ahmed, a pharmacist, and his mom Shamima Akther live in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

In January, Ahmed 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.

“Honestly, that feeling I still can’t find the words to express. I was in tears, did sajdah as-sukr, and then I hugged my mom, and both of us just were in tears,” he expresses.

Akter is 63 years old. She’s looking forward to going this year while she’s still physically able to make the rigorous journey.

“Alhamdulillah, I’ve been waiting for a long time to go to Hajj with my oldest son. It’s Allah’s will,” she exclaims. 

It’s a dream she’s had for more than 30 years, since her kids were little.

Ahmed and Akther are among a few thousand pilgrims from the United States who will perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Wahid Elfeky is a part of the Aleman Groups USA travel agency in New York, which has been around for 30 years. 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. He says now the number is closer to 5,000 people. 

Embassy warns travelers, but pilgrimage continues

In April, the U.S. Embassy of Saudi Arabia issued an alert, asking American pilgrims to reconsider going to Hajj due to the ongoing war between Iran and the U.S.

Ahmed sat his mom down and asked her if she wanted to postpone the trip. Akther says she feels a strong conviction to go this year. 

“I told my son, ‘I will go alone. Don’t go, you have two kids.’ My son said, ‘what are you saying, I am going to take you,'” she shares. 

Ahmed says he is still going.

“I know it’s a risk, but I also know that this chance may not come back around,” he says.

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 and encourages them to go, noting the U.S. military installations in Saudi Arabia are far from the holy sites.

“Definitely there’s nothing going on there in terms of war or missiles or anything of that sort,” he shares.

Faith over fear

In Washington D.C., Sana Imam is preparing to make the hajj later this month. The health policy and communications professional is going with her husband.

“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,” she explains.

For most Muslims, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Imam says she’s focusing her attention on preparing for the trip.

“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,” she says.

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 eighth and the 13th of the Islamic month Dhu al-Hijjah—that’s May 25- May 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.