The Kaaba(center) is the direction, or Qibla, of the Islamic prayer(Photo by https://www.ancient-origins.net/artifacts-other-artifacts/kaaba-black-stone-holy-stone-outer-space-003661)
On Feb. 17, 2025, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah based in Saudi Arabia had announced that children were banned from performing Hajj, the Islamic pilgrimage, during the 2025 season.
For context, Hajj is the Islamic pilgrimage that Muslims take part in every year. Hajj is known to be one of the five pillars of Islam, making it an important aspect to all Muslims. Every year, Muslims travel from all around the world to Mecca, the holiest city in Islam.
Mecca’s importance in Islam comes from it being the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, an important figure in the Islamic religion. The direction of the Islamic prayer, or Salah, points towards Mecca, specifically the Kaaba, a black stone building. It is regarded as the center of the holiest mosque in Mecca.
Hajj can only be performed at a certain time, according to the Islamic calendar. Hajj takes place in Dhul Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar. During this pilgrimage, Muslims take part in different rituals over five days, which is meant to connect them with their own faith.
Because Hajj is very important in Islam, it is made mandatory for all Muslims to take part at least once in their life. However, there are exceptions for the elderly or those who aren’t financially stable. There is also a different type of Islamic pilgrimage known as Umrah, which can be done anytime. However, it can’t be performed as a substitute for Hajj.
The Saudi government had announced on Feb. 17 that children couldn’t perform Hajj this year. According to the ministry, they aim to protect children from intense crowding. It can get very crowded in Mecca due to the amount of pilgrims wanting to make Hajj, and children are put at risk of injury.
Some Muslims are happy that children are being protected, while others are upset that children are being forbidden from practicing their religious activities. Because of the intense crowding, pilgrims must register for the 2025 Hajj season to be able to make the pilgrimage. The ministry aims to give priority to those who haven’t made Hajj yet.
Ms. Wanko, a history teacher at IMS, shared her thoughts about the incident.
“I think that’ll be unfair for all children. You’re holding someone’s dream of visiting this place. They should be able to visit as part of their religion,” Wanko said.
Wanko also shared her idea on why she thinks the government made that decision.
“The government just wants to show their power to do something that’ll affect millions of people. They want to show that they can do anything they want. However, they’re doing it in the wrong way.”
Wanko also shared her opinion regarding the crowding issue in Mecca.
“Even with banning children from visiting, it won’t fix the problem itself. There’ll still be multiple people from countries around the world making their pilgrimage every year. All of those people will continue to make crowding a big issue.”