News from the Palace on Monday (28\/09\/2026) felt like an oasis for\nmillions of Muslim families who have spent years setting aside resources\nto perform the pilgrimage at the Kaaba. Following a meeting with\nPresident Prabowo Subianto, the Minister and Deputy Minister of Hajj and\nUmrah announced that the Hajj queue, which was previously 49 years and\nlater reduced to 26 years, has now averaged only 14 years. While this\nnews is certainly cause for gratitude, because it is good news, it is\nworth examining with a cool head. Now that the queue has become 14\nyears, what follows?<\/p>\n
This figure resulted from what is known in policy terms as \u2018data\ncleansing\u2019. Out of 5.7 million names in the queue, approximately 400,000\nwere declared invalid, some suspected to belong to deceased prospective\npilgrims and others being duplicate entries. The Deputy Minister of Hajj\nand Umrah estimates that the initial deposit funds related to this\namount reach Rp 10 trillion. The Hajj Financial Management Agency\n(BPKH), the authority responsible for managing initial deposits and\ntheir investment returns, has ensured that these funds remain\nintact.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, such certainty does not yet answer public questions.\nHow many have actually passed away, and how many are merely duplicates?\nIn which accounts is this money stored, and where has the investment\nbenefit flowed all this time? How are heirs notified, and how long must\nthey wait for the return of deposits or the transfer of their portion?\nThese questions are not suspicions, but rather the rights of pilgrims\nregarding the trust they have placed in the state.<\/p>\n
It should also be noted that the 14-year figure is the average\nwaiting period for pilgrims departing this year, not an estimate for\nthose registering this week. If this distinction is not clearly\nexplained, good news could turn into false hope. Reports suggest the\nPresident has also ordered a forensic audit of Hajj finances. If true,\nthis momentum should be used to open up queue and deposit data\nperiodically, by province, and accessible to everyone.<\/p>\n
Institutional Capability<\/p>\n
The 2026 Hajj season, the first under the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah,\nactually left positive notes. The number of deceased pilgrims dropped by\nalmost half, and the pilgrim satisfaction index according to BPS reached\n83.28. However, there were also frustrating notes, as old stories\nrepeated themselves: hotel rooms did not match capacity, facilities were\nbroken, pilgrims were separated from their families, and Mina tents were\novercrowded. The Minister of Hajj and Umrah even admitted to being \u2018far\nfrom satisfied\u2019 with the implementation in Mina.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on this, these issues invite us to re-examine the concept\nof \u2018istita\u2019ah\u2019 (capability) as taught in classical Islamic texts. When\ninterpreting QS Ali \u2018Imran [3]: 97, regarding the obligation of Hajj for\nthose who are \u2019able to undertake the journey\u2019, classical commentators\nlink this to having the necessary provisions and transport. Scholars\nlike Sheikh Ahmad al-Sawi expand this to mean being able to arrive\nwithout extreme hardship, with soul and wealth being safe. Sheikh Nawawi\nal-Bantani further emphasises that capability includes sufficient\nprovisions, safety of travel, and providing for the family left behind\nuntil the pilgrim returns.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, today, \u2018transport\u2019 and \u2018road safety\u2019 are no longer\nentirely in the hands of the pilgrims. Everything is determined by\nquotas, visas, service provider contracts, airlines, and even tent plots\nin Arafah and Mina. This means part of the burden of capability has\nshifted to the shoulders of the state, which I call \u2018institutional\ncapability\u2019.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia has set a disciplined timeline for the 2027 Hajj without\ndispensations. Consequently, the government must move quickly yet\nmeasuredly. Agreements for Hajj arrangements and airline contracts must\nbe finalised by 8 November 2026, while service package contracts through\nNusuk Masar must be completed by 23 January 2027. The Rp 4 trillion\nadvance payment proposed by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to secure\ntent positions should be supported, provided oversight is transparent.\nIt would be advisable for the Ministry to release a periodic readiness\ndashboard so the public knows which contracts have been signed and the\nkey contents of each agreement.<\/p>\n
The same applies to costs. The 2027 Hajj Fee (BPIH) proposal averages\nRp 107.34 million, an increase of about Rp 19.9 million, with a 40\npercent portion from pilgrims and 60 percent from investment benefits.\nThe President subsequently suggested a composition of approximately 52\nto 48 to avoid burdening prospective pilgrims. Certainty regarding these\nfigures must not be delayed, as last season\u2019s second payment phase\nlasted only one week and the third phase only three days. It must be\nremembered that the investment benefits are sourced from the funds of\nmillions of pilgrims still in the queue; every rupiah is a\nmulti-generational trust.<\/p>\n
Health capability must also be resolved at the source. Medical\nexaminations should be completed before final payment, results from\ncommunity health centres should be randomly audited, and pilgrims whose\ndepartures are delayed must be given certainty regarding their portion,\nfunds, and options for \u2018badal\u2019 (proxy). Similarly, placement data must\nbe locked in early. The case of pilgrims being separated from their\nspouses and companions in 2026 stemmed from unsynchronised data.\nTherefore, before the data input deadline of 28 January 2027, data\nregarding mahram (family members), elderly companions, and flight groups\nmust be integrated with the contracts.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/after-the-hajj-queue-drops-to-14-years-what-next-1790945687", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }