Deputy Hajj Minister hopes elderly prospective pilgrims focus on core worship

Tarakan, North Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister for Hajj and Umrah (Wamenhaj) Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak hopes that elderly prospective Hajj pilgrims will focus on core worship activities and not push themselves too hard to avoid draining their energy.

“The important thing is that they (elderly pilgrims) should not overdo worship activities, because 95 percent of Hajj worship is physical activity,” he said when interviewed regarding the elderly prospective Hajj pilgrims from North Kalimantan Province for the year 1447 Hijriah/2026 CE at Juwata International Airport in Tarakan on Monday.

“They must just focus on the core worship and not force themselves,” Dahnil stated.

The Deputy Minister stressed that the Indonesian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) has repeatedly warned Hajj officials, including Hajj and Umrah Worship Guidance Groups (KBIHU), not to encourage pilgrims to take city tours or repeated Umrah visits.

“We have also warned KBIHU so that their group leaders do not do that. If they do it, we will warn them,” he said.

The warning is serious, as several KBIHU groups have been threatened with licence revocation by Kemenhaj for creating too many city tour programmes and repeated Umrah visits, thus turning pilgrims into commodities.

“We want to stop treating pilgrims as commodities,” he asserted firmly.