Hajj Ticket Auction Concept Still Immature, MUI Urges Ministry to Focus on This Year's Hajj Organisation
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Deputy General Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Kyai Cholil Nafis, has urged the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) to focus on organising the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage, which is now just weeks away.
He stated that the immature concept of war tickets could be set aside to ensure that the inaugural Hajj under the new ministry runs smoothly.
“I think we should concentrate first on the implementation of the Hajj pilgrimage. Especially since this is the first for the Ministry of Hajj. Focus first to ensure the Hajj runs well and successfully; that concept should not disrupt the preparations that are now close,” Cholil said in his statement on Wednesday (15/4/2026).
This is because various impacts will arise, such as changes in legislative aspects to Hajj financial management.
“This concept has its good sides, but it requires in-depth studies, both in terms of regulation, justice, waiting lists, and Hajj finances,” he added.
He also provided two suggestions that should be considered to ensure the war ticket concept upholds the principle of justice.
“The second, the system also needs to be wary of. It could become a new loophole, for example, scalping from the quick entry system and so on,” he said.
Minister of Hajj and Umrah of the Republic of Indonesia, Mochamad Irfan Yusuf, stated that he is willing to end the war ticket idea if the concept is deemed too premature to proceed.
“If it is considered too premature, we will close it for now until today, while we complete the Hajj that is right in front of us,” Irfan said during a working meeting with Commission VIII of the DPR RI in Jakarta on Tuesday (14/4/2026).
“This one that has been buzzing, I admit, the war ticket, this war ticket is indeed a concept that we are discussing in the Ministry of Hajj, and if asked who is responsible, I am the one who first threw out the term war ticket,” Irfan stated.
The war ticket scheme concept was proposed by Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak as one option in organising the Hajj pilgrimage.
“In the future, if Saudi opens its quota in large numbers, we will open two schemes. The first is the existing queue scheme. The second scheme is the one using the term by the Minister (Irfan Yusuf), which is war ticket,” Dahnil said.