Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Emphasises that Hajj Pilgrimage is not Religious Tourism, but a Spiritual Journey

Director of Hajj Supervision at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Rudy Ambary, has emphasised that the Hajj pilgrimage is an act of worship involving both material and physical efforts, requiring financial preparedness as well as bodily strength. “The material worship involved in Hajj necessitates costs, from travel and sustenance to personal provisions and more, while the physical worship requires a healthy body condition since the series of rituals involve bodily activities such as tawaf, sai, standing at Arafah, staying overnight in Mina, and throwing pebbles at the Jamarat,” he stated during an inspection of activities for 2,400 Hajj pilgrims from Depok City participating in the 2026 Depok City-Level Hajj Simulation held at Masjid Duyufurrahman, Jatijajar, as per an official statement on Tuesday (7/4). He also noted that Hajj is not religious tourism primarily aimed at sightseeing but a sacred worship imbued with spiritual values. “Hajj is not religious tourism, but a spiritual journey. In this journey, there will be various trials that teach pilgrims to be grateful and patient,” he said. According to him, if pilgrims can overcome these trials, they will attain a blessed Hajj, marked by sincerity, contentment, and patience. He reminded that no one truly “completes” learning about Hajj and Umrah, as each performance brings new experiences. “Hajj implementation is also influenced by many unpredictable factors since it takes place in a country with different rules, so pilgrims must be able to adapt,” he added. Rudy emphasised that Hajj pilgrims are guests of Allah, and each person has their own journey scenario. Therefore, patience is the key that will continually be tested during the pilgrimage. On the same occasion, Depok Mayor Supian Suri conveyed the “2S” message to the pilgrims: syukur (gratitude) and sabar (patience). He stressed that the opportunity to perform Hajj is a call from Allah SWT that not everyone receives. “The first is gratitude. The second is patience. In every condition during Hajj, pilgrims must be patient to carry out the worship well and return as blessed Hajj pilgrims,” he said. Meanwhile, the Head of the Depok City Hajj and Umrah Office, Fauzan, in his report stated that the number of Hajj pilgrims from Depok City this year reaches 2,400 people, an increase compared to the previous year. He described this quota increase as good news and a blessing for the people of Depok who have long awaited the opportunity to perform Hajj. In addition to guidance on worship procedures, pilgrims also received health materials as essential provisions during the Hajj rituals. The Hajj simulation guidance is conducted six times, consisting of one at the city level and five at the district level. Depok City’s Hajj pilgrims are scheduled to depart on 22 April 2026 via Cluster 1 from the Bekasi Hajj Hostel, West Java.