MUI: Hajj Fund Agency Cannot Cover Costs for Pilgrims Outside the Queue

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Cholil Nafis has stated that the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH) cannot bear the departure costs for pilgrims except from the maximised returns of profit-sharing funds managed during the waiting period. Cholil emphasised that if BPKH were to take money from the entitlements of pilgrims on the waiting list, such an action would be forbidden (haram).

He argued that the obligation to perform the hajj only applies to those who are capable, both physically and financially. Cholil explained that the cost of the pilgrimage should correspond to the amount deposited by the pilgrim plus the returns generated through investment. He asserted that there is no basis for a scheme where 40 per cent of the Hajj Travel Cost (Bipih) is paid by the pilgrim and 60 per cent is covered by BPKH-managed funds, or vice versa, as the managed funds belong to the pilgrims, not the government.

The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah previously proposed that for the 1448 Hijri pilgrimage, the Bipih paid directly by pilgrims would cover 40 per cent of the total Hajj Operational Cost (BPIH), while the remaining 60 per cent would be covered by the benefit value managed by BPKH. Deputy Minister Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak stated that this scheme is a form of government support to prevent the rising operational costs from increasing the financial burden on pilgrims. Under this proposal, if the total BPIH is set at Rp107 million, a pilgrim would pay approximately Rp42.8 million, with the remaining Rp64.2 million covered by the managed benefits.

The government proposed an average BPIH of Rp107.34 million per pilgrim for 2027, citing projected increases in components such as exchange rates, aviation fuel prices, flight tariffs, accommodation, and transportation. Dahnil noted that the proposed financing composition reverses the previous year’s scheme, where pilgrims paid 62 per cent of the BPIH and the value of benefits covered 38 per cent. He added that the optimisation of benefit values is possible due to accumulated funds from the suspension of departures during the 2020-2021 pandemic and limited departures in 2022. The proposal remains subject to detailed discussion with the House of Representatives’ Commission VIII before finalisation.