Labbaik Allaahumma Labbaik. Labbaika La shareeka laka Labaik. Innal hamda wannimata laka wal mulk.  Laa shareeka Lak….

(Here I am at your service, oh Lord, here I am – here I am. No partner do you have.  Here I am. Truly, the praise and the favor are yours, and the dominion. No partner do you have.)

9th December 2023

By B R Abdul Wajid

“Aspiring pilgrims for Haj 2024 received the good news as the Haj Committee of India has officially opened online applications from December 4, 2023, to December 20, 2023.”

According to the announcement for Haj 2024 released by  “Leyaqat Ali Aafaqui” IRS, Chief Executive Officer Haj Committee of India, it states that “Haj – 2024 will be organized under Haj Policy-2023 as per Ministry of Minority Affairs OM dated 29.11.2023. The process of filling of applications for Haj-2024 through Haj Committee of India shall commence online from 04.12.2023 and will close on 20.12.2023. Haj Application Forms can be filled and submitted online at website of Haj Committee of India http://hajcommittee.gov.in or through the android Mobile App “Haj Suvidha”. Applicants are advised to read the Guidelines/Undertaking carefully before filling Haj Application Forms. Machine readable valid Indian International Passport issued before the closing date of application and valid upto 31.01.2025 is must.”

Haj, is the fifth pillar of Islam and the most significant manifestation of Islamic faith and unity. Undertaking the Haj at least once is a duty for Muslims who are physically and financially able to make the journey to Makkah. The pilgrimage is the religious high point of a Muslim’s life and an event that every Muslim dreams of undertaking. Haj, however, is performed during a five-day period from the ninth through the thirteenth of Dhu Al-Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Muslim lunar calendar. Haj is a spiritual journey, throughout the Haj, the largest annual gathering of people on Earth, the pilgrimage is marked by a total absence of any disagreements or altercations among the pilgrims. Courtesy and helping others are the norm. Peace, serenity and piety pervade the entire pilgrimage and the pilgrims.

Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Government of India on Haj 2024

In her statement to the media, Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, highlighted the significance of the previous year’s Haj for Muslim women in India, noting that over 4,300 women undertook the pilgrimage without a Mehram (male guardian). She emphasized that 47% of the Haj pilgrims in the previous year were women. The Minister also announced the issuance of the Haj policy for 2024 by the Indian Government, with special arrangements for Divyang citizens, as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s insistence. Additionally, discussions with the Saudi Arabian Minister included concerns about women’s security and facilities for Divyang travelers.