Hajj is one of Islam’s five pillars and one of every Muslim’s greatest desires. Muslims all over the world wait for years to perform the duty, regardless of location, status, or cast.
The covid-19 halted the holy pilgrimage for two years, and only locals could perform the practice during that time; however, a million Muslims from around the world will now be able to perform the long-awaited practice.
The government has opened the application process for Pakistanis to perform Hajj. The following are the deadlines, eligibility requirements, selection procedure, and medical requirements:
Application Deadline
The application deadline for Hajj in Pakistan is May 9, 2022. To avoid mistakes, applicants are asked to follow the procedure outlined below.
Eligibility Criteria
Before proceeding with the Hajj application, the following criteria should be carefully considered:
- The age limit is 65 years (born after 15 August 1957)
- The CNIC (registered with NADRA)
- Passport International (machine-readable)
- The applicant has not performed hajj in the previous five years (2015-2019)
- Females must be accompanied by a “Mehram” (a relative considered Mehram in Islam includes a brother, father, husband, father in law, grandfather, etc.)
- The individual must be in good health and have been immunized against covid (medical certificate details are provided at the end).
Click here to explore the eligibility details.
Hajj 2022 Application Procedure and Package
Applicants for Hajj should follow the steps outlined below:
To begin the Hajj application process, applicants must first register online. You must create an account, enter your CNIC, and then fill out a form.
Note: Read the eligibility criteria carefully to avoid making mistakes that could lead to your application being rejected.
If you have any questions, please call +92-306-3332555 on WhatsApp (Ministry of Religious Affairs). If you are unable to register online, you can do so at a scheduled bank beginning on May 9th.
2. Deposit Token Money
After registering online, you must deposit a token amount of PKR 50,000 along with your application to a scheduled bank such as MCB, NBP, HBL, and so on. The total Hajj cost can range between PKR 0.7 million and PKR 1 million.
If the total amount for Hajj has been declared by the time you submit your application, you must include it. Remember to get a receipt from the bank when you deposit the money.
Selection Procedure
The applicants will be chosen based on the results of the balloting. There will be unbiased balloting, and applicants will be chosen in groups. The group that receives the most votes will perform Hajj with all of its members.
Hajj Groups
As previously stated, the Hajj selection procedure is based on balloting. Individuals are assigned to various groups, and when a group is chosen, all members of that group are eligible to perform Hajj.
These groups are later trained together, arrive at the Haji Camp together, and have the same arrival and departure dates. Hajj pilgrims also stay at the same location in Makkah and Madinah.
A group can have a maximum of 14 members, and families can join the same group by nominating a leader and applying.
Medical Certificate
To ensure that every pilgrim is healthy and eligible for Hajj, the government forbids applicants who have any of the following conditions:
- Diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension
- Cardiovascular disease
- Ischemia
- A disability that necessitates the assistance of another
- Females who are six months pregnant or more at the time of departure
A medical certificate attested by a doctor is required for all applicants applying for Hajj in 2022. The doctor may be affiliated with a provincial, federal, semi-government, armed forces or autonomous institute, or corporate hospital.
Last Words
Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that Muslims treasure deeply. Many people save their entire lives for the pilgrimage, so the process must be followed very carefully to avoid mistakes and inconvenience.
The application process, training, and documentation are all quite hectic and time-consuming, so it is best to plan ahead of time and keep all eligibility requirements in mind.
