Indonesian Muslims Face Up to 40-Year Wait for Hajj Pilgrimage, Says Top Islamic Leader

Indonesian Muslims Face Up to 40-Year Wait for Hajj Pilgrimage, Says Top Islamic Leader
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Indonesian Muslims may have to wait as long as 40 years to perform the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Anadolu Agency reported citing local sources.

Yahya Cholil Staquf, chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) — one of the world’s largest Islamic organizations by membership — expressed his concerns about the prolonged waiting period during the 49th Hajj symposium held on Sunday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as reported by the Jakarta Globe.

Despite Indonesia being the country with the largest Muslim population and holding the biggest Hajj quota of 220,000 pilgrims annually, the demand far exceeds the available slots. Currently, over 5.5 million Indonesians are registered for Hajj, resulting in estimated waiting times ranging from 20 to 40 years.

Yahya suggested that enforcing a once-in-a-lifetime Hajj policy could help distribute quotas more fairly among pilgrims.

For 2025, Saudi Arabia’s Hajj policy anticipates nearly 2 million pilgrims worldwide. Riyadh allocates pilgrimage quotas mainly based on the Muslim population of each country, following a 1987 resolution by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which permits one pilgrim per 1,000 Muslims. The latest policy prioritizes first-time pilgrims for quota allocation.