The cost of making hajj is going up in virtually every country every year. Saving money to make hajj is difficult. It may also be a start and stop process, when funds saved for hajj must be withdrawn and utilized for family emergencies instead. It takes a lot of discipline to not tap into your hajj fund during a crisis, but if you tap into the fund each time there is a problem, how will you ever save enough to make hajj? There are no easy or universal answers. Only Allah knows who will be successful in the endeavor.
Some Muslims have tried to invest their money to have enough for hajj, but made the mistake of putting their money into Western financial instutions instead of Islamic ones. These Muslims, like many others around the world, have most likely suffered substantial losses in the past year. Islamic institutions that followed the Shariah did not sustain such heavy losses. Some companies, like Amana, even excelled in this last, very tough year.
For Muslims who are trying to pay off credit cards in addition to, or perhaps instead of saving for hajj, now is a good time to negotiate with credit card companies. According to a New York Times article, banks are now trying to negotiate settlements rather than having to take a complete loss on the accounts of struggling cardholders. That news should give some hope for a little financial space, after debts are paid, in which to begin planning for hajj.
Saving for hajj requires the same patience, planning and self-discipline as does the hajj itself. There are setbacks and hurdles, failures and successes along the way. And just like the hajj itself, all phases of preparation for hajj need help and guidance from Allah.
Posted by Umm Umar 
