British Muslims hoping to make the Hajj to the Muslim holy city of Mecca are at risk of losing thousands of pounds after the Saudi government introduced online bookings.
Hajj pilgrims are asked to use a website to register their interest, after which there will be a lottery to decide who will go on Hajj.
Some of the British pilgrims have already made bookings with Hajj tour operators and now their money is in danger of being wasted after the imposition of new conditions by the Saudi Arabian government.
It should be noted that Hajj is a religious duty for all Muslims who can afford it. That is, Muslims who can afford Hajj are obliged to perform Hajj once in a lifetime.
The cost of a pilgrimage from the UK can range from ہزار 6,000 to ہزار 10,000. Many Muslims save for this amount throughout the year.
Fehmida, pseudonym, is 30 years old and lives in the North West of the United Kingdom. She said she had been waiting for two years to go to Mecca to perform Hajj with her family and relatives.
She had registered with a local travel agent to make arrangements for the pilgrimage and was excited to fulfill an important part of her faith.
Fehmida said she was heartbroken when she heard that she and her husband would have to book online. According to Fehmida, it was a very disturbing situation that made us cry. Fehmida was also uncertain about the use of the new digital booking system.
"They did not know what kind of service they would get, and whether they would be able to visit all the historical sites, how much the trip would cost, and if something went wrong," she said. In that case, who to complain to?
Despite her concerns, she registered her and her husband's name for the Hajj through a digital portal, but she is worried about how much time she may need to prepare for the trip.
According to him, if you think in practice, it does not seem possible to go for this journey. I have kids who go to school. They play football and cricket, go to madrassas to study.
Yasmeen Qureshi, head of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Hajj and Umrah, has written a letter to Hajj and Umrah Minister Tawfiq bin Fouzan al-Rubayeh requesting that the implementation of the new system be postponed until next year.
The BBC has also been given the letter to read, in which Yasmeen Qureshi asked if the money paid to Saudi service providers would be refunded.
He also said that he was worried that the Muslims who had postponed their pilgrimage in the year 2020, if their Hajj could not be possible this year, then they are facing a big financial loss.
He is also concerned about how the money of pilgrims will be protected under the new scheme. Yasmeen Qureshi has requested that "definitely for this year, the portal system should not be introduced as it will not solve the problem."
According to him, if all matters do not go well, then who will you complain to? It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.
Earlier, about 25,000 pilgrims from the UK used to travel for Hajj every year. According to some reports in the Arab media, that number could be halved this year.
Travel agents in the UK who specialize in arranging Hajj for pilgrims are also worried as they too will have to bear the financial loss. Mohsin Shah, a travel agent based in Manchester, and his London-based companions were to take 48 pilgrims to Mecca later this month.
He said that now all the aspirants will have to book online again and they do not know how many of them will be able to get visa now.
He charged up to 500 9,500 per person for arrangements at the five-star hotel and then paid the hotel and transport providers in Makkah out of that amount.
According to him, this situation will have a huge financial impact on them because we are not sure what is going to happen and that is why we have already booked hotels and transport under the old system.
There are more than 3.7 million Muslims in the UK, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
All Hajj pilgrims from Europe, USA and Australia will also have to use the new online portal to book their Hajj.
The news agency contacted the licensed Hajj Organizers UK, an independent industry watchdog, and the Council for the British Hajj UK for comment.
The Saudi government has also been asked to comment. However, no response has been received so far.
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