North-Caucasian theologians treat Hajj cancellation as justified

Residents of Dagestan, Chechnya and the Krasnodar Territory are promised to have their money prepaid for the Hajj travel within two weeks; while in Kabardino-Balkaria, they had not taken money in advance. The decision of the Saudi authorities to abolish the international Hajj is justified in the pandemic condition; Islam admits Hajj non-fulfilment in case of an emergency, theologians have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in June, Saudi authorities announced the cancellation of the 2020 pilgrimage to Muslim shrines in Mecca and Medina because of coronavirus. The Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of Chechnya has suggested believers to take money back or to save reservations for the next year. They preferred to take money back referring to the "unstable situation."

Up to the last moment, Saudi authorities had doubts on whether to abolish the Hajj for foreign Muslims, but the decision has already been made, Khizbula Asuev, the head of the Russian Hajj Mission, has stated, treating this decision as correct.

According to Asuev, the Hajj will take place, but no more than 10,000 believers, who at the moment of border closure had already been in the territory of Saudi Arabia, will be able to make it.

According to his story, most Hajj travels were bought out in Dagestan.

Rashid Nagoev, a Mufti's Assistant, has noted that there had earlier been cases of Hajj cancellation in history, although this worship act is indispensable for Muslims. "There were about 40 cases of Hajj closing. The reasons were the elements, epidemics, wars, economic crises and attacks on Mecca," he said.

Russian Muslims are saddened by the 2020 Hajj cancellation, but agree with the good reason for such a decision. Sevil, a Dagestani woman, intended to perform Hajj with her husband and hoped that he would not be cancelled.