Bulukumba News – Chanting of the talbiah could be heard coming from the television screen. At the same time, the conversation group for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims was busy discussing departure schedules, suitcases, and preparations for the final rituals before heading to Mecca.
The 2026 Hajj season will again bring millions of Muslims from various corners of the world who are moving towards the Holy Land. However, in the midst of this spiritual atmosphere, the Imam and Director of the Jamaica Muslim Center actually invited us to see another side of the Hajj pilgrimage, which according to him is often forgotten.
“Every year millions of Muslims come to Mecca. But the question is, is the meaning of sacrifice in the Hajj really present in our social life?” said Shamsi Ali in an online interview on Sunday, May 17 2026.
The native son of Kajang Bulukumba admitted that he was concerned to see the phenomenon of some people who were willing to spend large amounts of money to perform Hajj repeatedly, while around them there were still many families living in economic difficulties.
According to him, Islam never separates ritual worship from caring for others.
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What is Mabrur Hajj?
In the interview, Shamsi Ali then told the classic story about Sa’id bin Muhafah, a shoe shiner from Damascus who was known in Ibn Mubarak’s history.
Sa’id has been saving for years to go on the Hajj. But all the savings were eventually given to a poor widow and her starving children.
“Therein lies the big message,” said Shamsi Ali.
“Mabrur Hajj is not only a physical journey to Mecca, but also the ability to provide real love and sacrifice to other humans.”
He believes that this story remains relevant today, especially amidst the increasing costs of Hajj travel and the social inequality that is still felt in many Muslim countries.
According to him, the main problem is not when people want to perform Hajj more than once, but rather when the pilgrimage loses its social dimension and turns into a symbol of prestige.
“Sometimes the title of Hajj is more sought after than the meaning of the Hajj itself,” he said.
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The meaning of the Hajj pilgrimage and social awareness
From New York, Shamsi Ali sees this problem not only happening in Indonesia, but also in the global Muslim community.
He said that many Muslim communities are very enthusiastic about carrying out religious rituals, but are not strong enough to build sustainable social awareness.
In fact, according to him, the core of Islamic teachings always places the relationship with God side by side with relationships between humans.
“If neighbors are still hungry, if there are still people having difficulty paying school fees, if there are still many families living without social protection, then the spirit of sacrifice in the Hajj needs to continue to be reflected on,” he said.
At the end of the interview, the sound of the talbiah from the live broadcast of the congregation’s departure sounded softly again in his room.
“Hajj teaches us to leave our ego behind,” said Shamsi Ali. “And sometimes the greatest sacrifice is not when we are on Arafat, but when we choose to put other people’s needs before our own desires.”
Amid millions of people preparing to head to the Holy Land, the question of the meaning of sacrifice in the Hajj remains close: who really needs our attention the most today.***
