by NADEEM BADSHAH
NEWLYWEDS BELIEVE HOLY TRIP ‘GETS THEIR MARRIAGE OFF TO A GOOD START’
MORE British Muslim newlyweds are swapping a beach honeymoon in Dubai for a pilgrimage to Mecca as they embark on their married lives.
Couples are doing the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia for their first holiday together, as they hope to get to know each other while carrying out religious duties, experts said.
Muslims, who are fasting for the month of Ramadan until mid-June, are planning their trips to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage which takes place in August.
Up to 25,000 British Muslims will book flights and hotels in Saudi Arabia to perform this year’s pilgrimage which costs around £5,000 per person. Followers of Islam can do Umrah at any time of the year outside the period of Hajj. The annual pilgrimage draws around four million people each year from around the world.
Mohamed Omer, a government adviser and spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, told Eastern Eye: “The physical challenge of Hajj and Umrah teaches the couple how patience and challenges they face in this trip will prepare for life’s challenges.
“Also, by meeting other people they will understand how fortunate they are to be privileged to be there.
“Spending your honeymoon on Umrah or Hajj is perhaps the best start to your married life.
“Marriage is a sunnah [practices and customs of the Prophet Muhammad] and is the start of your new life. And what better way to start with a spiritual journey so that they can spiritually charge themselves to face their new life?
“Muslims believe that when you perform Hajj, all your previous sins will be forgiven. Hence you start married life afresh.”
Hajj and Umrah involves walking around the Holy Kaaba structure seven times and travelling to the valley of Arafat for prayers while wearing a white tunic called the Ihram. It also includes walking back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwa seven times. Pilgrims taking part in Hajj are forbidden from having sex.
A number of Premier League footballers including Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Arsenal star Mesut Ozil have taken selfies of themselves while doing the pilgrimage in recent years.
*Kamrul, 29, said he met six British couples staying at the same hotel as him when he went for Hajj last year with his mother.
The father-of-one told Eastern Eye: “They all told me this was their first big trip together. Rather than forking out hundreds of pounds on a honeymoon to Dubai or somewhere in the Caribbean, they rather spend it on something more worthwhile such as the Hajj, which is obligatory in Islam for those who can afford it.
“For them the conventional honeymoon holiday wasn’t a priority and it was refreshing to hear that they were happy to push it back for Hajj instead.
“It appears that the hardships and sacrifices involved in the some of the rituals also helped in creating a stronger bond between the couples. One of them told me ‘It gets our marriage off to a good start. If we can do the Hajj together then everything else should be plain sailing.’
“It was common for people to go when they were old but now Muslims have become aware that it’s better to do it while they are still young as it can be quite demanding.”
Naz, 34, from Surrey, went for Hajj for his first trip abroad with his wife.
He said: “This was a more of a spiritual journey together rather than a honeymoon, seeking Allah’s blessing and in the hope of this experience strengthening the bond of our marriage and making it last a lifetime.
“Our prayers have been answered as we have been married for seven years and have two beautiful kids. The experience was amazing and I truly believe that this is the best way to start a new relationship.”
* Name has been changed
