Hilal bin Hussein Al-Qurashi

Editor-in-Chief of The Third Bank | Encyclopedia of Knowledge Enrichment for the Non-Profit Sector

When Professor Abdulaziz Bourahma, the CEO of Al-Rukn Al-Khamis Company, spoke at the "Endowment Sustainability and Savings Funds" meeting about his company's intervention in supporting a group of Pakistani pilgrims whose organizational or financial circumstances faltered, it was clear that this action was not just a temporary rescue, but a reflection of a deeper vision that reconsiders the concept of support itself.

The speaker surpassed the idea of donating for Hajj as a "conditional grant based on immediate circumstances" to a more sustainable model based on legitimate financial tools and long-term investment that serves a wider category of needy pilgrims.

And here arises the question of the article:

Should we continue to offer Hajj grants, or redesign them as an enabling savings plan?

Why is the "Hajj Grant" being reproduced in the same way?

In many Islamic countries, charitable Hajj campaigns are funded either through seasonal donations, small surplus endowments, or individual initiatives. Despite their virtues, this traditional model faces three structural problems:

  1. Lack of sustainability: Hajj funding often relies on an emotional season or a temporary benefactor, rather than a permanent financial system.
  2. Absence of fairness in targeting: Beneficiaries are selected through mechanisms that sometimes lack clear or transparent criteria.
  3. The passive role of the recipient: The beneficiary is not given the opportunity to gradually contribute to the costs of their Hajj, making them entirely dependent on others.

From emergency intervention to financial design: what Al-Rukn Al-Khamis proposed

In discussing the support for Pakistani pilgrims, Bourahma pointed out that their company does not view Hajj as a seasonal donation opportunity, but as a meeting point between Islamic financing, social investment, and service for the ritual.

This perspective was clear in their proposal of models such as:

  • Monthly savings programs starting from early ages, investing their funds according to Sharia.
  • Takaful insurance as a tool to protect both the pilgrim and the funder.
  • Redirecting endowment returns to serve those unable to perform Hajj within a financial framework that does not rely on grants but on returns.

These practices signify a radical shift in the philosophy of "support":

From a gift that is granted, to a plan that is designed.

From a hierarchical relationship (giver/recipient) to a partnership based on savings, mutual support, and investment.

Why do we need this transformation today?

Because the data has changed:

  • The cost of Hajj has become equivalent to several months or years of income in some countries, as mentioned in the meeting.
  • The ceiling of traditional support does not cover the increasing demand, especially with inflation and limited seats.
  • The endowment sector possesses untapped financial resources that can be directed to collective Hajj savings funds.

And most importantly: because Hajj, as a pillar of Islam, deserves management that matches its value, not its seasonality.

What could happen if we redefine support?

  • We will grant every Muslim child in the world the opportunity to start their "Hajj journey" from the age of 5 or 6 by opening a small savings account.
  • Endowment institutions will shift from distributing grants to designing legitimate Takaful funds.
  • The disparity between the rich and the poor in the opportunities to perform the obligation will decrease, as support will not be tied to relationships but to merit and savings.

Between a granted grant and a built plan

In the scene conveyed by the meeting about funding some Pakistani pilgrims, we witnessed a bright example of mutual support. Yet, it remains similar to a first aid that cannot establish a sustainable health system.

What we need today is to move from first aid to the financial infrastructure for the Hajj obligation.

Redefining support is not an organizational luxury but a jurisprudential and economic necessity at a time when the cost of worship is becoming more complex, and the gap between ambition and ability is widening.

And because Hajj is a pillar, it not only deserves to be supported... but to be planned for.

You can watch the full meeting on the Future Investment Channel:

Full meeting here.