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Some American Muslims are preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj as regional tensions associated with the Iran war continue to shape uncertainty around travel and family logistics. The pilgrimage, which officially starts on Monday, brings Muslims together for religious rituals and acts of worship as they fulfill one of Islam’s Five Pillars.
Faisal Rashid described a high-intensity scramble months earlier, saying he and his wife jumped out of bed at 3 a.m. to secure spots for this year’s Hajj before packages sold out. The moment, which came in February when the couple learned they had permits, “was a very, very joyful experience,” Rashid said, adding that his wife was already crying and praying and that they felt “very grateful that this happened.” He recalled that the process was not casual, saying, “It’s not something you just get,” and describing the Hajj as a journey he associates with being “brought up to think about how this is a very physically and emotionally enduring expedition.”
Rashid said the war’s emergence made the planning conversation more complicated for his family, with his father asking how the conflict would affect their plans and an aunt wondering whether a refund would be available if escalation occurred. Rather than turn that uncertainty into a primary focus, he said he has been leaning on religious guidance and the idea that people should make their best efforts and then release what they cannot control. “In Islam we’re taught that you’re supposed to do your very best effort but then let go of the things that … you don’t have control over,” he said. “I need to let go and feel that, ‘Hey, you know what, God is the best of planners.’”
For some travelers, official warnings and diplomatic signals have sharpened concerns about how the conflict could affect flights and connections. A key reference point for those heading to the region is U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks on Friday, when he said there was “slight progress” during talks with Iran over a potential peace deal. The comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was holding off on a military strike against Iran because “serious negotiations” were under way, while Trump also has been threatening that a ceasefire reached in April could end without a deal.
In April, the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh advised Americans to reconsider participating in this year’s Hajj, citing what it described as the “security situation and intermittent travel disruptions.” Ahmed Sufyan, a surgeon in Michigan, said the uncertainty attached to the war has added concern, particularly around flight disruptions on his return from the pilgrimage. His trip, he said, includes stops in Gulf countries that had been embroiled in the conflict that started on Feb. 28 with joint U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran and drew retaliatory strikes by Iran. Still, Sufyan said the faith element remains central. “There is some uncertainty with the war,” he said. “That does add a level of concern.” He added, “Still, he said, ‘the faith is what drives us.’”
Sufyan said he feels prepared to justify the trip because it is not a vacation. “If this were for vacation, he couldn’t have justified it. But Hajj is different,” he said, adding that the pilgrimage “transcends politics and conflict” and that his goal is to return “a better person.” He linked that aim to the structure of Hajj itself, saying, “To fulfill the Hajj requirements, you have to stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about your creator and putting things into perspective,” and describing the journey as a way to learn patience and humility.
Other pilgrims focused more directly on practical disruptions and what they would mean for family care. Noor-e-ain Shahid, a Texas neurologist, said war-related unpredictability upended plans for her children’s care while she and her husband go to Hajj. She had planned for the children to stay with family in Dubai after buying tickets, but she said by late April she decided there was too much uncertainty, including the possibility that things flare up in the region or that flight delays could leave her children stuck in Dubai. Shahid said her in-laws offered to stay with the children in the U.S. while she and her husband are away, and she said she was not worried about her own safety on the journey.
Shahid framed her decision in religious terms, saying, “If Allah has invited me, then Allah will take care of me,” and “And if Allah has decided my end is there in this situation, then, I mean, I accept that.” She said she was overwhelmed by emotions and described the pilgrimage as a kind of renewal. “It’s considered as rebirth,” she said. “You go there and you have an opportunity to become new when you come back and start over.”
As the start of Hajj nears, Rashid and his wife have taken steps to prepare for the physical demands and to enter the pilgrimage spiritually. Rashid said he and his wife have gone to the gym and walked in advance, and that new shoes must be broken in. He also said they gathered prayer requests from others and described a desire to approach the journey with a “clean slate.” “You want to go in spiritually with a clean slate, not with any kind of ill hearts or bitterness,” he said. “You don’t want to feel anxious about worldly things.”
Across the pilgrimage, Muslims from around the world arrive in large numbers and in diverse circumstances, which many pilgrims describe as a source of connection and unity. Even as Hajj this year is approaching amid uncertainty linked to the Iran war, multiple Americans interviewed said the pilgrimage’s religious purpose is what leads them to keep moving forward.
Associated Press writer Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi, India, contributed to this report.