Hajj & Seek
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What is Hajj and why is it significant in Islam?
Ali, mate, what is Hajj? It's basically a halal Glastonbury. No, Ali, don't dumb it down for me. What actually is Hajj? The fifth pillar of Islam, an annual pilgrimage. Ali, stop pandering. I don't want textbook definitions. I want nuance and detail. I've watched Slumdog Millionaire, I drink masala tea, and I've been to four entire Asian weddings. Tell me about Hajj like it's never been spoken about before. Alright, James. Here goes nothing. That is the sound of intense worship from Mount Arafat. Millions of Muslims gather every year to perform their spiritual obligation known as Hajj. In 2024, I was somewhere up there on that mountain. Hudge, a word you may remember from RE lessons and still not know it has two Js.
Hudge has been top of my bucket list since I was a kid, just above learning how to juggle and solving a Rubik's cube. I know, banging bucket list, bruv. I always thought I'd do Hudge much later in life, like properly old and gray type situation. You know, like when they finally fixed the potholes in my area, when Fast and Furious stopped doing sequels, or when people shut up about air fryers. But then you live a little and see a lot and your thinking matures. What if I never reach old age and I'm gone before I can complete the last pillar of Islam? What will I tell my creator? Ya Allah, I didn't go Hajj but I can juggle. Come on now. Welcome to Hajj and Seek. A journey where you find yourself but lose your patience.
And if you're my dad, your shoes as well. True story. Let's get into it. Hajj and Seek with Ali Sharlow. Salaams and salutations. My name is Ali Shalom, a.k.a. Ali Official, a comedian, actor and content creator. I'm a Muslim in a non-Muslim space, trying to be a Muslim, which can be tricky. It's like trying to be halal in a casino. I shouldn't be here. But then slowly I realized that, yo, they sell curry here. And that waiter serving it is Asian. And he's my cousin. And then together we take over the casino and turn it into a mosque. Relax, James. We only turn churches into mosques. For me, Islam isn't just a religion. It's a way of life. And we call this life, dunya. This dunya has many trials and tribulations.
Islam helps inform even the decisions in my career. I've turned down action roles where on page one everything seems halal, but then page ten, big fat kissing scene. I've been offered brand deals from gambling companies and sponsorships from pork products. I can't do any of that. Although if you're listening in the future and I have done, just know it's only because my career is going really bad or the money is really good. Hajj happens once every year. It involves long periods of walking throughout the sacred sites in and around Mecca. The physical journey is an act of devotion filled with worship, remembrance and patience. The reward for an accepted Hajj is paradise. So, you know, no pressure in it.
Two years ago, I was one of 5,000 UK pilgrims granted a Hajj ticket. And I'll tell you now, securing that spot was harder than booking Glastonbury. Back in the day, you'd ring a Muslim travel agent, ask for a Hajj ticket and some uncle would sort you out like a mildew. I've even heard stories from my elders who just rocked up in Saudi during Hajj season and booked their hotels whilst being there. That's like turning up to India versus Pakistan final and expecting to join the team on the pitch. Mind you, things weren't always better in the old days.
Our top story. Police raid a travel agent in a crackdown on fake pilgrimages to Mecca.
Now every year, hundreds of Muslim pilgrims lose tens of thousands of pounds through hajj fraud. They buy trips to Mecca, often costing their life savings, which then fail to materialise.
Today is very different. Since 2023, to go to Hajj, you've got to go through Nusuk. When I first heard this, I thought, who the hell is this Nusuk guy? But turns out, Nusuk is an online platform run by the Saudi government designed to digitalise the Hajj experience. It's safe to say, not everyone's a fan. In fact, a lot of people feel like Sonia, who wrote on Trustpilot.
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