By Ahmad Salkida
Umrah is sacred. It is meant to be quiet ibadah. Humility. Reflection. A journey between you and Allah.
Yet something is changing.
Many elites and middle-class professionals now travel for Umrah several times a year. Photos flood social media. The pilgrimage turns into a public spectacle. Status signals everywhere. The Prophet warned about this danger. He feared Riya. Showing off in acts of worship.
Another shift is visible. Umrah increasingly doubles as a networking hub. Political meetings happen in hotel corridors. Lobbying moves between prayers.
A troubling pressure now spreads among young people. Some take loans to make the trip. Devotion slowly turns into social competition.
Look at the numbers.
A single Umrah trip can cost between $3,000 and $6,000. Hundreds of thousands travel from Northern Nigeria every year. Many go repeatedly.
Billions of naira leave the region annually.
Now place that beside reality.
Northern Nigeria faces mass abductions and mass killings at levels among the worst anywhere in the world. The region has some of the highest malnutrition rates globally. Millions of children remain out of school. Local economies continue to weaken.
Islam warns clearly about waste.
Imagine if even half of that Umrah spending went into:
* Small businesses for young people
* Vocational training
* Education for out-of-school children
Faith must remain sacred.
But the North must have an honest conversation about priorities. About community-led initiatives, since we allow our leaders to do as they like, as we each wait for our turn to get the opportunity to plunder public funds.
