| Arabic | قرعة الحج |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | QUR-at al-HAJJ |
| Etymology | From Arabic قرعة (qur'ah, 'lot/draw/ballot') and الحج (al-الحج, 'the الحج'). The concept of drawing lots (qur'ah) has precedent in Islamic tradition — القرآن mentions it in the story of Prophet Yunus (Jonah). |
الحج Lottery(قرعة الحج) A random selection system used by many countries to fairly allocate الحج الحج slots when the number of applicants exceeds the national quota assigned by المملكة العربية السعودية.
قرعة الحج
Many Muslim-majority countries face the challenge of far more الحج applicants than available slots. The lottery system provides a fair mechanism for selection. Countries like Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and many others use variations of this system. The process typically works as follows: applicants register and pay a deposit during the open registration period; if applications exceed the quota, a random draw selects the الحجاج; unsuccessful applicants are often rolled over to the next year with increased priority. Some countries modify the pure lottery with weighted criteria: age priority (elderly applicants given preference), first-time الحاج priority, previous unsuccessful application تاريخ, and regional representation. Indonesia has one of the most notable waiting systems, where registered الحجاج may wait 20+ years due to enormous demand. Some countries like Turkey and Egypt use alternative systems such as sequential waiting lists rather than random draws.
From Arabic قرعة (qur'ah, 'lot/draw/ballot') and الحج (al-الحج, 'the الحج'). The concept of drawing lots (qur'ah) has precedent in Islamic tradition — القرآن mentions it in the story of Prophet Yunus (Jonah).