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| Arabic | قرعة الحج |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | QUR-at al-HAJJ |
| Etymology | From Arabic قرعة (qur'ah, 'lot/draw/ballot') and الحج (al-hac, 'the hac ibadeti'). The concept of drawing lots (qur'ah) has precedent in Islamic tradition — Kur'an-i Kerim mentions it in the story of Prophet Yunus (Jonah). |
Hac Lottery(قرعة الحج) A random selection system used by many countries to fairly allocate Hac hac ibadeti slots when the number of applicants exceeds the national quota assigned by Saudi Arabia.
قرعة الحج
Many Muslim-majority countries face the challenge of far more Hac 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 hacilar; 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 haci priority, previous unsuccessful application history, and regional representation. Indonesia has one of the most notable waiting systems, where registered hacilar 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-hac, 'the hac ibadeti'). The concept of drawing lots (qur'ah) has precedent in Islamic tradition — Kur'an-i Kerim mentions it in the story of Prophet Yunus (Jonah).