Hajj, Umrah Are for Muslims Only – Scholar Urges NAHCON to Tighten Screening

Hajj, Umrah Are for Muslims Only – Scholar Urges NAHCON to Tighten Screening

A Nigerian Islamic scholar, Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade, has urged the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to strengthen its pilgrim screening process to safeguard the sanctity of Hajj and Umrah, following controversy over the reported Umrah visit of a prominent Christian cleric.

Agunbiade, who identified himself as Taalib Jami’ei, Islamic Propagation Rabwa, Saudi Arabia, made the call in a statement dated March 1, 2026. His concerns followed public comments by Prophet Israel Oladele Ogundipe, Shepherd in Charge of Genesis Global, regarding a visit to the Islamic holy cities of Makkah and Madinah for Umrah.

The scholar stressed that the issue should not be viewed through the lens of interfaith hostility, but as a matter of religious doctrine and respect for Islamic worship. According to him, Hajj and Umrah are not cultural experiences or spiritual tourism but exclusive acts of worship prescribed solely for Muslims.

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To support his position, Agunbiade referenced Qur’anic injunctions, including Qur’an 9:28, which restricts access to Al-Masjid Al-Haram, and Qur’an 3:97, which makes Hajj a duty upon Muslims who are able. He also cited prophetic traditions recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, noting that Islam is built on five pillars, one of which is Hajj. He added that Islamic history records the declaration by Prophet Muhammad that no polytheist would perform Hajj after the ninth year of Hijrah.

Agunbiade called on NAHCON, as Nigeria’s official body responsible for coordinating Hajj and Umrah, to ensure that only qualified Muslims are granted access under its supervision. He argued that screening should extend beyond verbal claims or basic documentation, particularly in cases involving public figures with well-known religious identities outside Islam.

According to him, individuals with established non-Islamic religious identities who claim to have embraced Islam must present clear, documented, and verifiable proof of conversion, confirmed by recognized Islamic authorities. He warned that inadequate screening could undermine the sanctity of the holy sites, create public confusion, and provoke avoidable religious tension.

While emphasizing that Islam promotes peaceful coexistence and mutual respect among different faiths, the scholar maintained that doctrinal boundaries must be respected, especially regarding acts of worship reserved exclusively for Muslims. He therefore urged NAHCON to adopt a structured and transparent profiling and verification mechanism, particularly for high-profile applicants, to prevent future controversies and uphold what he described as the non-negotiable integrity of Islamic rites.

As of the time of filing this report, NAHCON has not issued an official response to the concerns raised.

Hajj, Umrah Are for Muslims Only – Scholar Urges NAHCON to Tighten Screening