The foreign policy of Indonesia and Saudi Arabia itself is fostered through bilateral relations, one of which is through the Hajj. Hajj itself is one of the factors in the diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, as well as the emergence of several fields of cooperation. This cooperation makes the foreign political relations between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia closely intertwined. Although actually worship and politics are two different things, but in the implementation of worship, especially the Hajj worship needs political efforts from both countries.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, which includes five acts of worship that all Muslims must fulfil. Hajj comes last after some of the more important acts of worship in the pillars of Islam, and everyone can perform it because it is a very special and perfect act of worship. Hajj is an obligation. However, not everyone performs it, and it is not obligatory, but they must fulfil certain conditions. For those who are able to do it, Hajj is obligatory. Here, the definition of being capable is seen from a financial perspective, i.e. for those who have the ability to pay the cost of Hajj. In addition, the definition of being able to do it also means that we must be mentally prepared to perform the worship with the aim of perfecting our worship and for Allah SWT alone, without any other purpose.
One of the specialities of Hajj is the place and time of its accomplishment. Muslims around the world perform Hajj at the same time and place. It can only be performed in the month of Dzulhijjah, and only in Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. This causes all Muslims around the world to gather at the same place and time. Almost all Muslims around the world, including our country, Indonesia, dream of this special worship that cannot be done carelessly. As a country with a majority Muslim population, even being one of the largest Muslim countries in the world, it is certain that Indonesia will foster good relations with Saudi Arabia.
Politics and Religion (Worship)
Politics and religion have different paths. Through some thoughts, experts from Muslim countries may argue that politics is still related to religion. This is evidenced by the existence of countries that implement governments based on religion and adhere closely to existing religious sharia. But not all countries apply this idea. Unlike the majority of European countries that make religion a private matter for its people and cannot be mixed into the government. But Indonesia seems to adopt both. Indeed, politics and religion have different paths, but both fields are able to help each other. For example, in the Hajj pilgrimage, in order to be carried out smoothly, this worship requires foreign political cooperation between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia to facilitate the course of worship.
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Diplomatic Relations between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia
Indonesia's diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia have been established for a long time. Even Saudi Arabia itself has a role in Indonesia's independence by becoming one of the countries that recognised Indonesia's independence. Starting from there, diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia began to develop, from establishing their embassies in each country to establishing increasingly close relations. Perhaps with the equally strong Islamic background in both countries, this relationship can be established so smoothly. Diplomatic relations between the two countries gave birth to various mutually beneficial cooperation for both countries. The cooperation between the two countries is in various fields, such as economics, health, education, and so on. However, an interesting form of cooperation to discuss is the Hajj.
Hajj cannot be done carelessly, as explained earlier that this worship is done at a special time and place or has been determined. The designated places are Mecca and Medina as cities or holy places and the Qibla of Muslims throughout the world, with the same place and time Muslims throughout the world will gather simultaneously, which is why the need for careful coordination from the government of Saudi Arabia itself or even with other countries that send their pilgrims to hajj. The form of coordination or cooperation between Saudi Arabia and other countries, especially Indonesia, in this hajj has various forms, including:
There will be a quota system in Saudi Arabia for pilgrims based on the needs of each country, sending people to pray. This is done to keep the number of pilgrims low so that the service can go easily and safely. Because Indonesia has one of the world's biggest Muslim populations, it always expects a lot of pilgrims, and every year, that number grows. It is thought that most people in Indonesia are Muslim, and the high demand for pilgrims in our country can mean that our hajj quota is raised every year. As we all know, the line of pilgrims has now reached decades, especially on the island of Java. As a result, the hajj line in Indonesia gets shorter every year because the number of spots available increases. This means that every Indonesian has the chance to do the hajj.
The health sector is another area of concern. This is done because the health of the pilgrims is the most important part of worship. Of course, the Indonesian government, particularly the Ministry of Health, has thought about the health sector. They have cooperated with the Saudi Ministry of Health in this regard. The most important thing in this field is how well the health centers and health workers can take care of the pilgrims. If needed, Indonesia also sends our health workers to be trained in order to help the medical personnel there in treating the pilgrims. We know that many Indonesian pilgrims are elderly, so this area of health is also very important. These people should be sent first as they are the most vulnerable. Health facilities and health workers are also very important to ensure that the Hajj runs smoothly. They treat and maintain the health of the pilgrims.
Along with a deal on health, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia also have a deal on security, especially when it comes to getting pilgrims food and medicine. Through their own Food and Drug Administrations, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia are trying to make sure that the drugs and food that will be given to visitors while they are worshipping are safe and of good quality. This includes important things that help pilgrims stay healthy while they pray. Also, the Saudi Arabian government always makes sure that the pilgrims are safe by sending security guards to places where people pray. To keep the pilgrims safe and make sure the worship goes smoothly, this is done. Also, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia get along well, so the Indonesian government has faith in the Saudi Arabian government to keep the pilgrims safe while they pray there.
It can be concluded that the Hajj is one of the ways to strengthen diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. This cooperation is carried out in various matters, such as health, security, and hajj quotas, among others. The relationship between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia is getting closer because Indonesia is close to Islamic culture. This diplomatic relationship is expected to continue to run smoothly and continue to improve its quality, even allowing cooperation in other fields. Although its application, worship, and politics have differences, the implementation of the Hajj requires political efforts from both countries to facilitate the implementation of the Hajj itself.
