Follow the latest updates on Hajj 2021 here
As millions of Muslims around the world prepare to celebrate Eid Al Adha, or the Feast of Sacrifice, few of them are also preparing to undertake Hajj or the pilgrimage, one of Islam’s main pillars.
The 10 days leading up to Eid are some of the most sacred days for Muslims since those who aren't undertaking the pilgrimage will be fasting, reading extra passages of the Holy Quran, praying and donating to charity.
The pilgrimage, a once-in-a-lifetime requirement for all Muslims who have the financial means and are physically able to perform its rituals, reminds us that sacrifice and flexibility are integral to both business owners and pilgrims performing the Hajj.
I haven’t performed Hajj yet, but my father who has been a few times recalls that being flexible is key to getting the most out of the spiritual journey.
A pilgrim dresses modestly, walks long distances and has to endure crowded religious sites, while remaining reserved and calm. Adopting a flexible mindset helps ease the hardships of the trip. “Be easy-going and everything will run smoothly,” he said.
In business, flexibility is also key to continuity. An important lesson I learnt from my experience as an entrepreneur is that the more flexible I became when put in an unfamiliar situation, the easier it became to handle.
For example, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, we had to shift our entire business model to operate remotely. Although working from outside the office was an arrangement my company adopted years before the pandemic, the circumstances made the process more challenging. We had to meet clients for the first time remotely, close deals and even had to solve financial challenges without being in an office.
If we hadn’t been flexible and pivoted with every new challenge thrown our way, I would have had to downsize my business significantly and could have lost both my customers and team.
On the other hand, not embracing flexibility could be detrimental to your business. An acquaintance of mine ran a successful Greek restaurant that didn’t offer delivery or take out services to maintain exclusivity. He believed that delivery services would rob his clients from the unique experience provided in his restaurant. However, when dine-in halted amid the pandemic, he decided to not offer delivery and instead wait until the crisis ended. His restaurant eventually had to close.
Being flexible would have helped his business, but equally important was learning to sacrifice and let go of certain habits that could sabotage growth.
Sacrifice is also integral to Hajj.
When performing Hajj, pilgrims have to adhere to a code of conduct. They should refrain from using any foul language or from arguing with one another and should not fight, among other things.
Sacrifice is important if you want to be successful in business. In the initial stages, we will be sacrificing our time and our money or even a day job we had in the hopes of our dream business doing well.
The most important sacrifice I made was getting out of my comfort zone. During my teenage years, I didn’t like taking risks and I feared situations I couldn’t control. Being an entrepreneur, I had to let go of that mindset and that was probably one of the best investments I made in myself. I became more confident, fearless and welcoming of change.
As many of us will be unwinding this Eid holiday, I ask you to think about how embracing more flexibility and sacrifice can help your business in the long run.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati journalist and entrepreneur, who manages her marketing and communications company in Abu Dhabi.
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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The five pillars of Islam
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British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
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Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
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