August 22, 2025 | 10:16 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's House of Representatives (DPR) is considering a proposal to lower the minimum age for Hajj registration. During deliberations on the Hajj Bill, members of the House Commission VIII suggested that children as young as nine years old should be permitted to begin the registration process.
"Regarding the age limit, a final decision has not been reached. However, under the existing law, the minimum age is 18," stated Marwan Dasopang, Chair of the House Commission VIII, at the Parliamentary Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday, August 22, 2025.
Reasons Behind Lowering the Age Limit
According to the Religious Affairs Ministerial Regulation No. 29 of 2015, the minimum age to register for the regular Hajj is 12 years. However, the age considered suitable for the independent performance of Hajj rituals is a minimum of 18 years.
Marwan believes that the proposal to adjust the age limit merits consideration, particularly due to Indonesia's prolonged waiting period for Hajj. He provided an example, noting that if prospective pilgrims only register at age 18, and with the current waiting period extending until age 49, many Indonesians would only reach Mecca at 67.
The politician from the National Awakening Party (PKB) believes that at such an advanced age, individuals are often no longer in prime physical condition to fulfill the fifth pillar of Islam. "If someone registers at 18 years old, it could be considered dangerous," Marwan said.
He further predicted that the Saudi Arabian government will likely impose stricter age limits on prospective pilgrims due to the high mortality rate during the Hajj season. "Therefore, some suggest that, based on Sharia principles, a person who has reached the age of maturity can register," he explained. Maturity, in this context, is the period when an individual biologically enters adulthood and is considered legally responsible.
Marwan clarified that the Hajj Funds Management Board does not apply the concept of maturity when determining the eligibility of prospective pilgrims. Instead, they focus on the concept of mumayiz, which describes the period when a child can distinguish between beneficial and harmful actions.
A child typically enters the mumayiz period at the age of 7. Marwan indicated that the proposed minimum age for Hajj registration could be nine, 13, or 15. "We will see later," he remarked.
Hajj Bill's Urgency and Future Implications
The Hajj and Umrah Bill is included in the national legislative program (Prolegnas) for 2025-2029. The House Commission VIII aims to have the bill ratified in a plenary session on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
This ratification will legitimize the transfer of authority for Hajj organization from the Ministry of Religious Affais to the Hajj Management Agency in 2026. He emphasized the importance of promptly ratifying the Hajj Bill, stating that its continuous postponement would be dangerous for future Hajj pilgrims. This is because the state would be unable to guarantee which entity will organize the Hajj in 2026.
Ervana Trikarinaputri contributed to the report.
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