There is a misconception that hajj and umarah is just a worship matter and the consequences of suspending these religious gathering due to the pandemic is only limited to delay of going Saudi Arabia to perform it. However, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the impact of the pandemic in hajj and umrah by exploring its impact on different stakeholders affecting its disruption due to the pandemic. This is a library-based study that uses qualitative method to explore the impact of COVID-19 on hajj and umrah. Thus, provisions of Quran and hadith on hajj and umrah were examined as primary data for the research to establish the importance of the rituals in Islam. Guidelines set by hajj regulators and instruments enabling them in that behalf were examined likewise. In addition, content analyses were made of relevant secondary data from published sources including articles, books, newspapers and web resources that embody scholarly, scientific and religious views on the issue being studied. It is realised that in the first year of the pandemic, while umrah is entirely suspended, hajj was scaled back and performed by 10,000 people altogether, a tiny segment of the over two and half million that partook in the ritual previously. Hajj and umrah have been greatly inhibited and jeopardised by the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in religious, social, economic, psychological effects on the eligible but affected Muslims and Muslims countries. Along these lines, recommendations were accordingly proffered on the way forward to better hajj and umrah management. It is anticipated that the findings of the research would assist policy makers to comprehend the impact of the pandemic on hajj and umrah to ensure that the policies they make in this regard would adequately cover every aspect affecting the stakeholders which is deliberated in this research. It is also expected that the recommendations provided in this paper will assist stakeholders of hajj and umrah to grasp the importance of taking precautions for any crisis similar to COVID-19 when it happens.

This paper contributes to the discussion forum of King Abdulaziz University for Islamic Economics on the economic, social and legal implications of the coronavirus. It aims to record some observations about the main paper of the forum and provide additional discussion of the economic, social and legal implications. In addition, it proposes solutions to these repercussions based on the principles of Islamic law and its overall objectives. The paper notes that efforts to monitor and analyze these repercussions were undoubtedly significant. However, some of them were characterized by a lack of precision and a piecemeal approach. It deals with some of the proposed solutions, especially on the economic side. The paper concludes that the proposed solutions for overcoming the repercussions of coronavirus according to the Islamic perspective must be based on the comprehensive objectives of the Shariah. Moreover, they must adopt an objective analysis of the facets of these repercussions according to the requirements of systematic research and analysis. This will ensure discipline in the analysis and comprehensiveness in the proposals.

The traditional view, of a linear relationship between the development levels of countries and their ability to deal with problems has been completely changed with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The countries hit hardest by the pandemic have been the so called developed ones of Western Europe and the USA. Equating development to mega cities has been shown to be misplaced. The pandemic has spread fastest in crowded cities such as New York and Los Angeles. Aside from overpopulated cities, ignoring the environment and the need for healthy living conditions are other important reasons for their failure to control the epidemic. Yet, countries such as Taiwan, South Korea and Japan have had very low infection rates relatively, even though most of their populations live in large urban centers. The difference may be due to the extensive practice of using face masks in these countries. The need to emphasize and rely on science and technology to solve the problems of humankind is among the key lessons that the pandemic has taught us. A final lesson the virus has taught us, is that regardless of which country we live in, our well-being and destinies are closely indeed intertwined. A health care crisis anywhere in the world can affect us all and very quickly too.