Investing for Hajj

Azzad’s Hajj Investment Account (HIA) is a great way to help you save and invest for this important financial goal.

Azzad’s Hajj Investment Account (HIA) is a great way to help you save and invest for this important financial goal. By opening an HIA, you will be able to grow your hajj savings in a halal way—and take advantage of Azzad’s mutual fund strategies to get you closer to your goal more quickly than a regular savings account.

Your Investments

Your Azzad HIA will be invested in a combination of the Azzad Funds, halal mutual funds designed to help you reach your hajj goals in a socially responsible way.

To purchase the Funds directly, call our transfer agent, Mutual Shareholder Services, at 888.350.3369.

How does it work?

1. Talk with an Azzad representative about your hajj goals.

This includes:

1. - - how many people will be traveling with you
    - your approximate date of departure
    - the estimated cost of your hajj package
2. Determine how much you need to save
3. Complete an Azzad investment account application
4. Contribute every month toward your goal

Identify your time frame

Financial goals like investing for hajj fall into one of three categories: short-, medium-, or long-term. Short-term goals are for expenses in the next one to three years. Medium-term goals are three to five years away. And long-term goals are more than five years away.

If you’ve already saved enough money for hajj and just need a savings vehicle to guard against losing value, your investments will differ dramatically from someone who still has some work to do.

Consider:

The Azzad Wise Capital Fund, a halal fixed income fund focused on capital preservation.

With medium-term investments or savings, you’ll need to take on more risk by diversifying toward stocks. Even though they are riskier, they also give you the possibility of a greater return.

Consider:

A mix of the Azzad Ethical Fund and the Azzad Wise Capital Fund, with a greater percentage allocation to the Azzad Wise Capital Fund.

If your hajj goal is longer term, you can consider more stocks, which will potentially earn you more money.

Consider:

A mix of the Azzad Ethical Fund and the Azzad Wise Capital Fund, with a greater initial percentage allocation to the Azzad Ethical Fund.

For most people, saving for hajj is either a medium-term or long-term goal.

As your goal nears, you can increase the percentage of the Azzad Wise Capital Fund to reduce risk and help with capital preservation.

Monitor your progress

Check in frequently on your money to make sure your hajj saving goal is on track.

At each check-in, ask: Am I earning as much money as I expected with my investments and savings? Am I contributing enough?

Saving and investing for hajj the right way can put you in position to make the trip of a lifetime. Get started with an Azzad Hajj Investment Account today!

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The sins between one umrah and another are wiped away, but for an acceptable hajj, there is no reward except paradise.” (Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim)

Pilgrimage to Mecca, also known as hajj, is an obligation for a Muslim who is physically and financially able. It is one of the five pillars of Islam and for most Muslims, it is the dream of a lifetime.

Paying for hajj

Like most of life’s expenses, the cost of hajj is on the rise. So, it’s important that if you intend to undertake this obligation, you should also prepare for the financial responsibilities. Because hajj needs to be paid for with pure savings and because you cannot borrow money to perform hajj, Muslims are encouraged to save and invest for this expense as soon as possible.

How do I save and invest for hajj?

Define your goal clearly. A realistic goal must be:

Achievable: Use your income and the expected rate of return from your HIA to figure out if you can afford it. Don’t expect someone to simply hand you the cash.
Specific: “To go on hajj” is not a specific enough goal, but “to have $15,000 in 5 years” is.
Measurable: Set a deadline for your goal, specifically the timeline for purchasing a hajj package.

Start now. Hajj is a major financial commitment. Depending on what travel service a pilgrim uses and where he or she is flying from, hajj packages can cost between $10,000 and $20,000. And prices have been rising, almost doubling over the last 10 years. [Source: Dar El Salam Travel, 2016]