STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (RNS and NPR) — Juber Ahmed, a pharmacist, and his mother, Shamima Akther, are preparing for a trip to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to perform the Hajj pilgrimage — a once-in-a-lifetime experience that’s considered a sacred obligation for Muslims. The Sterling Heights, Michigan, residents found out their applications to go were accepted in January, after months of waiting.

“Honestly, that feeling, I still can’t find the words to express,” he said. “I was in tears, did sajdah as-sukr (offered gratitude) and then I hugged my mom, and both of us just were in tears.”

Akther, 63, said she waited nearly 30 years to make the journey and wants to do it while she’s still physically able. “I was waiting for my kids to grow up so I can go with my oldest son,” she said. 

They are among a few thousand pilgrims from the United States who will join the estimated 1.5 million people from around the world performing Hajj this year. Hajj is performed on the eighth through 13th days of the Islamic month of Dhu’l-Hijjah, which follows a lunar calendar, this year from May 25 to May 30.

But in April, the U.S. State Department asked Americans to reconsider traveling to Saudi Arabia because of the ongoing war between Iran and the U.S., noting safety concerns. The war and its repercussions may force some Muslims to cancel plans they’ve already invested in deeply, but those RNS and NPR spoke with said they felt it was still a risk worth taking. 

Performing the pilgrimage at least once is mandatory for all able-bodied Muslims who can afford the costs of travel. Imam Steve Mustapha Elturk, co-chair of the Imams Council of Michigan, said several people have asked him whether they should still go. 

He assured them it’s safe, as the U.S. military installations in Saudi Arabia are far from the holy sites.

“I really encourage them,” he said “… Definitely there’s nothing going on there in terms of war or missiles or anything of that sort.” 

Elturk said he believes Saudi Arabia has adequate safety and security measures. “I’ve been going there for a dozen years, and I see it with my own eyes — they do a phenomenal job to make sure that the pilgrims are safe and secure,” he said.

Wahid Elfeky, president of Aleman Groups USA, a travel agency based in New York City that offers Hajj packages, said that until 2019, as many as 16,000 people from the U.S. would make the Hajj each year. But in recent years, Saudi Arabia instituted quotas to prevent overcrowding. Today, about 4,000 to 5,000 Americans are able to go, he said. 

In the past, travel agencies booked trips directly for pilgrims to perform Hajj. But now, all applications are processed through the Nusuk app, part of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. Once people get formally approved to travel, they can choose a package from one of the few certified travel agents. 

“A lot of people wish to go to Hajj,” Elfeky said. “And people cry because this is one of the pillars of Islam — they can afford it, and they cannot go” due to the quota.

When Ahmed heard about the state department’s travel notice, he asked his mother whether they should go next year instead. But Akther said she feels a strong conviction to go this year, although she’s concerned about taking her son.

“I told my son, let me go alone, you have two kids, you stay behind,” she said. 

But Ahmed refused to let her go by herself. He said he hoped the regional conflict would respect the holy month, as in Islam it’s prohibited to initiate warfare during sacred months.

“I know it’s a risk, but I also know that this chance may not come back around,” he said. “You know of the 2 billion Muslim people in the world, to be among the 1.5 million that’s there … it’s a blessing itself.” 

Sana Imam, a health policy and communications professional based in Washington, D.C., is preparing to make the Hajj later this month with her husband. “I’m still planning to go because the level of spiritual transformation that is possible to experience at Hajj might not be possible anywhere else for a lot of Muslims,” she said.

Imam said her faith has gotten her through tough times, “so being able to go and give thanks to God and returning with a clean slate would be the opportunity of a lifetime.”

While the pilgrimage is an important opportunity, the journey is challenging, she explained. At the gym, she’s been doing 30 minutes on the StairMaster to prepare physically, and spiritually. “I’ve been trying to slow down my prayers instead of rushing through them,” she said.

“Imagine walking for miles in 100-plus-degree weather, sleeping in tents with dozens, if not hundreds, of other people,” she said. “Like for the average American Muslim, we are hit with this serious reality check.”

And while Imam said she is concerned about the ongoing war, she’s leaning on her faith. 

“There’s this Islamic concept called ‘tawakkul,’ which translates to ‘full and complete trust in God,'” she said. “So despite everything going on in the world, I do have full faith that if I end up performing Hajj, everything will be OK. And if I don’t, God has better plans for me.” 

This story was produced through a collaboration between NPR and RNS. Listen to the radio version of the story.