The pilgrimage has economic benefits for Muslims. They come from various walks of life; some are traders or industrialists; others are capitalists or farmers. They can discuss the economic problems of their mutual benefits; exchange of technical know-how or skill, or exchange of goods and machinery between them.
Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam and is an act of ibadah (worship), like prayer and fasting. It is a religious duty and is obligatory, once in their lifetime, for all those Muslim who can afford to perform it. All the five pillars of Islam perform very important and specific functions in training a Muslim for the service of Islam.
Breaking the ties of kinship is a sin that the Muslim whose heart is filled with true guidance and the desire to obey Allah and earn His pleasure will never commit because it is one of the sins that Allah has said will bring punishment; indeed, it is one of the foremost sins for which Allah will punish the one who is guilty of them both in this world and the next, as is stated in the hadith: “There is no worse sin for which Allah will hasten the punishment of one who is guilty of it in this world – in addition to what awaits him in the Hereafter – than the breaking the ties of kinship and oppressing others.” (Ahmad)