Hajj With an Ileostomy: My Experience as a Muslim Ostomate
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and the only pillar with a chapter in the Qur’an named after it. It is obligatory once in the lifetime of every Muslim who is physically and financially able to perform it.
This year, I had the incredible privilege of being among the estimated 1.8 million pilgrims who travelled for Hajj. It was also my first trip abroad since having surgery to create my ileostomy just eight months earlier.
To say I was anxious would be an understatement.
The journey involved intense heat, long periods of walking, physical exhaustion, crowded conditions, and the removal of many of the comforts we’re used to in the Western world. As someone living with an ileostomy, I had so many worries running through my mind before travelling.
But with preparation, duas, and the protection of Allah SWT, I made it through. الحَمْد لله.
Throughout the journey, I constantly felt the urge to document my experience so I could later share it with other Muslim ostomates. While preparing for Hajj, I searched online several times looking for stories from people with ostomies who had completed the pilgrimage — but I found almost nothing.
I kept thinking:
“Surely I can’t be the only person with an ostomy who has done Hajj?”
“What advice would they give me?”
“What would they wish they had known beforehand?”
Eventually, keeping my experience to myself started to feel wrong, especially knowing it might help someone else fulfil this core pillar of Islam.
So before I begin, I want to clarify my intention for writing this article.
This is not about recognition or praise for my achievement. It is simply to help Muslims living with an ileostomy make a more informed and confident decision when considering Hajj.
If even one person searches “Hajj with an ileostomy” and finds comfort or benefit in these words, then الحَمْد لله — that alone makes it worthwhile.
Before planning this journey, I strongly encourage you to speak honestly with your surgeon or medical team. If you are not starting from a good place physically, the challenges of Hajj can become very difficult. Be realistic and follow professional medical advice.
And remember: if this year is not your year, then إن شاء الله there will be another opportunity in the future. Hajj is not obligatory if your health is genuinely at risk.
Essential Things I Took With Me
1. Oral Rehydration Solutions (e.g. Dioralyte)
This was probably one of the most important things I packed.
Dehydration is a major issue for all pilgrims, especially now that Dhul Hijjah falls during the hotter months. During our Hajj, temperatures reached between 45–50°C.
If dehydration is already a concern for the average pilgrim through sweat and urine loss, ileostomates face an even bigger challenge because of stoma output.
I often found myself drinking two to three times more than others in my group and taking at least two sachets of Dioralyte daily to replace lost salts and fluids.
Everyone is different, so judge your own needs based on your stoma output and hydration levels.
2. Anti-Diarrhoea Medication (e.g. Loperamide / Imodium)
If you do not already take these medications, it may be worth discussing them with your surgeon before travelling.
The heat can increase ileostomy output and make it much more watery. These medications can help thicken output, reduce urgency, and lower your risk of dehydration, especially during long walks or when toilets are difficult to access.
3. Non-Perfumed Wipes
These were essential for maintaining good stoma care while also complying with the conditions of Ihram.
4. Perfume-Free and Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitiser
Finding this was harder than expected!
I eventually found one in Boots UK and practically cleared the shelf 😂
Anyone who knows me knows I use hand sanitiser excessively even at home, but during Hajj it becomes even more important. With so many pilgrims gathered together, illness spreads easily, and the last thing you want is to become unwell during the journey.
5. Uncut Stoma Bags
Your stoma may behave differently in the heat.
Interestingly, I was warned that mine would likely swell in the heat, but instead it temporarily shrunk! After a few days, it slowly returned to normal size.
Using uncut bags was extremely important because I needed to protect the skin around the stoma as much as possible. Sore skin and irritation are the last things you want to deal with during Hajj.
Take a measuring guide and check your stoma size regularly.
The general advice for travelling abroad is to take double the supplies you think you’ll need, and I absolutely agree with this. I ended up changing my bag more frequently than usual due to the heat and changes in stoma size.
6. A Toiletry Bag With a Hook
This became my dedicated stoma-changing bag and made life so much easier.
Many toilets during Hajj have little or no surface space, so being able to hang the bag from a hook and access everything easily was incredibly helpful.
7. A Stoma Guard
If possible, I strongly recommend using one.
Crowds during Tawaf, Sa’i, and Jamarat can become extremely intense, and accidental knocks or elbows to the stoma area are very likely.
A stoma guard provides additional protection and peace of mind.
If your NHS board does not provide support wear, many companies sell them online and can fit them to your measurements properly.
Let’s Talk Hajj
Mina
Mina is where it all begins.
You’ll spend four of the five nights of Hajj here, staying in large tents alongside pilgrims from your country. We were surrounded by fellow pilgrims from the UK.
Toilets are relatively easy to access, but queues are very likely.
In Saudi Arabia, most toilets are squat toilets, with usually only one Western-style toilet at the end of the row. Unsurprisingly, there tends to be a huge queue for that one cubicle filled with exhausted British pilgrims refusing to use the squat toilets.
Now, this is where I reassure you and share a little secret…
As ostomates, we may actually have it easier than everyone else in this situation 😉
While preparing for Hajj, I came across an absolute lifesaver: the Riksack.
Honestly, this product made toilet trips so much easier.
Normally, with a stoma, your options would be:
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Queue for 30–40 minutes every time you need a Western-style toilet
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Use the squat toilet and try to manage awkwardly without making a mess
The Riksack completely solved this problem for me.
It’s essentially a lightweight bucket with a clip and adjustable strap, designed specifically for ostomates.
It comes with two types of liners:
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One type is water-soluble and can be disposed of directly into the squat toilet after emptying your bag
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The second type is for full bag changes and should be disposed of in bins, which are emptied regularly around Mina
I would recommend carrying a small backpack throughout Hajj with your essentials inside, including the Riksack. During these five days, finding a clean Western-style toilet is unlikely, and even if you do find one, it may not meet your hygiene standards.
Having your own setup gives you so much more confidence and independence.
Arafat
The Day of Arafat is indescribably beautiful.
There are honestly no words that can fully capture the feeling of standing there amongst millions of people, all turning to Allah SWT together.
Every moment should be cherished.
From a practical perspective, my biggest advice is:
eat lightly and stay hydrated.
The toilets are very similar to Mina, although one thing I noticed was the lack of hooks or surfaces for changing supplies. I’d recommend taking a cheap over-the-door hook so you can hang your changing bag easily.
Small things like this make a huge difference when you’re tired and overwhelmed.
Muzdalifah
Muzdalifah was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life.
Sleeping under the open sky, beneath the stars, surrounded by millions of pilgrims… it was truly surreal ⭐️
Toilet facilities here are much more limited, so I’d strongly recommend using the toilet in Arafat as close to departure time as possible.
And again, queues in Muzdalifah can be very long, and hygiene standards naturally become more difficult to maintain because of the sheer number of people using the facilities.
At this stage, I slightly increased my loperamide dose in the hope of reducing toilet visits overnight.
Unfortunately, after the lovely sleep under the stars, I woke up to a very full bag 😅
But with the Riksack, it was still completely manageable.
Back to Mina
After Muzdalifah, you return to Mina and wait for your allocated time slot to go to Jamarat.
The following few days involve a lot of waiting, walking, and more waiting.
We experienced our hottest day while sitting in the Mina tents waiting to be called, only finally leaving after 4pm.
Even when you’re not physically active, the heat alone causes huge fluid and salt loss through sweat, urine, and stoma output.
Hydration during these days cannot be emphasised enough.
From the UK tents in Mina to Jamarat, you can expect to walk around 3km each way, often in intense heat and crowded conditions.
Masjid al-Haram
One of the final obligations of Hajj is Tawaf al-Ziyarah. Without completing this, Hajj is incomplete.
For me, this became one of the most emotional and memorable parts of the entire journey.
At the same time, it was also one of the busiest.
Millions of pilgrims are all trying to complete Tawaf and Sa’i during the same few days, so the crowds can become extremely intense.
This is where wearing a stoma guard became absolutely essential for me.
Whether intentional or accidental, you will get pushed, nudged, and squeezed by crowds. Protecting your stoma beforehand allows you to focus fully on your worship instead of worrying constantly.
Toilet facilities are available around the Haram, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t anxious about leaks.
One of my biggest fears was ending up with an overfilled bag inside the masjid 😳
الحَمْد لله — I never experienced any leaks throughout the trip, but there were definitely moments where my bag filled much faster than expected.
I quickly learned that emptying the bag earlier, even when it was only half full, would massively reduce anxiety.
Final Thoughts
Amongst all the talk of toilets, hydration, stoma bags, medications, and practical preparation, it’s important to remember that Hajj represents something far greater than all of these things.
With or without a stoma, Hajj is a test of patience, sacrifice, gratitude, and trust in Allah SWT.
There will be moments of exhaustion.
Moments of discomfort.
Moments where things do not go to plan.
But there will also be moments so beautiful that they stay with you forever.
Whenever things felt difficult, I reminded myself why I was there.
Most importantly, enjoy it.
The days of Hajj are now amongst the most precious memories of my life, and I sincerely pray that every single person reading this who longs to go will one day be invited by Allah SWT to experience it for themselves.
Ameen. ☺️🕋❤️
Shehnaz