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Hajj in Pakistan
Once again the Ruet e Hilal Committee has announced that our Eid ul Azha will fall on Saturday 27 October 2012, that is one day after it would be observed at Makkah. This means that our Hajj will occur on Friday 26th October 2012, whereas the ACTUAL Hajj at Mecca will be performed on Thursday the 25th of October 2012 ! Could anyone please tell me as to why don’t we observe Hajj in Pakistan on the day it is actually being performed at Arafat, Muzdalfa and Makkah? We see it happening live on the TV yet we say, “ No, our Hajj will be tomorrow or day after”. Can Hajj be performed anywhere else in the world except at Makkah and on the dates of our choosing? Now please do not lecture me on the lunar longitudinal discrepancies between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and Hajj falling on the 10th of ZilHajj etc. My question is simple and clear. Can Hajj be performed ANYWHERE in the world except Makkah and o n any other day than it is actually being performed there? Unlike Eid-ul-Fitr, beginning of Ramzan or start of Muharram etc., which are all date specific and therefore subject to the appearance of the moon, Hajj should not be made specific to the 10th of ZilHajj only all over the world except in Saudi Arabia? Kindly allow me say further, that our Qurbani which can otherwise be offered upto 72 hours after the Hajj would fall out of this time limit if we apply it to our dates of Hajj which are already 24 to 48 hours after the actual Hajj at Makkah.
Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
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