The Hajj Date
Today is Monday August the 5th and 3rd of Zil Hajj in
Pakistan. All are looking forward to Eid al Azha, which is expected – nay
– now established to fall on 12th of August 2019 that is; 10th
of Zil Hajj. Whereas, the ACTUAL Hajj will be performed at Makkah e Mukarrama
on 11th of August! We shall see it being performed and listen to
Khutba at Arafaat live on our tv screens but standing with folded arms we shall
say, “No, our Hajj shall be tomorrow”! How do we say our Hajj shall be
tomorrow?? Can we in Pakistan or anywhere else in the world perform Hajj
locally, say for the Pindites by going to Barri Imam and having the twaaf there
or the Lahorites doing it at Data Ganj Bukhsh mizar? Hajj cannot be performed
anywhere else in the world except at Makkah. PERIOD. Now, why do we say
that our Hajj shall be tomorrow is just because we stick to the lunar date of
10 Zil Hajj, which ! is normally NOT the same as in Saudi Arabia. Isn’t
it something very strange that we see something happening but say No, we shall
do it tomorrow? Do it where and how? Obviously it is due to our
sticking to the date 10 Zil Hajj, which I don’t wherefrom we have gotten it.
There is no mention of it in Qura’n. On the contrary the Qura’n says, “you know
the monthS of Hajj” which are mentioned to be more than
2 as the word used in Quran is “Asharun” and not Ashahr (one month) or
Ashahrain (two months), and Asharun denotes more than 2 months and it
could be 3 or 4. That means Hajj could be performed in more than 2
months. But that is a separate debate. For here, how do we perform
our Hajj on the dates falling locally, as it cannot be performed anywhere else
in the world other than in Makkah?
We can observe our other events like Ramazdan, Eid ul Fitr, Muharram etc.
according to our local lunar dates but not Hajj which irrespective of the local
lunar date, whether it be 11th or 9th or 8th
of local Zil Hajj, should be performed on the 10th of Zil Hajj
of Makkah when it is being ACTUALLY performed.
Hope the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Islamic Ideological Council
take a note of it.
Regards
Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
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