Haj pilgrims

Haj pilgrims

From Republika

I am commenting on the statement of Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher published in Republika on Feb. 13, 1995 entitled 'Warga Muhammadiyah Sebaiknya Menahan Diri tidak Berhaji lagi' (Muhammadiyah Moslems should refrain from making another haj pilgrimage). The Minister said that the House of Representatives suggests that priority for the pilgrimage is to be given to elderly people and those who have not been on the pilgrimage before. The minister further said that "younger people can join the pilgrimage in later years."

I agree with the minister that people who have not been pilgrims should be given priority. The pilgrimage is obligatory once in a lifetime. Other pilgrimages are voluntary. This is also advised by the Indonesian Moslems Council.

But I am not particularly happy that younger people should wait until later years. According to God's command, adult Moslems who are both financially and spiritually capable can conduct haj pilgrimage. So there is no point for a young Moslem to postpone it if he/she is in fact in a position to physically and spiritually be a pilgrim.

It seems that some people think that haj pilgrimage is for elderly people. This perception must be corrected. Who can guarantee that someone will still be alive next year? God said "when death is around, you cannot postpone it, neither can you want it to happen earlier."

Nobody can guarantee that next year you will still have the funds for that purpose. After all, it is the responsibility of the government to arrange an additional quota with the Saudi government for the haj pilgrimage.

RYZKA MARYANTA RAHMAWAN

Yogyakarta