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