Naqsyabandiyah Followers in Padang Hold Eid al-Adha Prayers

Naqsyabandiyah followers in Padang, West Sumatra, performed Eid al-Adha prayers at Mushalla Surau Baru in Pauh district on Tuesday morning, earlier than the government’s official announcement on Wednesday 27 May. ‘According to our calculations, Eid al-Adha falls today, which we determined from the start of Ramadan,’ said Zahar, a Mushalla Surau Baru official in Padang, Tuesday. He explained that local Naqsyabandiyah followers have their own method for determining Eid al-Adha, as well as Ramadan and Syawal dates. Zahar added that annual discrepancies in Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr observances are common and not worth disputing, as the key for Naqsyabandiyah followers is the spiritual intention behind the rituals. ‘Differences are acceptable as long as the intention is the same,’ he said. A member of the local Naqsyabandiyah community, Juni, said he has attended Eid prayers at the mushalla with his family since childhood. Despite differences from the government’s schedule, he welcomed the practice. ‘I have been taken here by my parents since childhood for Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr prayers,’ he said. The government, via the Ministry of Religious Affairs, announced that 1 Dhu al-Hijjah 1446 Hijri falls on Monday 18 May, making Eid al-Adha on Wednesday 27 May. Muhammadiyah, using the Global Single Hijri Calendar (KHGT) method, set Eid al-Adha on Wednesday 27 May for 10 Dhu al-Hijjah 1447 Hijri, with Arafah Day on Tuesday 26 May and the start of Dhu al-Hijjah on Monday 18 May.