KHUJAND, September 22, 2008, Asia-Plus — 1,328 Muslims from the northern Sughd province will make Hajj (holy journey to Mecca) this year.
Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Yunus Sharipov, a chief specialist with the directorate for religious affairs (DRA) within the Ministry of Culture (MoC), said that among them are mainly those applicants who failed to make Hajj last year. Tajikistan was given a quota of more than 5,000 pilgrims last year, however, not all applicants, including 876 residents of the Sughd province, managed to make Hajj.
According to official data, the Isfara district has been given the quota of 135 pilgrims this year, while already 800 residents of the district have lodged Hajj applications so far.
Last year, more than 390 applicants from Isfara did not manage to make Hajj. The similar situation was reported in Istaravshan, Khujand and Mastchoh as well. The majority of applications were received from these cities and districts.
Like last year, DRA has allotted a quota of 1,328 pilgrims to the Sughd province this year. Among them are also accompanying persons, including physician, cook and persons in charge of groups.
The MoC directorate for religious affairs controls participation in the Hajj, and the government continues to require air travel for the Hajj. Tajik pilgrims fly to Saudi Arabia from both Dushanbe and Khujand.
Sharipov noted that pilgrims who will make the Hajj in not the organized groups or other routes will be deported by Saudi Arabia’s authorities.
The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca. It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world.
It is the fifth pillar of Islam, an obligation that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. It is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to Allah.
The pilgrimage occurs from the 10th to the 15th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, eleven days shorter than the Gregorian calendar used in the Western world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj is eleven days earlier from year to year. In 2007, the Hajj was from December 17 to December 21; in 2008 from the first week of December.
