Coordinating Minister For Human Development And Culture: Special Studies Prepared For One-time Hajj Discourse

UNSPLASH ILLUSTRATION

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture (Menko PMK) Muhadjir Effendy said a special study was being prepared regarding the discourse on banning Hajj more than once.

"Later, let the technical ministry follow up, there will be a special study," said Coordinating Minister Muhadjir as quoted by ANTARA, Monday, August 28.

Coordinating Minister Muhadjir said a number of parties such as the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board gave positive responses to the discourse.

Another good response, he said, came from Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII DPR Ace Hasan Syadzily.

"What is clear is that if it (the Hajj can be done no more than once) it will shorten the queue. Then it can also provide opportunities for those who have not (the Hajj)," said Coordinating Minister Muhadjir.

He emphasized that the ulama only required the pilgrimage once. According to him, hajj services can cause a dilemma more than once.

"So it can be sunnah, but will take the rights of other people who have not gone to Hajj which is more mandatory. So, you actually have to prioritize the obligatory one than the sunnah one," he said.

Instead of performing Hajj more than once, he advised the public to perform Umrah which is often referred to as a "small pilgrimage".

Previously, he explained the discourse on banning Hajj more than once on Friday (25/8) taking into account data on the implementation of the 2023 Hajj, which showed that 43.78 percent of pilgrims out of 22,900 Hajj participants were more than 60 years old.

Meanwhile, Indonesian pilgrims who died reached 774 people or 3.38 percent with the majority aged.

From this data, elderly Hajj participants have a 7.1 times greater risk of dying than non-elderly pilgrims.