Connect with us

NEWS

Controversy as Kenya’s Chief Khadi declares Idd Holiday as Sunday 5th against the Islamic Calendar

Published

on

Your ads will be inserted here by

Easy Plugin for AdSense.

Please go to the plugin admin page to
Paste your ad code OR
Suppress this ad slot.

NAIROBI–Kenya’s Chief Khadi has declared Sunday 5th as the Idd holiday contrary to views held by the “mainstream” Muslims across the world that Idd should be on Saturday 4th of October.
Sheikh urged all muslims across the country to celebrate the event in unison without division.
The Chief Khadi Sheikh Muhdhar did not call on the government to declare Sunday as public holiday, but asked Muslims employees to liaise with their employers to allow them spend the day with their families.
Chairman of the Kenya Muslims National Advisory Council Sheikh Juma Ngao defied the Chief Khadi and insisted on Saturday as Idd holiday since pilgrims in Saudi Arabia will commemorate the day of arafah on Friday. It is estimated that over three million pilgrims will this year attend the Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam. At least 3000 of them are Kenyans. Saudi Arabia banned pilgrims from Ebola-hit nation in West Africa.
“It’s unfortunate that Muslims will pray on two separate days but I urge both groups to show respect to each other even if they differ on opinions,” Ngao told the Standard.
Mandera County senator Billow Kerrow blasted on the Chief Khadi saying the sheikh liked courting controversy on important matters in the Islamic calendar. He also questioned the credibility of the Chief Khadi in leading the Muslim ummah.
“That’s the problems of putting people with questionable credibility at the helm of important organs like Chief Khadi,” the senator wrote on his Facebook timeline.
The Day of Arafah is an Islamic Holy Day, in which the verse of the Qur’an was revealed which explained that the religion of Islam had been perfected. The Day falls on the 9th day of Dhul Hijja of the lunar Islamic Calendar. This happens to be approximately 70 days after the end of the holy month of Ramadan. It is the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage and the day after it is the first day of the major Islamic Holiday of Eid ul-Adha. At dawn of this day, Muslim pilgrims will make their way from Mina to a nearby hillside and plain called Mount Arafa and the Plain of Arafa. It was from this site that prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him] gave his famous Farewell Sermon in his final year of life.
The ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah (the twelve and final month of the Islamic calendar) is the Day of ‘Arafah. It is the day when pilgrims stand on the plain of ‘Arafah to pray. On this day, Muslims all over the world who do not witness the annual Hajj would spend the day in fasting, in preparation for the three days festivity following ‘Eid ul-Adha (the celebration marking the end of the Hajj commemorating the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness of sacrifice).

Comments

Your comments here:

Continue Reading
1 Comment

1 Comment

Leave a Reply

error

Share it with your friends