Radio Islam International | 19 Dhul Qa’dah 1437/23 August 2016

Scholar denounces Hajj gold teeth custom

Pilgrims embarking on the 2016 annual Hajj from Nigeria have been advised to seek piety and Allah’s forgiveness instead of wearing gold teeth for glamour when they reach Saudi Arabia.

The Chief Imam of Uthman bn Affan Mosque, Malam Abubakar Yusuf, gave the advice on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin.

Yusuf said that gold teeth or grills had been denounced by some clerics as expensive, ostentatious, and superficial displays that strained the finances of the pilgrims.

“The wisdom behind Hajj is beyond fashion. It is an act of worship like five daily prayers, Ramadan, Zakat, among others, and one does not need fashion with it,’’ he said.

He said that gold teeth were dental prosthesis sometimes used for cosmetic purposes.

“Gold teeth or grills are made of metal, either silver, gold or diamond, which has become popular with pilgrims and are permanently attached to existing teeth,’’ Yusuf said.

The cleric said that it was not permissible for men to wear gold teeth fitted unless that was essential.

According to him, it is haraam (forbidden) for a man to wear gold or adorn himself with it.

“With regard to women, if it is customary for women to adorn themselves with gold teeth, then there is nothing wrong with them doing that.

“A woman may plate her teeth with gold if it is customary for women to adorn themselves in this manner and it is not extravagance,” Yusuf said.

He also said, “If a woman dies in this state or if a man dies who wore a gold tooth out of necessity, then it should be removed, unless there is the fear of mutilation of the corpse.

“Gold is considered to be a kind of wealth and wealth is to be inherited by the heirs of the deceased.

“Leaving it (gold) with the deceased and burying it is a waste of money, ’’ he said.

Yusuf , therefore, advised the pilgrims on piety, love of Allah and to concentrate on Hajj, rather than wasting energy and money on gold teeth.

Adorning oneself with gold teeth is a West African custom, used to signify that one has completed the Hajj.

(Leadership)

Hujaaj depart from Kashmir

A batch of 65 pilgrims have left for Mecca-Medina from Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir. The pilgrims said they would pray for restoration of peace in the Kashmir Valley. The pilgrims also thanked the government for all the facilities. The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, and a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of undertaking the journey, and can support their family during their absence.

Political division deprives 2000 Libyans from going to haj this year

Saudi Arabian authorities have rejected to grant visas for 2000 Libyan nationals, who constitute an additional number to the number allocated by Saudi Arabia for Libya this year, because their data was not sent to the Haj Ministry in Saudi Arabia.

The deputy head of the Haj Caretaker Committee at the UN-proposed government, Mohammed Abraidan, said the delay was because Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar district did not send the passports of its hajjis to Tripoli before the deadline, saying the electronic system for registering hajjis in Libya is linked to the Haj System in Saudi Arabia.

“So if Libya was able to send the data of all the hajjis all in one, then it could make use of the extra numbers Saudi Arabia gives to some countries.” He indicated.

Abraidan added that the Haj Authority in Al-Bayda had refused to send the passports and data of the hajjis in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar for it has not yet recognized the UN-proposed government and thus has used the haj committee for political ends.

More than 5000 Libyan nationals will go to the holy sites in Saudi Arabia for this year’s haj. The first flight will take off from Mitiga airport in Tripoli next Wednesday.

(Libya Observer)

16 000 Russian Hujaaj this year

Haj in Saudi Arabia this year will host more than 16 thousand Muslims from more than 65 Russian regions, according to the press service of the Council of Muftis of Russia.

The troubled region of Crimea will also send 360 Hujaaj.. 140 Muslims from the Peninsula have already left for Hajj.

(Interfax)