The Malaysian authorities canceled the traditional mass departure of the country's citizens for the Hajj, a trip to the shrines of Islam in Mecca, and postponed it indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Minister of the office of the Prime Minister of Malaysia Zulkifi Mohamad al-Bakri told on Thursday, The Star reports.
The decision was made with the consent of the King of Malaysia Sultan Abdullah Mustafa.
"The decision to cancel the Hajj this year is based on the report of the Ministry of Health on the epidemiological situation in the world and in Malaysia. It was adopted at a meeting of the National Council for Islamic Affairs on June 9. The Hajj in 1441 Hijri year will not take place," al - Bakri said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
"It was a very difficult decision because we all know how important the Hajj is in the life of a Muslim," he said.
The Minister reminded the participants of the press conference that the Islamic tradition of committing good, which, of course, is the Hajj, should be preceded by the assurance that making this benefit will not bring harm to a good cause was not less significant than the harm it will bring to people, the newspaper reports.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from RIA Novosti