Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I wish to go to haj in 2005. Would you be able to give me the dates to perform haj.

Thanking you.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Hajj dates in 2005

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The lunar calendar as followed by Islam has 11 days less than the solar or the Gregorian calendar followed in the West.

The Eid al-Adha this year was on 01-Feb-2004, thus the Eid al-Adha should by all accounts be 11 days earlier next year on or about 21-Jan-2005. Thus the six days of Hajj should start around 19-Jan-2005 and end on 24-Jan-2005.

Beloved brother, because the calculation of the months in Islam are dependent upon the moon, there might be a difference of a day forward or backward from the Gregorian dates quoted above.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan