Double delight: Some Muslims will celebrate Eid twice

MUMBAI: After performing Eid namaz at Haram Sharief, the holy precinct in Mecca which houses the cube-shaped Kaaba and the grand mosque, Sarfraz

Delhiwala

will head off to Mumbai to celebrate Eid with family and friends.

Delhiwala is just one among thousands of Muslims from the city and elsewhere in the country who will celebrate Eid twice--first in either Mecca or Medina, Islam's two most revered cities--and later in their home countries. Not many outside the Muslim communi ty are aware of it, but for some rich Muslims spending the last 10 days of Ramzan in Mecca or Medina to redeem themselves is an annual ritual. Since Eid is celebrated in Saudi a day before in India, these Muslims mark the Eid festivities twice.

The rush do Umrah (miniHaj) during Ramzan is so huge that the agents handling pilgrims' travel have to book tickets months in advance. “Seats on the flights have to be blocked at least seven or eight months before the travel begins as many pilgrims want to be back with family on Eid. The planning has to be meticulous in order to keep the pilgrims happy ,“ says Khalid Yusuf Khera da of Al Khalid Tours and Travels which took 1200 pilgrims for Umrah this Ramzan, out of which 700 will celebrate Eid twice. Atlas Tours and Travels s carried 700 pilgrims for has carried 700 pilgrims for this year's

Ramzan Umrah

.“Out 700, around 425 will return after performing Eid na maz in Saudi and join the festivities next day in India. They are happy to celebrate two Eids,“ explains Atlas Tours' owner Afzal Patel.

The Prophet is believed to have said that the reward for a namaz at the grand mosque in Mecca gets multiplied 100000 times while at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina it gets multiplied 50,000 times. “No devout Muslim will forego a chance to collect so many divine blessings,“ says senior cleric Maulana Obaidullah Qasmi.

Worli businessman

Imtiaz Motiwala

has performed Umrah in Ramzan with his family for the last seven years. “My children are with me but we will reach Mumbai on the day of Eid to share the joy with other close relatives and friends,“ hopes Motiwala.

Travel industry sources es timate that the nearly 10,000 who have gone for Ramzan Umrah this year from Mumbai alone must have collectively spent around Rs 150 crore.

Some community leaders oppose this trend of the affluent performing multiple Umrah and Haj. “Muslims underrepresent in white color jobs and the rich should bankroll projects to educationally and economically empower the community and not spend so much on pilgrimages,“ suggests activist Shadab Patel.Community leader

Ghulam Peshimam

slams the wealthy sponsoring pilgrimages of even physically abled persons.“They must stop sending others to Haj and Umrah and utilise funds to help Muslim candidates crack IAS, IIT and Medical exams,“ says Peshimam.

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