Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem-Shirazi, who is an influential source of emulation in Iran and is highly respected by Shia Muslims in the Islamic world, announced that major hajj is very important and can not be simply dismissed, but if there exists grave dangers, the pilgrimage becomes Haram (religiously forbidden).
The fatwa was issued in response to a query by Iran's Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization about growing concerns of contracting swine flu while performing the annual major hajj, which will take place this year in December.
Ayatollah Makarem-Shirazi highlighted that swine flu with its current situation can not be a serious obstacle to major hajj, but if the situation deteriorates in the coming months, it must be canceled.
A committee of hajj officials and religious and medical experts is set to meet on August 6 to make a final decision whether to send Iranian hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for major hajj in the current year.
Every year some 100,000 Iranians travel to Mecca, where they join approximately 3 million Muslims from different countries to conduct major hajj, which is a main pillar of Islam.
After a number of Iranian pilgrims to Saudi Arabia caught the A/H1N1 flu, Iran called off Ramadan minor hajj to curb the spread of the virus.
