Srinagar, Apr 14: Thousands of people thronged Masjids and shrines across Kashmir on the occasion of Jumat-ul-Vida, the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.
The mosques and shrines across Kashmir reverberated with Friday sermons and recitation of the Quran as devotees sought the blessings of the Almighty Allah.
Jumat-ul-Vida is an important day when Muslims prepare to bid farewell to the holy month of Ramadan. People attend religious gatherings across religious places and spend time in repentance, prayers, and charity.
The biggest congregation was held at Hazratbal here where thousands of people joined Friday prayers and also listened to sermons on the teachings of Islam.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, Imam Khateeb, Dargah Hazratbal shrine, Kamaal Farooqi said that thousands of people attended the prayers amid special arrangements made by the district administration and Hazratbal shrine administration.
He said that his Friday sermon was focused on carrying forward the message of Ramadan into other months so that worshippers would stay connected with Allah and perform good deeds as they did in the month of Ramadan.
“My focus was to make the visitors understand how this holy month is a month of training for the rest of the year. We should shun being a Muslim for Ramadan and rather be good Muslims for all the months so that we can get a complete reward from Allah. All the religious activities were held in a pleasant atmosphere as thousands attended the prayers at Hazratbal,” Farooqi said.
He said that he took the opportunity of the Jumat-ul-Vida to educate people and civil society about the growing menace of crimes and drug abuse.
He said that he urged every social, religious, and political outfit to do their bit to curb this issue.
Meanwhile, markets around Hazratbal and other religious places were full of shoppers ahead of Eid.
People said that while offering prayers, they also spent the day Eid shopping. Traders said that there was a good footfall of customers around markets near religious places.
Officials said that special arrangements were made by the administration across Srinagar and other places in view of Jumat-ul-Vida.
The authorities said that Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), J&K Road Transport Corporation (J&K RTC), Police, Power Development Department (PDD), and district administration had made special arrangements for the Jumat-ul-Vida prayers.
Officials said that SMC had pressed men and machinery across religious places in Srinagar to facilitate cleanliness around the religious places.
“We had already lifted the garbage and cleaned the vicinities around religious places. Our men and machinery were stationed across these religious places to provide all the necessary help to facilitate the congregational gatherings,” an official said.
Congregational Friday prayers were also held at all Masjids and shrines in Srinagar, including Masjid Jamiat-e-Ahli Hadith Gaw Kadal; Asar-e-Sharif Jenab Sahab Soura; Asar-e-Sharif Shehri Kalashpora; Ziarat-e-Makhdoom Sahab, Khanqah-e-Maula, and other Masjids and shrines.
In south Kashmir, congregational Friday prayers were held at Jamia Masjid Hanfia, Jamia Masjid Ahle Hadith, Bait-ul-Mukarram and Rehat-Ded Masjid in Anantnag.
No prayers at Jamia Masjid
Meanwhile, district magistrate and Police officials on Friday disallowed congregational prayers at Jamia Masjid Srinagar, Anjuman-e-Auqaf said in a statement issued here.
The Anjuman-e-Auqaf spokesman said that the district magistrate and Police officials visited Jamia Masjid in Srinagar on Friday morning and asked the management to lock the gates of the Masjid, denying the congregation from offering Juma-tul-Vida prayers.
“Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid strongly resents the move of the authorities, causing great distress to lakhs of Muslims who traditionally come from all parts of Kashmir to offer prayers on the last and greatly blessed Friday of Ramadan in Jamia Masjid, where offering prayers on the last Friday has great significance,” the statement read.__GK News
