75 imams to lead Taraweeh prayers at 18 Dubai mosques

Dubai - Up to 65 lectures were to be delivered in Arabic, English, Urdu, Malayalam, and Bengali.

With a few days left for the holy month of Ramadan, the department of Islamic affairs and charitable activities in Dubai on Sunday unveiled the details of its 'Rashid bin Mohammed Gathering'

Dr Hamad Al Shaibani, director general of the department, said 75 imams, known for their tuneful voices, are to lead the Taraweeh and Qiyam prayers in 18 grand mosques of Dubai during Ramadan.
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"Many of these are to lead the prayers at the Rashidiya Grand mosque opposite the Dubai international airport as part of the much-awaited Quraa Dubai 'Quran Reciters' programme."

These include Mashari Al Afasi, Saad Al Ghamdi, Idrees Abkar, Adel Al Rayan, Amer Mehalhal, Ahmed Al Lahdan, along with students of Al Maktoum Quran centres.

Up to 65 lectures were to be delivered in Arabic, English, Urdu, Malayalam, and Bengali, by renowned scholars at nine mosques of Dubai, he added. "These are apart from 400 lessons being given in the mosques of Dubai since the beginning of the lunar month of Shaaban, and will continue in Ramadan."

The department is further all set with 111 massive Iftar tents across Dubai where free meals are to be provided to indigent and low-income people, Dr Shaibani added. "As many as 2.5 million meals are to be distributed at these tents during Ramadan this year."

Jassim Al Khazraji, acting executive director for Islamic affairs sector, said that Quraa Dubai programme will see renowned imams widely known for their beautiful and inspiring voices.

"Thousands of worshippers, men and women, old and young, Emiratis and foreigners from all over the country usually flock to these mosques to enjoy the serenity and spiritually uplifting atmosphere where preaching and Quran recitation circles are held every day."

The sixth edition of the programme was initiated five years back, he added. "It is annually held under the generous sponsorship of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai."

Atiq-Ur-Rahman, a Pakistani resident, told Khaleej Times that he was eagerly waiting the new list of imams to lead the Taraweeh and Tahajud prayers this year. "The inspiring recitation touches my heart deep and changes my life for better."

Mohammed Al Ashqar, an Egyptian resident, said though he was staying in Ajman, he took his four-member family every day to the Rashidiya mosque in Dubai to enjoy the tuneful voices of the imams there.

"We sometimes used to go early before the Maghreb prayer, and end our fasting there to pray in the front line immediately behind the imam or to his right side to be more focused in the prayer."
See the list in Arabic here: Ramadan prayers (a list in English will be uploaded as soon as it is available)
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com

• Ramadan 2021
• Dubai