By Mohammed Siddique, TwoCircles.net,
Hyderabad : The congregation of more than two lakh people at the historic Mecca Masjid of Hyderabad today on the occasion of Jummatul Vida or the last Friday of holy Ramadan, marked the new high in the Ramadan celebrations.
More than four hundred year old city, with a Muslim population of thirty lakhs looks drenched in piety and spirituality at its peak.
As per the historic traditions, Muslims from all over Hyderabad city gathered at the Mecca Masjid to perform the Friday prayers. After filling the mosque building and its courtyard, the biggest in the country, the worshippers spilled over to the main road, lanes and bylanes around the historic Mecca Masjid. The administration had made elaborate arrangements for the congregation, biggest of its kind in the country.
Thousands of Muslims offering Last Friday of holy month Ramzan Namaz at historic Macca Masjid on 26th Sept
All the roads, lanes and bylanes heading towards the Meccas Masjid-Charminar complex were closed for the traffic. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation had washed the roads and the streets to clean them for the prayers. While the administration of the mosque under the minority welfare department of the government had made the arrangements inside the mosque, including laying the prayer rugs and installation of temporary roofs, the arrangements outside were made by various other departments.
The police made additional security arrangements and thousands of personnel were deployed around the area to ensure law and order. More than two lakh people offered the prayers on Friday. The lines of worshippers had spread up to Shaha Ali Banda on one side and Madina X roads on the other. The lanes like Laad Bazar and Mir Chowk road were also packed with the Namazis. A birds eye view from atop the historic Charminar showed serpentine queues of the worshippers all around.
Thousands of Muslims offering Last Friday of holy month Ramzan Namaz at historic Macca Masjid on 26th Sept
While Moulana Abdullah Qureshi Al-Azhari led the prayers of Jummatul Vida for the last 22 years, this year his nephew Hafiz Rizwan Qureshi led the prayers as the elderly Imam is unwell and was under treatment in a hospital.
The Jummatul Vida prayers are a much awaited event on the calendar of Muslims of Hyderabad as it marks the entry of the month of Ramadan in to its last phase. After a lean patch in the middle of the month, the worshippers have now returned to the mosques full of piety and reverence. Mecca Masjid and other important mosques are also attracting thousands of worshippers during the “Taaq” nights and for the Tahajjud prayers.
“It is a different world altogether”, says Imran Hashmi, a trader in famous Patthargatti bazaar near Charminar. “We are up and open throughout the night to meet the rush of the shoppers. People love to shop during the night during the last ten days of Ramadan”, says the trader in cloths and garments. The other shoppers vending perfumes, cutlery, curtains and dry fruits are doing similar brisk business as Muslims are out in strength to prepare for the Idul Fitr falling on Wednesday or Thursday next depending on the sighting of moon.
The Hyderabad traffic police has closed the normally busy Madinah-Charminar road for all the traffic as the entire stretch has been taken over by the temporary shops and flood of shoppers. “Even by foot it takes half an hour to cross this stretch”, says Muqtadar Hussain. “It is flood of people”.
The entire area remains drowned in the light turning the night in to the day. That is one of the beautiful sight to behold during this month.
[Pic by Snaps India]