A day of spirituality

Abu Dhabi: Friday is always a day of spirituality for Muslims because of the congregational prayers (Juma) offered in the afternoon and the Friday that just passed away allowed fasting people to attend their last Friday congregational prayers of this Ramadan.

This prayer, which holds special significance for people in the capital, saw thousands flock to the Shaikh Zayed Mosque at prayer-time. And I decided to join them, as well as spend my day at the mosque in worship.

I wanted to experience the Shaikh Zayed Mosque's Friday prayers for myself, and partake of the popular daily iftars provided by the mosque authorities.

So I set out promptly at midday, and arrived in the grounds just as the sermon had begun.

The area was packed with a series of Ramadan iftar tents, and row upon row of parked cars. Worshippers were walking up the avenue to the mosque in droves.

Their sheer numbers were obvious as soon as you reached the mosque's marble courtyard, with people assembled in rows as far as the eye could see.

I was later told by a mosque attendant that the inner halls had been filled, and people had prayed in the courtyards all around.

I offered the prayers with a total of 17,000 worshippers. It was a truly spiritual and sentimental experience being amidst the huge crowd of people, all preparing to bid farewell to Ramadan, and anxious to claim the remaining blessings of the fasting month.

Nimo Abdi, a 36-year-old woman from Somalia whom I spoke to after the prayers, put it best when she said everyone "was trying to get the best of the month in its last few days".

"I live far away from the mosque but this being the last Friday is always extra special. So my family and I came to pray at the mosque with its splendid recitation and feeling of peace."

"The large number of people with similar spiritual goals at this beautiful mosque enhances the experience of offering congregational prayers," said Mohammad Rahman, 35, from Bangladesh.

The experience of being among so many worshippers heightened my sense of sentimentality on Friday, especially because I will have to wait another year to spend another Ramadan Friday at the mosque.

Iftar: 40% more visitors

The number of people ending their fast at the capital's Shaikh Zayed Mosque this year was 40 per cent higher than the numbers last Ramadan, Talal Al Mazroui, director of events and activities at the Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque Centre, told Gulf News on Friday.

"300 people are working to provide the meals in our fifth year of offering iftars for the public. We saw 35,000 people come here on Fridays to end their fast but today being the last Friday in Ramadan, the number must have peaked," Al Mazroui said.

He also added that 8,500 chickens and 800 lambs were slaughtered, and 4.5 tonnes of rice were cooked, to make up the varying menus at iftar time.