In the Sharjah Industrial Area, there is a mosque famously known as Pakistani Masjid, which is overcrowded during Friday prayers.
During Friday sermons/prayers, worshippers are compelled to pray on the road, outside the mosque under the scorching heat of the sun. In every area, at least one of the mosques should be spacious enough to accommodate worshippers. For instance, a mosque in Taawun area should be large enough to accommodate people belonging to these specific areas.
Similarly, the sight of people praying outside the mosques, on the main roads is even common in Deira, Dubai. Most of the time, the roads are packed with worshippers who perform their Friday prayers when the mosques are crowded and full. As a consequence, the roads are blocked and motorists keep honking at the worshippers, disturbing their prayers.
I think that there should be either more mosques built in the area or one big mosque for the area is good enough, depending on the availability of land, funds and geographical location.
The majority of mosques in Sharjah are located in sandy patches and are not easily accessible by worshippers. The government has to ensure that the roads or paths to the mosques are paved, so that worshippers do not have to get covered in sand when making their way to the mosques.
I reside in Taawun area in Sharjah and my father goes to the mosque five times a day to perform his prayers. The mosque is near Al Taawun roundabout and is built inside a temporary, portable cabin. The mosque is on the opposite road and far from our building. My father has to wear boots to the mosques to avoid getting hurt by the sharp pieces of broken glass bottles scattered around in the sandy area.
— This reader is based in Sharjah
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