Al-Aqsa Imam leads Friday prayers at Bahria Town mosque

LAHORE: The Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Dr Ahmad Muhammad Hussein, led the Friday prayers at the Bahria Town Grand Mosque.

In his sermon, Dr Ahmad, who is also the grand Mufti of Palestine, he prayed for Muslim unity and the independence of Palestinians. Officials from Palestine embassy, religious scholars – including Hafiz Tahir Ashrafi, Maulana Asadullah Farooqui and Maulana Abdul Qayyum – others and thousands of people were present on the occasion. 

It is the first visit of a Palestinian Mufti during the last 76 years. It was in 1938 when the first Palestinian grand Mufti, Mohammed Amin al-Husseini, had visited the region and met Quaid-e-Azam and other leaders of the independence movement,

The Bahria Town Grand Mosque was inaugurated on Eid-ul-Azha in 2014 after which it has been a centre of religious congregations. Being the seventh largest mosque of the world and biggest in Pakistan, it has not only become a cultural symbol of Lahore but also a hub of Muslim solidarity and brotherhood. Last year, the Imams of Ka’aba and Masjid-e-Nabwi had also led the Friday prayers at the Bahria Town mosque.

Earlier on his arrival, thousands of people – both men and women – gave a warm welcome to Dr Ahmad. While passing through the Bahria Town road, he said it was similar to the one leading to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

There was great fervour among the faithful when they saw the grand Mufti entering the mosque. After the Friday prayers, the grand Mufti, who was given the status of state guest, had lunch at the Bahria Town. Special security arrangements had been made on the occasion.