JEDDAH, 14 October 2006 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah stated yesterday that the Islamic faith would remain strong despite the efforts by enemies to weaken the religion and its followers.
The king made this comment while receiving a delegation of Sunni Islamic scholars from Iraq as well as the chairman and members of the private committee for the propagation of Islam in Africa.
“We have today with us Sheikh Harith Al-Dharri and his colleagues from Iraq. They stand firm against odds as a result of their strong faith and courage, proving that Islam will remain strong despite the attacks against it,” the king said.
Addressing the reception at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah, King Abdullah urged the Sunnis in Iraq to cool down and work for the unity of their people.
King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan, a number of top government officials and senior royal family members are in Makkah to spend the last 10 days of the holy month in the vicinity of the grand mosque.
Nearly two million people thronged the Grand Mosque in Makkah yesterday, the first Friday in the last 10 days of Ramadan, to perform Umrah, attend the Juma prayer and take part in taraweeh and qiyamullail prayers.
In his Friday sermon, Dr. Saleh Bin-Humaid, imam of the grand mosque and chairman of the Shoura Council, called upon the faithful to make use of the seasons of goodness like Ramadan to seek pardon from God and correct their lives in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
In Madinah, more than a million faithful attended Juma prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque yesterday. Delivering his Juma sermon, Sheikh Ali Al-Hudaify, imam of the mosque, spoke about the significance of the last 10 days of Ramadan. He urged Muslims to make use of Ramadan to win a place in the paradise.
Droves of Saudis and expatriates from different parts of the Kingdom arrived in Makkah yesterday to perform Umrah and attend special prayers. This was in addition to the hundreds of thousands of foreign pilgrims who are already in the city.
Many people perform Umrah during Ramadan encouraged by a Saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that an Umrah during the holy month is equal to Haj in reward. Many had come to obtain the blessings of Lailat Al-Qadr or the night of power, which is expected on the odd-numbered days in the last 10 days of Ramadan.
Thousands of security personnel and traffic officers have been deployed in the central region of Makkah and surrounding areas to control the mammoth crowd of pilgrims.
Measures have been taken to make the entry and exit of pilgrims from the mosque in an orderly manner. Authorities have set up 35 electronic boards at gates to inform people of the availability of space inside.
Abdullah Al-Fayez, deputy governor of Makkah, said all government departments were working as one team to serve the guests of God. He said the number of pilgrims coming to the city was on the increase since the beginning of Ramadan.
SR52m Raised for Tsunami Victims
King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan donated SR10 million and SR5 million respectively to a Saudi telethon aimed at collecting funds for tsunami victims. The telethon helped in collecting SR52 million by 10 p.m. yesterday.
