MADINAH: In the women’s sections of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, women busy themselves after Asr prayers spreading sufrahs (dining sheets) and supplying iftar to thousands of women free of charge.
Many of these women who set up sufrahs consider it a form of worship. Umm Ahmad, who is in her 60s, has been supplying iftars at the Prophet’s Mosque for the past few years. “After my husband’s death a few years ago I decided to serve worshippers in the mosque during Ramadan. I am free from other cares and worries as all my children are married and living with their families,” she said.
Umm Ahmad goes to the Prophet’s Mosque each afternoon along with her maid. “On my sufrah I offer yoghurt, dates, dugga (a type of seasoning to go with the yoghurt), shereek and futut bread,” she said.
She added that after worshippers eat their food, she picks up the leftovers and cleans the area before the Maghreb prayer.
Ayishah, a nurse who arranges a sufrah in the Prophet’s Mosque, said, “Because I’m busy at work, I employ women workers to set up my sufrah. I help them on my days off. On my sufrah I usually provide two kinds of dates, yoghurt, shereek and water. We start distributing half an hour after the Asr prayer,” she added.
Ayishah added that she instructs her workers to clean the area once people finish eating and before prayers start.
Abeer, an employee with a women’s charity, said philanthropists pay her to serve food in the mosque. “We work on all days of Ramadan and take our wages from the women who commission us. Our work includes preparing sufrahs, and laying dishes with dates, dugga, yoghurt and bread,” she said.
“Cleaning the area after the worshippers eat their food is also part of our duty. Speed is a significant factor in our work because we only have a couple of minutes to clean up between people finishing their food and beginning prayers,” she adds.
She said that she had also previously distributed sahoor — the meal served before the dawn prayer at the beginning of the fast — to people around the Prophet’s Mosque. She adds that her sahoors used to comprise rice, meat, fruit and juice.
Another women worker, Fatimah, said a sufrah costs around SR50.
