Alhamdulillah it was a packed and very first Eid al-Fitr prayer at Al-Taqwa College’s Fitness and Community Centre, a mega sports hall in the back of the school that has been under construction for the past few years. By the grace of Allah we were able to obtain a temporary occupancy permit to use the space for our very special event. We had an estimated 10,000 worshippers in attendance inside the hall with a divider between the brothers and sisters as well as a separate room for those who needed to be seated on chairs.
Al-Taqwa College’s Fitness & Community Centre
The worshippers had started to trickle in by 7:30am and slowly but surely the rows of worshippers filled in, one by one. Sisters having a separate entrance than the brothers and some chose to sit on the bleachers on the south side of the hall. Those who arrived early were rewarded with a parking space for their cars but most walked into the school and came in droves until the Eid salah started at 8:30am, filled to capacity mashaAllah.
Principal Mr Omar Hallak addressed the crowd before the salah began, telling them of the various functions of the sports hall — the various sports that it can accommodate and special events such as weddings.
After Eid salah, brother Adil Shaikh took to the podium to deliver the English version of the khutba (speech). The advice was to remind ourselves of all our acts of ibadahs during Ramadan and to keep doing those deeds that we have become accustomed to during the month. The khutba also provided reminders for us to maintain good relationships with our fellow believers and mend those relationships that are strained. Sheikh Dr Ali Sultan Galabneh followed with the Arabic version of the khutba.
In shaa Allah this will be the first of many Eid salahs in the mega sports hall and hoped that everyone who attended had a pleasant experience.
Here are some of the highlights of the day.
