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Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid chief cleric allowed to offer Friday prayers after five-month
Mirwaiz Mohammad Umar Farooq allowed by the authorities to offer Friday prayers at Jama Masjid Srinagar today for the first time since his last Friday prayers at the mosque on October 6
Jamia Masjid Srinagar chief priest and Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was allowed to offer Friday prayers at the grand mosque after five months, the mosque’s managing body said.
The managing body of Jamia Masjid, Anjuman Auqaf said that its president, Mirwaiz Mohammad Umar Farooq, was allowed by the authorities to offer Friday prayers at Jama Masjid Srinagar today for the first time since his last Friday prayers at the mosque on October 6.
The authorities informed them about their decision in the afternoon. “As soon as people came to know about it there was enthusiasm around and they gathered in huge numbers in the mosque,” the Anjuman said.
Speaking to HT, the Mirwaiz said, “I only offered prayers but could not deliver the sermon before the prayers as I was conveyed the decision by the authorities late.”
The Anjuman said the Mirwaiz has been able to offer prayers at the Jamia Masjid only four times since his release in September 2023, following four years of house detention, after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Since October 13, Friday prayers were not allowed at the grand mosque for 10 weeks as security forces had apprehensions that there could be protests in support of Palestine. The Friday prayers were allowed at the mosque from December 22, but Mirwaiz was not allowed to move out of his home on Fridays. He has been leading the prayers and delivering Friday sermons at Jamia Masjid as part of the Mirwaiz’s family tradition. He has also moved court against his on-and-off house detention.
The Mirwaiz pointed out that he was not allowed to come to the mosque on Shab-e-Bharat and Shab-e-Miraj despite repeated appeals from the Anjuman, adding, “The case pleading for my full release from house arrest is in court and I am fighting it to ensure that the honourable court delivers justice , and all restrictions on my movement are removed, especially being able to perform my religious obligations as the Mirwaiz.”
“History teaches us that no time is permanent as the wheel of time always moves, and things change,” he said, adding that one has to be ready to face all eventualities.
He expressed hope that authorities will allow him to conduct religious functions especially in view of Ramadan, as part of the centuries-old tradition, starting with the congregation at Astan-e-Alya Naqshband Sahib Shrine on the third Ramadan.
Mirwaiz also wished the Pandit community on the occasion of Herath, saying, “Keeping with the tradition of Mirwaiz for decades of following the message and practice of universal brotherhood and harmony in Islam amongst the majority and minority communities , we would like to convey our warm wishes to the Kashmiri Pandit community on their festival of Herath today.”
