Sunni leaders preach tolerance, purity to 1.5 lakh attendees on final day of Ijtema

Sunni leaders called for peace and offered guidelines to community members on the final day of the 22nd Annual International Sunni Ijtema (conference) organised by Sunni Dawat-e-Islami, an international organisation, conducted at Azad Maidan.

Sunni leaders called for peace and offered guidelines to community members on the final day of the 22nd Annual International Sunni Ijtema (conference) organised by Sunni Dawat-e-Islami, an international organisation, conducted at Azad Maidan.

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“Muslims should not protest insult of the Prophet, done through cartoons or caricatures, on the streets but through dialogues between community intellectuals,” said Allama Qamruzzaman Khan Azmi, secretary general, World Islamic Mission, United Kingdom. “One must first understand the teachings of the Prophet and his approach in order to defend his religion,” he said.

Almost 1.5 lakh people came to listen to the scholars and participated in mass prayers on Sunday.

The three-day event witnessed participation by several Islamic scholars including Dr Waqar Azmi from the United Kingdom, Mufti Nizamuddin Misbahi, chief mufti, Islamic University Ashrafiya Mubarakpur, and Maulana Mohammed Shakir Ali Noorie, founder and president of Sunni Dawat-e-Islami.

Dr Waqar Azmi emphasised the need for purification of the heart and the importance of following the Prophet’s teachings. “Incidents of violence, such as the recent shooting of school children in the US, are because of sickness of the heart. The Prophet is the purifier of the heart,” he said.

Maulana Noorie advocated forgiveness, empathy and urged the youth to follow the path of the Prophet Mohammad. “The current generation does not feel guilty about committing sins, and it’s important that all Muslims help one another,” he said.