IN a significant development, the Jamia Masjid Nowhatta in Shaher-e-Khaas has preponed, by an hour, the congregational Friday Salah, starting it at 1: 30 PM even as the event witnessed surge in the number of Musalees.
 Sources said the decision to prepone the congregational prayers was taken around a fortnight back, by the custodians of the Jamia Masjid with Valley’s head priest Mirwaiz Dr Umar Farooq in chair, while the decision was publicized through print and other medias.
 The meeting, held at Mirwaiz’s Nigeen residence was organized by Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jamia Masjid while apart from others, Imam-e-Hai Syed Ahmed Sayeed Naqshbandi, who leads the Friday Salah was also present on the occasion.
 Sources said it was unanimously agreed that the hosting of the congregational Friday prayers at 2:30 PM could be putting people to inconvenience.
 “Many had been complaining that to attend the congregational prayers they had to miss afternoon assignments for the day,” said a source.
 “Everybody was for the decision that by preponement of the Salah, more Musalees would be attracted,” said a source privy to the meeting.
 He said finally the Mirwaiz, who also heads a Hurriyat Conference faction approved that the timing be preponed. When contacted, senior Hurriyat leader and Mirwaiz’s close aide Advocate Shahid-Ul-Islam confirmed that the decision was taken by the Mirwaiz, presently abroad on tour.
 “Verily the decision was taken under the chairmanship of Mirwaiz Sahib before he left for Geneva,” Shahid told Greater Kashmir.
 Septuagenarian Imam-e-Hai Syed Ahmed Sayeed Naqshbandi, who started his term at the historic Masjid way back in 1963 turned nostalgic of the days he spent with Mirwaiz’s father and the then head priest Mirwaiz Molvi Muhammad Farooq.
 “Those days the prayers used to be held at 1:30 PM but after the arrest and subsequent release of Molvi Muhammad Farooq Sahib in 1968, the timings were changed to 2 PM,” Naqshbandi recapped.
 He said thereafter another change in the timings came during 90s, a few years after the assassination of Molvi Muhammad Farooq, when his son Umar Farooq took to the pulpit and the prayers were postponed to 2:30 PM.
 A source close to the Mirwaiz family said another change, which over the years came with regard to the Jamia gathering was about the political speech.
 “Till mid ‘40s when Molvi Yousuf Shah would address the Friday gatherings political speech was held after the Friday Salah… But during the times of Mirwaiz Molvi Farooq this speech became a part of the pre-prayer address,” said the source.
 Jamia Market Traders Federation, President Javed Ahmed Zargar said a progressive change was seen today with the preponement of the prayers.
 “Not only did we have comparatively good business but even the gathering was much bigger than before,” Zargar told Greater Kashmir.
 Ghulam Mustafa Khan of Soura admitted that he had been preferring to offer Salah elsewhere given the “time constraint at Jamia.” “But now that the timings have been changed, my entire family ensured to attend the Salah at Jamia,” Khan said while leaving the central Masjid after the congregational prayers.
 Prominent Kashmiri medico and online editor of some Islamic websites Dr Fiaz Fazili who works in the Middle-East, said: “It’s a global trend in Muslim countries that people prefer to offer Friday prayers in the early part of afternoon because there are more spiritual rewards for the endeavor.”

Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Mar 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 17 Mar 2012 00:00:00 IST