Around 1,500 faithful from twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad would observe Aitkaf at Faisal Mosque starting from 20th of Ramazan (August 21, Sunday). The Faisal Mosque administration has selected 1,500 applicants including some of its staffers, out of 2000 aspirants, for a ten-day communion with the Creator in isolation to seek His blessing and forgiveness for their sins.
"All arrangements have been finalised for Aitkaf sitting at the mosque," Incharge Aitkaf Section Tahir Siddique told APP on Thursday. Last year, around 1000 worshipers were selected to observe Aitkaf at the Faisal Mosque out of 1500 applicants. He said special arrangements have been made for Motakafeen (Aitkaf observers) to impart them education about 'Fiqhai' problems besides lectures from religious scholars.
"Religious scholars would deliver six lectures on different issues on daily basis and that programme will continue till the moon sighting of Shawal," he said. To a question about the criteria of selection, he said, the applicants who have been observing Aitkaf for last many years are denied this year.
Aitkaf sitting is a Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and carries a multitude of blessings of the Allah Almighty. Men observe Aitkaf in small cubicles, set up by hanging large cloth sheets inside mosques, whereas women observe it at any corner or quite place in the house which is not frequently visited by others. Normally, mosques invite requests from worshippers and managing committees allocate places to them.
These worshippers will be provided Sehri and Iftari by their Dawah Academy. But as a part of worship and regular practice during Ramadan, many philanthropists and common citizens send food items for Sehri and Iftari in the mosques for the poor and needy who come to mosques for the purpose.