Srinagar: Thousands of devotees from across Kashmir thronged Dargah Hazratbal shrine here to attend congregational prayers on the occasion of Juma-ul-Vida, the last Friday of the holy month of Ramzan.
Other mosques and shrines across the length and breadth of the Valley also saw huge congregations.
With authorities disallowing prayers at the historic Jama Masjid, biggest congregation in the city was held at Dargah Hazratbal shrine.
Thousands of people including men, women and children from length and breadth of the Valley thronged Dargah Hazratbal for the prayers.
The head cleric of the shrine delivered Friday sermon (Khutba) on Juma-tul-Vida and threw light on the teachings of Prophet (PBUH) on the occasion.
Roads leading to the shrine were decorated with colorful buntings, while many political and social organizations had hoisted Islamic flags atop residential houses and shops to greet the devotees on the occasion.
Big congregations were also held at Jenab Sahab Soura, Asar-e-Sharif Shahri Kalashpora, Lal Bazar, Khanqah-e-Maula, Ziarat Hazrat Dastageer Sahib (RA) Khanyar and Sarai Payeen, Syed Yaqoob Sahab (RA) Sonwar, Khawaja Naqshband Sahab (RA) and Ziarat Makhdoom Sahib (RA).
Special prayers were also held at local mosques where preachers delivered lecture on the significance of Ramzan and Juma-tul-Vida.
Meanwhile, the The local authorities disallowed the congregational prayer on ‘Jummat-ul-Vida’ — marking the last Friday of Ramzan — at the Jama Masjid here, the grand mosque’s managing body said.
Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid — the managing body of the mosque located in the city’s Nowhatta area — said in a statement that the district magistrate and police officials visited the mosque on Friday morning and asked the management to lock the gates as “the administration had decided that ‘Jumma-tul-Vida’ prayers will not be allowed at the mosque”.
“The Auqaf strongly resents this move of the authorities causing great distress to lakhs of Muslims, who traditionally come from all parts of the Valley to offer prayers on the last and greatly blessed Friday of Ramzan in Jama Masjid where offering prayers on (the) last Friday has great significance,” the statement said.
National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah also expressed regret over the disallowing of the congregational prayers at the Jama Masjid here.
“I regret this,” Abdullah told reporters at the Hazratbal shrine here when asked about the administration’s decision to disallow the congregational prayers on the occasion of the Jumma-tul-Vida.
“If the situation is good, then why the prayers were not allowed at Jama Masjid?” Abdullah, the Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, questioned.
Last month, the authorities disallowed the ‘Shab-e-Barat’ congregational prayers at the mosque.
Reacting sharply to the development, former chief minister Omar Abdullah said the administration was betraying its own claims of normality in the Valley by locking the gates of the grand mosque.
“We are constantly treated to claims of normalcy in J&K and yet the administration betrays its own claims when it resorts to locking up one of our holiest mosques thus denying people the chance to offer prayers on the last Friday of Ramzan,” Abdullah, the NC vice-president, wrote on Twitter.
Apni Party President Syed Mohammed Altaf Bukhari expressed deep regret over the closure of historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar on the auspicious occasion of Jumat-ul-Vida, and termed the act by the authorities as “deeply regrettable” and a “brazen violation of religious freedom,”
He said, “It is unfortunate and deeply regrettable that authorities yet again have barred Muslims from offering prayers in Jama Masjid even on this most auspicious day of Jumat-ul-Vida. This is also a brazen violation of religious freedom, which is guaranteed by the Constitution.”
He urged the administration to revisit such decisions and ensure the practice of closing the mosque is not repeated on the upcoming occasions of Shab-e-Qadr, Eid-ul-Fitr.
J&K People’s Conference Vice President and Media Head Syed Basharat Bukhari has expressed his disappointment and concern over the decision taken by the administration and police to not allow Eid prayers at Eidgah in Srinagar. He also castigated the administration for not allowing Juma tul wida prayers in Jama Masjid today.
In a press statement, he criticised the authorities for denying people the right to practice their religion freely and without any hindrance.
Bukhari said that it was Chairperson J&K Waqf Board Mohtarma Darakshan Andrabi, who made a statement that Eid prayers would be allowed at Eidgah, which was positively welcomed by all. However, now that police sources have contradicted her statement, raising questions about the true intentions of the administration and police.
“Surprisingly the Home Minister and LG have time and again stated that security is sound and foolproof in Kashmir, which raises the question of why security would suddenly become a problem on Eid day. If the security is indeed foolproof then it appears as though the administration does not want people to offer Eid prayers, which is unacceptable. Or else the HM and LG should accept and acknowledge that security in Kashmir is fragile”, he said.
