The Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Indonesia is marking the holy month of Ramadan with a series of activities for more than 12,000 Muslims on a daily basis.
Among those activities are religious lectures, Islamic lessons, daily Quran recitations and the study of its hadiths, as well as the Psalms of the Quran competition for the best Quran recitation, said Abu Dhabi Media Office.
The mosque in Solo, in Central Java, is also holding a daily iftar serving up more than 10,000 meals in four large tents set up in the grounds and courtyard.
Emirati charitable and humanitarian institutions are helping to organise the iftar. Around 20 volunteers from the Solo community and local students oversee the Iftar distribution and other Ramadan activities and events at the mosque, added the media office.
“Worshippers at Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Central Java will have a blessed experience as they listen to the most beautiful recitations and chants from the UAE, leading Tarawih prayers and reviving the nights of the holy month,” said Dr Sultan Faisal Al Rumaithi, director general of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque Centre in Solo.
Solo's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, named in a tribute to the UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was inaugurated by President Sheikh Mohamed and Indonesia's then president Joko Widodo, in November 2022.
“The different activities organised by the Sheikh Zayed Mosque board of directors aim to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan meaningfully and to strengthen the ties between the Emirati and Indonesian peoples,” said Dr Al Rumaithi.
“It is a relationship based on enlightened awareness and its approach is co-operation in righteousness and piety in building nations and serving humanity.”
The mosque in Solo has become one of the region’s most prominent Islamic landmarks, fostering Islamic studies and culture while celebrating the strong fraternity between Indonesia and the UAE, he added.