Srinagar, Mar 08 (KNS): Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid said that its president Mirwaiz Mohammad Umar Farooq was today allowed to offer Friday prayers at Jama Masjid Srinagar for the fourth time after his release from house detention in September 2023 and for first time since October 6th 2023.

Anjuman in a statement issued to KNS said the authorities informed them about their decision in the forenoon today, which was conveyed to Mirwaiz  and as soon as people came to know about it there was enthusiasm around and they gathered in huge numbers in the mosque.

During his address Mirwaiz as per the statement said that repeated restrictions to prevent him from coming to Jama Masjid is very sad and painful to him and he knows that it also causes great grief to people as the pulpit falls silent.

He said that even on occasions of Shab e Bharat and Shab e Miraj he was not allowed to come to the masjid despite repeated appeals from all including the Anjuman.

He said that the case for his full release from house arrest is in court and he is fighting it to ensure that the court delivers justice and all restrictions on his movement are removed, especially being able to perform his religious obligations as the Mirwaiz.

He also said that one has to be ready to face all eventualities as the times and circumstances we live in are very tough. "As far as the pulpit of Jama Masjid is concerned it has always advocated peace and resolution of the conflict."

Emphasising that the Holy month Ramzan is arriving, he said that "this is a time for us to take stock of our lives, of the kind of society we are living in and are building for our present and future. Are we following the values and principles of Islam in our daily life and its transactions and interactions? Many times our hardships and sufferings are a consequence of our personal and collective actions and deeds as a people, so this Ramzan let's introspect and honestly assess our intentions, actions and deeds and ask ourselves that are they in sync with Islamic principles of how a Muslim should lead life and conduct interactions ?"

He said "If our aim is to earn Allah's Raza (consent) in this life and heaven in the afterlife, then our approach to life and our circumstances will change. Patience, gratefulness, lack of greed and contentment will be the ends we strive for. It does not mean that there will not be struggles and hardships, in fact precisely because they are and will be there, that practicing our faith in letter and spirit will give us ease, peace and contentment besides the courage to face them. If we submit to Allah completely,  his mercy will pull us through even in the most hopeless and dark of times. For this is our faith in his promise. So pull yourself up and take stock of yourself in the light of Quranic  teachings and sunnah and correct your focus . And Allah will make light our hardships and suppression," he said .

He added also remember that from history we learn that no time is permanent as the wheel of time always moves, and things change.

He said that he would like to share that in keeping with the tradition of the Mirwaizeen for decades of following the message and practice of universal brotherhood and harmony in Islam among the majority and minority communities, we would like to convey our warm wishes to the Kashmiri Pandit community on their festival of Herath today .

He also hoped that authorities will now allow him to conduct religious functions especially in view of Ramzan as is the tradition for centuries, starting with Majlis-e-waz at Astan e Alya Naqshband sahib on 3rd Ramzan, the death anniversary of Hazrat Fatima RA. (KNS)