Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Announces Ramadan Preparations

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs to organize a number of events during Ramadan

The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs announced the organization of a number of programs and events during the holy month of Ramadan, confirming the completion of preparing mosques and women's prayer halls in readiness for receiving the blessed month.

Director of the mosques department at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Sulaiman Jumaan Al Qahtani confirmed during a press conference at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque today that the ministry was keen to prepare mosques and women's prayer halls and prepare them well before the advent of the holy month of Ramadan, in terms of completing maintenance and cleaning works and providing necessary requirements such as sound systems and carpets, in addition to preparing Eid prayer halls for performing the blessed Eid al-Fitr prayer.

He noted the readiness of a large number of Qatari and resident reciters distinguished by their good voices and mastery of recitation, to lead worshippers in Taraweeh and Qiyam prayers in various mosques of the country, indicating that there will be a complete recitation of the Holy Quran during Taraweeh and Qiyam prayers at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab Mosque by a number of Qatari imams.

He added that a number of students from Quran teaching centers and children of skilled imams and muezzins in memorizing the Holy Quran will perform the Taraweeh prayer in a number of mosques in the country, in cooperation with the Department of Call and Religious Guidance. There will also be a project to encourage school students to perform the Taraweeh prayer, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education.

He pointed out that the department will launch the second phase of the Imam application, which facilitates requests from imams and muezzins. He added that it will also implement the I'tikaf project in a number of mosques during the last ten days of the holy month, which will be announced later, in addition to announcing a list of designated prayer halls for performing the Eid al-Fitr prayer at the end of Ramadan.

For his part, Director of the endowment funds department at the general authority of awqaf Jassim Hassan Bouhazza confirmed the implementation of a package of endowment projects that strengthen communication bridges with various bodies and institutions, serving different segments of society. He explained that the department will present four radio episodes throughout the holy month, at a rate of one weekly episode from the Zakhir radio program, to introduce the endowment and endowment projects offered by the department and contributed to by generous donors.

He added that the department will continue to organize the basket of giving project to support low-income families with essential food supplies they need, providing them with a portion of the necessary food throughout the month of Ramadan. He indicated the expansion this year of the breakfast for a fasting person project will provide more than 700,000 meals throughout the holy month through 20 locations in various areas, including 15 equipped tents for dining and 5 sites for distributing ready meals, where about 24,000 fasting people benefit from the project daily.

He called on philanthropists to contribute to this important project of feeding fasting people during the holy month and supporting various endowment projects through different endowment methods, in order to attain reward and contribute to supporting endowment projects.

The programs and events of the general authority also include a number of community partnerships. It will support many Quranic projects through various state institutions. It also continues its support for educational projects through the scholarship program, in cooperation with the Education Above All Foundation. 

Director of the department of da'awa and religious guidance at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Mal Allah Abdulrahman Al Jaber confirmed that the department will implement many advocacy and educational programs and events during the holy month of Ramadan.

Al Jaber was speaking during the ministry's press conference to announce the programs and events of the holy month. The department of has also prepared audio podcast episodes about inspiring biographies of Islamic figures who had an effective impact on history, as well as other programs on the rulings of fasting, and a fatwa program via text messages that deals with religious issues. There is also a competition for young children aimed at instilling ethics and morals, and a competition to introduce children to the Arabic alphabets and encourage them to join the Ministry's Quranic centers and memorize the Quran.

Among the department's Ramadan programs is also the "Healing and Mercy" campaign, which it organizes in a number of government hospitals in the country in cooperation with Hamad Medical Corporation. 

Al Jaber added that the department organizes a number of advocacy and educational lectures about the family, targeting women. The department also publishes advocacy content and tweets about the rulings of fasting in Arabic and other different languages, as well as an advocacy program for women on how to invest the last ten days.

The department intends to update the oasis of Ramadan portal to address the obligation of fasting during the month of Ramadan in several languages. 

The department continues to organize an intellectual dialogue program, which will hold its 10th edition at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab Mosque during the period from the 7th to the 11th of Ramadan, with five sessions.

Each session will last for one hour after the Taraweeh prayer. The annual dialogue program organized by the ministry hosts a group of scholars and thinkers known for their moderation and firmness, to discuss problems and issues concerning the present and future of the comprehensive cultural security of the Islamic nation. This includes correcting some misconceptions and presenting well-founded visions, intellectual revisions, and innovative theses for a civilizational cultural project befitting the nation of the Quran.

The department also provides a number of advocacy and faith-related materials through the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs' account and its social media platforms, in addition to enhancing community engagement through radio programs on Qatar Radio and the Holy Quran Radio, presented by a group of preachers through religious programs, Ramadan fatwas, and Islamic rulings that contribute to educating segments of society about their religious matters and responding to their inquiries.

The holy month of Ramadan is expected to witness a number of Quranic competitions for the branches of the Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani Holy Quran Competition. Registration will open via the WhatsApp application. 

Head of the Zakat services at the Zakat Affairs Department of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair section Mohammed Jaber Al Buraidi affirmed the department's keenness during the holy month of Ramadan to intensify its efforts, unite the preparations of all its divisions and branches, and multiply its work. Additionally, it will enhance communication with those paying zakat and those eligible to receive it from registered families, in accordance with legal controls, expenditure categories, and approved mechanisms. This comes within the framework of strengthening its social role in serving the community and working to provide the best services to those paying and receiving zakat, stemming from the fact that Ramadan is the month of multiplied rewards, and many payers are eager to pay their zakat in it, aspiring to purify their souls and wealth and multiply good deeds.

Al Buraidi added, during the press conference held by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, that the zakat affairs department operates during morning and evening periods, receives cases, and accepts applications through the department's website.

The department also implements an advertising campaign to urge members of society to pay zakat, in addition to offering a competition program about the obligation of zakat. 

For his part, Director of the Sheikh Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center Dr. Saleh Ali Al Akhen said that the center will offer a large number of Ramadan programs and events for expatriate communities in Qatar in several languages. The center will hold an Arabic language course for non-native speakers, an introductory program for the Filipino community about the month of Ramadan and highlighting Qatari culture. The center will also hold a Ramadan competition for Muslims in several languages, as well as the Communities Forum, which will host a number of preachers to present advocacy programs in Tamil for various communities.

The center will also offer a preaching program at iftar tables, an introductory program in Russian, as well as the Ibn Zaid Ramadan Forum, which is a religious and cultural program for Muslim communities in different languages.

Additionally, the center's preachers will present a preaching program in mosques for non-Arabic speakers, a program to teach reverts about their religion, the Friday sermon in Urdu, and a program to translate the Friday sermon into Urdu and English to promote Islamic culture among speakers of these languages and achieve benefit from the sermon's content.

On another note, the Department of Islamic Affairs at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs intends to launch a number of publications of Islamic heritage books during the holy month of Ramadan. The Department of Islamic Research and Studies will also publish a daily competition for the public over thirty days in several local newspapers, aimed at reinforcing some important religious and cultural information for the public during the holy month. 

Source: QNA