Habib Ali al-Jifri visits Chechnya for the Inauguration of the Haja Aymani Kadyrova Mosque in Argun, Chechnya
On Friday 16 May 2014 (15 Rajab 1435,), Habib Ali travelled to Grozny, Chechnya on the invitation of the Chechen President, Ramzan Kadyrov, to inaugurate a mosque named after his mother Haja Aymani Kadyrova. Habib Ali was accompanied by Sbaykh Usama al-Azhari and other guests.
Before Friday Prayers, the guests and other dignitaries headed to the mosque for an inauguration ceremony. The ceremony started with a recitation of the Quran by the President’s son, Adam,, who is also a hafiz (memoriser of the Quran). Following the recitation, Chechnya’s Grand Mufti, Shaykh Sultan Mirzoyev, the chairman of the Chechen Council of Ulama, Shaykh Khoja Ahmed Kadyrov, and the President each delivered speeches on the occasion of the inauguration. Habib Ali delivered the Friday sermon in Arabic and the President’s religious adviser, Adam Shahidov, translated it into Chechen. The sermon centered on the subject of cultivating mosque spaces nationwide and the spiritual state of worshippers in the mosque. Shaykh Usama al-Azhari lead the congregational prayer and Sheikh Muhammad Jamal al-Din Abu al-Hunud recited some supplications thereafter. Local Chechens then formed a circle in which they engaged in remembering God (dhikr), and singing poetry in praise of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, both in Arabic and Chechen.
Guests and dignitaries then accompanied the Chechen President to visit the grave of his martyred fatherAkhmad Kadyrov to read the faitha prayer. The guests then attended a lunch banquet.
After the Sunset (maghrib) prayer, some of the visiting ulama delivered short speeches to celebrate the inauguration of the mosque. The topics were centered on the need to reinvigorate the role of the mosque in our communities and the deeper meanings of having a sacred space dedicated to the worship of God. After the evening (`isha’) prayer, a nasheed show was arranged. The President’s daughters, Khatma and Tabarak, participated. The visit concluded with the President Ramzan greeting the guests farewell and wishing them a safe journey.
