More than 400 people every day are enjoying free iftar meals at Bahrain’s biggest mosque thanks to donations from a Bahraini philanthropist, a report said.

The anonymous individual has been providing meals every Ramadan for both Muslims and non-Muslims at the Ahmed Al Fateh Islamic Centre (Grand Mosque), in Juffair, since 2000, reported the Gulf Daily News,our sister publication.

This will be the 15th year that people will benefit from his generosity, although his identity is a closely guarded secret and officials have been sworn to secrecy.  

Food is provided in a tent at the mosque at evening prayers in Ramadan, meaning that worshippers can break their fast before they pray.

“It started in 2000 and this person, who wished to remain anonymous, has been generous enough to ensure that there is enough food to feed anyone who walks into the tent to break their fast,” mosque supervisor Abdulrahman Bukhammal told the GDN.

“Every year, close to 12,000 people attend the iftar during Ramadan and they are served with dates, ghouzi (rice and meat), water, laban and juice.

“A total of 70 big plates of ghouzi, each enough to serve six people, is supplied.  Some people also bring in small amounts of fruits and juice as part of their contribution.

“As soon as the prayer call goes out we gather in the tent and share the meal. It is 15 minutes before the next prayer call, where the men gather in the mosque, pray and depart.”

The meal is restricted to men only due to the impracticalities of also feeding women, as well as families, in a segregated environment.

“The numbers would be much more and women coming will mean families gathering,” explained Bukhammal.

“Beyond the expense, it will be difficult to manage the crowd.”

Bukhammal, from Muharraq, is a former oil engineer at Bapco who took voluntary retirement to serve at the mosque 20 years ago.

He recalled the first time iftar was served just five people were there to eat it. “When we first started the iftar, it was just five people to whom we served food in a corner inside the mosque,” he reflected.

“Then it went up to 200 and the mosque was getting dirty, so we put up a tent outside. Today this massive tent itself costs BD4,000 ($10,600) for a month – all borne by the (anonymous) sponsor.

“We don’t restrict meals to Muslims, as it is meant for the hungry. We also at times have visitors, like those from the US Navy base, who say that they want to experience the custom.

“They are welcome, but we tell them they have to sit down and eat with their right hand, sharing with five others from a plate. This is the fellowship and sharing that the holy book teaches us.”

The mosque is open to visitors of all nationalities and faiths, with a volunteer team from Discover Islam helping non-Muslims understand the religion.

It also boasts a library and a Quranic science section with resource materials, as well as Quran classes for women who don’t speak Arabic.

There are also daily religious lectures in Urdu, Hindi, English and Arabic on the importance of Ramadan and its benefits.

Insight

It normally opens for tours between 9am and 4pm every day except Fridays and government holidays, but during Ramadan visits take place between 9am and 2pm – and from sunset until midnight for iftar meals, prayer and readings.

The mosque is also gearing up to host a two-day annual Eid open house at the end of Ramadan, offering guests a unique insight into Islam.

The open house, which has been held since 1998, attracts people from all faiths every year and Bukhammal said it was important to remind people that Islam was a religion of peace, despite violence currently being perpetrated in its name.

“Islam is all about peace and we need to feel safe with Islam,” he said.

“Islam does not discriminate or differentiate between religion, class or creed – this iftar open to all men in Bahrain is an example.

“The younger generation should bear in mind that the Quran says “Rabbil ‘alamin”, which means God of mankind, not a God of Muslims, Christians or Jews.”- TradeArabia News Service