On the anniversary of Eid ul Mubahala on 24th Dhul Hijjah in 1431 A.H., held on 1st December, 2010 , Wessex Jamaat celebrated this event by inviting a special guest from the Ahlu Sunnah Mosque locally.
Mufti Liakoth Ali Akram who is the Imam of the Portsmouth Muslim Academy was the special guest who gave a presentation on the importance of the Ahlul Bayt.
Mufti Liakoth Ali, born locally in Portsmouth, is trained Imam from Darul Uloom in Bury, U.K.
Mufti Liakoth Ali began his presentation by stressing the common belief between Shias and Ahlu Sunnah is the belief in the Ahlul Bayt. He highlighted the importance of how the belief in Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w ) is tied intrinsically to the belief in the Holy Household, the Ahlul Bayt. He continued by stressing that ".....the very reason why we are here today and the reason why we follow the true religion of Islam is because of the Ahlul Bayt. One would wonder why they went through all those hardships, all those sacrifices; there’s only one reason behind that, and that is to give us the pristine message of Islam. We should learn and think about what the Ahlul Bayt were like, all their virtues, and all their sacrifices, and we should thank them for this great favour they have gifted to us. He also said in his presentation that “the love of the Ahlul Bayt is the love of the Holy Prophet”.
Mufti Liakoth Ali said about his visit to AL MAHDI: "Alhamdulliallah, it was a privilege to come to AL MAHDI and share my observations on the Ahlul Bayt. Their status remains unparalleled and their sacrifices are a beacon for all Muslims. Such intra-faith dialogues across the Muslim communities give us greater opportunities to bring the message of Allah SWT to our communities and do His work for His pleasure."
The Vice President of Wessex Jamaat, Mohamed Taki Jaffer said about this visit: "Seeing such intra-faith activities locally under the stewardship of religious scholars gives these activities a greater impetus. We learn about others and realise how close we are as the believers in Tawhid, the Holy Quran and our love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWW) and the Ahlulbayt."
Commenting on this visit, Sheikh Fazle Abbas Datoo, Resident Alim said: "Through such intra faith interactions, we realise how as part of the muslim ummah we draw closer to each other and can engage with the wider community. This gives energy to doing His work for His pleasure."
Story compiled by Fatema Nasser and Zahra H Nurmohamed