Khalil Mabrouk - Istanbul
From his home in occupied Palestine, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri Imam and preacher of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque interacts with his followers on social media in "Nafat Tarawih" which is displayed live in an electronic broadcast on the platform of "Online Mosque".
The worshipers follow Sabri’s thoughts with special attention, as he is part of Jerusalem, which they like to pray Tarawih at its maximum, and his vision gives them reassurance after the recent Israeli threats he received, the last of which is his threat that he “will only see Al-Aqsa Mosque in the photos.”
"Online Mosque" attracts senior preachers, imams and preachers from different countries of the world, and brings them together with Muslims from everywhere also in the virtual space through the "Zoom" application and social media accounts, especially Facebook.
The podium has a global character, as preachers and lecturers from different countries, as well as listeners and recipients, which Sheikh Ikrima Sabri says, "It reflects the nature and inclusiveness of Islam as a universal human religion that expands throughout the world."
The Alternative Mosque
On the first day of the launch of the podium, those responsible for it were surprised by the increase in the number of its followers to 10,000, which Sheikh Sabri says is evidence of the seriousness and readiness of the project's implementers.
He said in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net that this interest is also due to people's thirst for the word of truth and goodness that they used to listen to during the days of the holy month of Ramadan in the mosques they were cut off due to quarantine and curfew measures imposed in many cities of the Islamic world as part of measures to limit the spread of a virus Corona Novel (Covid-19).
The interactive platform, which was launched at the beginning of Ramadan, gives people the opportunity to recite the collective Qur’an, tickets and listen to sermons, recite the deeds from supplications, and stay in touch (online) from dawn prayer to sunrise.
In the opinion of Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, the "Online Mosque" project reflects the positivity and flexibility that Islam and its followers have and their readiness to employ elements of human civilization in calling for God and goodness and spreading love among people.
The idea and the founding
The idea of establishing an "online mosque" was born on the first day of the holy month by a group of young Egyptians residing in the Turkish city of Istanbul, who took it upon themselves to launch an electronic platform that meets worshipers with the imams and preachers in their residential area in the Istanbul neighborhood of Istanbul.
Ahmed Ramadan, one of the founders of the podium, said that Muslims deprived the Ramadan atmosphere of the call to prayer, tawasheh, the Qur’an of the Maghrib, the breakfast cannon, street movement, Tarawih prayers, prayer rituals, mosque lessons, thoughts, and the retreat of the last ten due to the spread of the Corona pandemic.
He added to Al-Jazeera Net that he had guided with his colleagues the idea of replacing part of these rituals and the spiritual atmosphere of Ramadan with a new idea that is compatible with the general atmosphere and connects the public in their homes and between mosques, lessons and lectures.
Ramadan defines "Online Mosque" as a virtual space on the Internet, simulating the reality of the true mosques that were closed after the spread of Corona, explaining that the idea of its founding entailed a youth group that was keen to continue their gathering in Ramadan in a regular way, but in a different way to preserve the general health of all.
The idea of "Online Mosque" is based on publishing lectures, thoughts, and dhikr by a group of scholars, sheikhs and preachers through the current months application for public and private meetings Zoom, and soon an account has been opened on Facebook that includes a page with a special group to follow the activities, as well as the mosque The electronic 10 groups "WhatsApp" and the YouTube channel, which shows all events daily.
Various interactive programs
The mosque offers a daily program of various acts of worship, which begins with the risk of dawn after praying with one of the preachers, then followed by recitation of dhikr and aphorisms of the Prophetic traditions of the Prophet, and in the middle of the day provides a scientific lecture on the provisions of fasting and various topics.
This will be followed by an hourly hour, remembrance of the evening accompanied by the vocalist Mohammed Abbas, and will end today with a risk after the Tarawih prayer, in which a group of preachers from different countries such as occupied Palestine, America, Britain, Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Jordan participate.
Ramadan says that the initiative was characterized by being inclusive of the realistic mosque concept, but in an easy and easy way for the public and the followers, adding, "You only need a smartphone and internet connection to be directly present with the scholars and preachers, and any follower can ask a question directly, which facilitated the audience's communication with scholars." We are also preparing soon to launch an invitation to an interactive dialogue between the public, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, and some preachers. "
He points out that the success of the idea encouraged the team to work to establish 100,000 electronic mosques worldwide, in order for the mosque to return to its true role in awareness, guidance and recreation of souls that have been exhausted by the distance from the homes of God in these circumstances.
Distinctive idea
about this initiative, Dr. Akram Kassab believes that the idea of "Online Mosque" stemmed from the success of the young people who initiated it in setting up the platform in the virtual world and investing the high spiritual and faithful smells of the blessed month of Ramadan.
And he tells Al-Jazeera Net that the success was also in good preparation and effective coordination of the idea with well-known scholars and preachers who people are looking to listen to and learn from, especially as they succeeded in inviting lecturers with multiple intellectual and specialized directions from different countries.
The Egyptian academic and university researcher residing in the United States believes that the pioneers of the electronic mosque are eagerly looking for the chips from the sermons that touch the hearts ’passion and their closeness to God Almighty in the month of fasting, noting that most Ramadan activities poured across the podium in the framework of filling the void left by the closure of mosques and the discontinuation of worshipers from Its airspace.
Kassab emphasized that the idea of "Online Mosque" does not contradict Islamic law because the podium did not witness any prayer or group gathering from a distance, but rather focused on meetings and lectures that are considered high-end worship but not from the intended worship.