London’s Guildhall Old Library Hosts Ramadan Iftar

On a special Ramadan night, about 500 British Muslim and non-Muslim people gathered for a historic #OpenIftar at the Guildhall Old Library in London.

Designed by Sir Horace Jones, the Grade II listed Old Library was built in 1872. It features some fantastic stained-glass windows.

Gathering for the iftar on Thursday, our young imam stood there to sing out the call to prayer in a truly unique experience.

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An A-Level student, Yahya Ali, is of Bangladeshi heritage. He began memorizing the Quran at 12, finishing three years later at 15. Memorizing the Quran, he developed an interest in artistic, scientific, and musical aspects of the Qur’an, something evidenced as he recited the Qur’an in the murattal style during the Maghreb prayers and a glorious adhan.

Guests of the night occasion included Commander Umer Khan, the first British Muslim appointed to a commander role at the City of London Police, and Alastair King, Alderman and Sheriff of the City of London.

Both spoke about recognizing diversity in our communities, setting good examples, and lifting people to help them achieve their potential.

Professionalism and integrity are the cornerstones of all societies, particularly those bridging diverse cultures and communities into London, the melting pot of wonder.

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Unique Prayer

Before the program began, long queues formed in the courtyard of the Guildhall, London’s oldest town hall. The rain didn’t help, but as the 500 guests entered, they were seated promptly, and the program for the evening began.

Perhaps one of the more surreal moments was when the side room where the men prayed overflowed, and the space just outside where the women prayed also overflowed. The men formed a line going back to the right, and the women formed a line along the side to the left.

Then were small groups of men and women who couldn’t join either section praying in individual clusters. It reminded me of the scenes in Makkah where you would find a spot and pray irrespective of who was around you.

Blue Strawberry provided catering to the night, preparing both a vegetarian and a meat option.

But perhaps the most surreal moment of the night was standing in the gallery with an ajwa date with a view towards the people sitting and enjoying the start of their iftar meal. From their humble beginnings outside the Quba mosque at the time of the Prophet Muhammad to an iftar at London’s Guildhall. What a journey.

And in that is a lesson for life. While our faith may have been revealed to the pagan community in Arabia over 1,400 years ago, transforming their lives then. The values of faith are universal and can be seen, experienced, and understood anywhere in the world at any time. It is this universality which appeals to many who make Islam their path to God.

SOURCE: https://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/europe/londons-guildhall-old-library-hosts-ramadan-iftar/