Growing number of people attracted to the Ma’din towards the end of the holy month every year proves the power of prayers. Tomorrow’s mega congregation on our campus is a rare union of tens of thousands of hearts assimilating lessons in spiritual wisdom.
Believers, begging to the Almighty for forgiveness and taking a mass pledge against terrorism and alcoholism, throng the Swalath Nagar since morning. It’s considered the largest annual gathering of Muslims in India and one of the largest in the world after Makkah and Madina.
Laylah al-Qadr, the holy night of boundless blessings when prayers are answered in manifold, is believed to fall on the 27th night of Ramadan. It’s greater than a thousand nights in sanctity and rewards from Allah. It started a small monthly prayer meeting held on the last Thursdays of Arabic months 30 years back. Gradually, it grew into a major annual event.
Now, besides participants from across the country, people from foreign lands also arrive for the Swalath, webcast live for those who could not make their physical presence to follow. Prayers crescendo when the crowds swing in spiritual ecstasy, chanting words of wisdom a thousand times and seek forgiveness from the Almighty with raised hands and tears in their eyes.
This event upholds the beauty of harmony and tolerance when Hindu families lend their active support and offer refreshments to the guests. It's a common fallacy that spirituality is all about prayers. On the contrary, it has a broader dimension. Any form of sincere effort to attain truthful goal can be spiritual. Education is one and bridging the gender and economic divide is another.
It’s a common knowledge that a prayer conference of this magnitude would not have happened without the support of people from all communities. Besides, I have the conviction that the real tradition and culture of our country is based on tolerance and religious harmony. I believe terrorism is not a product of any religion; rather it springs out of the crookedness of politicians. My experience is that such events bring hearts closer.
(The Bukhari heads Malappuram-based Ma’din Academy which attracts nearly half a million people to its annual prayer congregation on the 27th night of the holy month).
