FIFA game attendees in Qatar leave to attend Friday prayers
On Friday, November 25, amid Qatar's hectic schedule as host of the 2022 World Cup, there was a beautiful sight.
Following the opening of the major football tournament in the Gulf nation, spectators from many nations could be seen thronging to the mosque to offer the first Friday prayer. When the muezzin was heard announcing the beginning of Adhan, not just spectators but also athletes and Muslim officials reportedly ceased all of their activity (the call to prayer).
The Ibrahim Al-Khalil Mosque, which is situated in Doha's West Bay, is one of the primary places where supporters travel to fulfill their duties as Muslim males by participating in the required weekly congregational prayers.
The mosque, which has soaring minarets and intricately carved wooden doors, was crowded with spectators, the majority of whom were from Tunisia, Oman, and India. There was also a FIFA official in uniform, children sporting French football uniforms, hundreds of men and women from nearby hotels and tower blocks, and children wearing French football shirts.
As the first Muslim nation to host the World Cup, Qatar is acknowledged for providing amenities for Muslim supporters, including a prayer area, halal food outlets, and a prohibition on beer consumption in the stadium.
Yousef Al Idbari, a Moroccan visitor fan, expressed his happiness at being allowed to participate in Friday prayers because the competition is taking place in an Islamic nation.
The 2010 World Cup in South Africa was very different from this year's World Cup, which, according to South African football fan Ridwan Goolam Hoosen, is ideal for a Muslim like himself, as he frequently missed goals or missed a player being sent off as he left the grounds to locate a prayer spot.
Qatar makes the most of the chance to promote Islam and combat Islamophobia around the world by hosting one of the biggest athletic events in the world. Event planners made sure that the message of Islam was gently communicated at every turn, from the hotel to the stadium. Even the opening of the event included English translations of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH's sayings and teachings that had been placed around the city streets of Doha.
The committee also ensures a remarkable experience, making sure that guests do not overlook Adhan's splendor
and majesty. For that, they put microphones in the stadium and brought muezzins with beautiful voices to broadcast the call to prayer.
By stopping the FIFA Fan Fest in Qatar during prayer times, a British journalist named Robert Carter claimed via his Twitter account @Bob-cart124, visitors had a rare opportunity to see authentic Islam.