Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – An eminent Saudi scholar Sheikh Muhammad Al-Issa, a member of Saudi Council of Senior Scholars and secretary general of the Muslim World League (MWL), will deliver a sermon and lead prayers at the Namirah Mosque on the Day of Arafat on Friday, Dhul Hijjah 9 (July 8).

The highest authorities have issued the approval in this regard, the Makkah emirate said in a statement on its official Twitter account.

Dr. Al-Issa is widely recognized as a leading global voice on moderate Islam, committed to bringing global awareness to the religion’s true message of empathy, understanding and cooperation among all people.

Dr. Al-Issa, who is a former justice minister of Saudi Arabia, was known for his calling on Muslim communities in non-Islamic countries to respect the constitutions, laws and culture of the countries in which they live.

He also called on them to understand that their claims to their religious privacies are in accordance with the laws and by peaceful means, and that they must respect the final decisions that decide on their claims, whether the decisions are  from legislative or judicial authorities.

At the academic level, Dr. Al-Issa has been specialized in Islamic Shariah, constitutional and administrative laws, and authored a number of books and published articles on shariah, law and many intellectual issues.

He also taught shariah and law in some Saudi universities, supervised and discussed many doctoral and master’s theses, and delivered lectures at international intellectual institutions and universities around the world.

Arafat Day

The Arafat Day marks the culmination of the hajj pilgrimage which will begin on Thursday, Dhul Hijjah 8 or July 7.

On that day, the pilgrims perform the ritual of wuquf, meaning being silent while doing dhikr and praying at the Arafat site, which is about 25 kilometers from the Grand Mosque in Makkah.

Wuquf is one of the hajj’s pillars and the most important of the rituals.

The Arafat sermon is delivered after the Dhuhr and Asr prayers combined at the time of Dhuhr (jama' taqdeem) with two rakaats of each (qasr).

It is highly recommended to perform both fardh (obligatory) prayers at the Namirah Mosque. However, if this mosque can no longer accommodate worshipers in terms of capacity, the Dhuhr and Asr prayers must be performed in Arafah.

Source: Saudi Gazette

Reporting by Indonesia Window