New Delhi, March 25: Imam of the Grand Mosque, Masjid al Haram, Makkatul Mukarrema, Dr Abdul Rahman As-Sudais is arriving on three day historic visit to India March 25. The Imam is visiting India on the invitation of Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind.
“Imame-e-Haram-e-Makki, Dr Abdul Rahman As-Sudais is reaching New Delhi by a special flight on Friday early in the morning. From here he will immediately fly by helicopter to Darul Uloom Deoband”, President of Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind Maulana Arshad Madani said to ummid.com on phone.
In Deoband, Dr As-Sudais will lead the Friday prayers at Masjid Rasheedia, Darul Uloom, Deoband. After the prayers he will return back to New Delhi, he said.
“Dr As-Sudais is visiting India on the invitation of Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind. We will be hosting a dinner in his honour at Parliament Annex Friday evening”, Maulana Madani added.
According to the insiders, besides ministers, and top political and community leaders, the guest list for the dinner hosted in the honour of Dr As Sudais also includes Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
During his three-day stay in India, Dr. As-Sudais will visit various places in the national capital besides addressing the conference organised by Jamiatul Ulema-e-Hind at Ramlila Ground on March 26. He will also meet various groups representing the Indian Muslims.
On March 27, Dr. As-Sudais will visit the Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadees Complex at Okhla and lead the afternoon prayers. The prayer will be followed by his address.
Dr As Sudais is regarded worldwide as one of the most loved and respected Muslim clerics. He is leading the prayers at the Grand Mosque, Makkah in Saudi Arabia since more than a decade.
This is Dr. As-Sudais’s first visit to India. Earlier, he was scheduled to address a peace conference in Mumbai in November 2010 but his visit was cancelled in the last moment. The Mumbai Peace Conference was however addressed by Dr. Saud As-Shuraim, his colleague and another Imam of the Grand Mosque with equal stature.
—Agencies