Muslims Flock to S.Africa for Ijtima

Thousands of Muslim devotees from South Africa and abroad have thronged to attend the annual Ijtima gathering in Johannesburg, testing a mood of spirituality and serenity with their brothers from around the world.

“I feel spiritually uplifted already,” Jafar Kandulu, a Muslim from Malawi, told Anadolu Agency inside the gathering tents where a Malawian scholar was giving lectures in the local language.
“I look forward to attending next year’s Ijtema,” he said.
Kandulu is one of almost 10,000 people who attended the opening ceremony of this year’s ijtima.
The gathering, held annually in Johannesburg, attracts Muslim males who attend lectures during day or night.
Muslim scholars usually come from Asian counties including, India, Pakistan and other countries who give lectures to attendants.
Visitors also come from a number of African countries such as Malawi and Zimbabwe.
“The Ijtema is held every year in South Africa and we expect close to 20,000 Muslims to come and attend this spiritual conference,” a local Muslim scholar and one of the organizers told AA, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Some people have come from as far as Malawi, Zimbabwe and other neighboring countries to attend this powerful spiritual program which aims at motivating Muslims to live meaningful lives in the true path of Islam,” he added.
Staying in special tents during their stay, visitors usually wear white clothes and address each other as brothers.
To make their stay easier, organizers have set up running water for ablutions, mobile toilets and security lights.
“The Iltema reminds me of the Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj because I can see Muslims from different nationalities here,” said Mahad Ali, a Somali trader living in South Africa who travelled 130 kilometers to attend the gathering.
“This is a gathering of true brotherhood,” he told AA inside one of the tents.
A similar gathering for millions of Muslim devotees is held annually in Bangladesh under the title of Bishwa ijtima.
Bishwa Ijtema was first held in the 1960s by Tabliq-e-Jamaat, a political group that urges people to follow the Islamic teachings in their daily lives.
Another gathering is held by the same group in India by the Tablighi Jamat annually.
The Tablighi Jamat is a world movement whose headquarters is based in Delhi. It was founded by Sheikh Muhammad Ilyas Al-Kandhlawi in 1926.
Anyone can join the group once he or she attends its meetings and join the da`wah journeys organized by the group.

Source: OnIslam