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Grand Imam of Nabawi Mosque, Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Al-Hudzaifi, speaks during his visit at UIN Syarief Hidayatullah University in South Tangerang, Banten, on October 10, 2024. (ANTARA FOTO/Muhammad Iqbal/aww/aa)

VOI News, Jakarta: The Imam of the Prophet's Mosque, Medina, Saudi Arabia, Shaykh Ahmad bin Ali Al-Hudzaify became the khatib and led Friday prayers at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Friday (11/10).

The Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque, Nasaruddin Umar, after his meeting with Shaykh Ahmad pointed out that he was happy because Shaykh Ahmad was willing to be the khatib. He also said that the Friday sermon delivered by Shaykh Ahmad in Arabic was the first time at the Istiqlal Mosque.

“...Istiqlal is again happy to receive an extraordinary great guest, the Grand Imam of the Medina Mosque, and at the same time became a khatib. Usually, our guests are only imams, but now he was willing to be the khatib as well. So,  approximately 50 years of the Istiqlal Mosque, this is the first time there is a khutbah in Arabic,” he conveyed.

Moreover, Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar also explained that in the future, the Istiqlal Mosque will also receive special guests from abroad, namely  the Grand Imam of the Egyptian Al-Azhar Mosque, Ahmad Al-Thayyib.

Meanwhile, Shaykh Ahmad in his sermon expressed his admiration for Islam after seeing the faces of Muslims in Indonesia. He also admired the hospitality of the Indonesian people whom he said was not found in other countries. (VOI-Rama-Mar/AF-Rahmana)