On the last Friday of Ramadan 2021, a British-Muslim entrepreneur serenaded London’s Tower Bridge with the adhan as the sun fell over the British icon.
On Friday, as part of an interfaith virtual iftar, Kazi Shafiqur Rahman, 35, administered the adhan in the manner of the Grand Mosque’s head muezzin, Sheikh Ali Ahmad Mulla, wearing a white thobe and Saudi ghutra.
It’s a style he’s been honing since childhood, and it’s fuelled the British-desire Bangladeshi’s to perform the adhan in public.
Mulla has been a muezzin at the Grand Mosque since 1975, and Muslims all over the world know his speech, whether or not they have visited Makkah.
Tower Hamlets Homes, the East London Mosque & London Muslim Center, and the Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum held an iftar at Tower Bridge, which ended with the adhan.
Rahman expressed his gratitude for being given the opportunity to offer the adhan in public and for being given the opportunity to do so from Tower Bridge.
“I am just an ordinary individual and for me to be blessed with such an opportunity is humbling,” he said.
Despite the fact that Rahman has been conducting the adhan in mosques and at events for over two decades, this is just the second time he has done so at a famous London venue.
He conducted the adhan in the heart of London’s financial district, Canary Wharf, last year, and the video of his performance went viral.
Rahman said that he wants to offer the adhan at “other global iconic locations,” such as Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.
“After delivering the adhan in Canary Wharf last year, I realized that the call to prayer is such a strong message and that I was sending it out across the world via social media,” Rahman said.
“It had such a huge reach even on LinkedIn, and many non-Muslims said how mesmerizing they found the adhan, and were asking about what it actually was,” he added.
Rahman was taken aback by the amount of attention the video of last year’s adhan got at first.
“But then I realized that this is the word of God and the call to prayer and therefore it’s bound to reach that many people,” he said.
“But then I realized that this is the word of God and the call to prayer and therefore it’s bound to reach that many people,” he said. “The impact of last year’s adhan was just unbelievable. The video reached millions of views.”
Rahman told Arab News that he was worried about conducting the adhan at Tower Bridge because he wanted to top last year’s results
“I don’t want it to go wrong and I want to live up to expectations. However, I am also reminding myself to do this for the sake of God only. With social media, it’s easy to get sidetracked and think about the traction that this delivery of the adhan will get. But that shouldn’t be my intention. I keep reminding myself that I am doing it for the sake of God and for Him alone.”
London-based Rahman said he thanks God for giving him this opportunity and a melodious voice.
“I am just an ordinary person but I feel like God has favored me with such a voice and such an opportunity, both of which I am grateful for. It gives me a sense of satisfaction that the adhan I am delivering is being appreciated all around the world. It makes me praise God even more.”
Read more: https://pakobserver.net/international/
