Charity begins in Makkah
MAKKAH: Ramadan is a month of hospitality, brotherhood, chivalry and social solidarity — qualities that are expressed each year during the holy month, especially in the Grand Mosque where millions of Muslims come to perform Umrah.
The residents of this holy city compete against each other to do good during Ramadan in the hope of attracting Allah’s reward, forgiveness and blessings. They distribute, free of charge, iftar meals and water bottles among pilgrims and visitors along streets, at traffic signals and road junctions. If you are unable to reach the Grand Mosque to break your fast there at sunset, do not worry, you will be given dates and water wherever you may be in Makkah.
Saleh Abdullah, a Yemeni national who lives in Jeddah, recalls that he was on his way to the Grand Mosque with his wife to perform Umrah at noon one day when his sister called requesting them to take her with them. “As a result we were delayed and were definitely not going to make it for iftar at the Grand Mosque. I was worried but remained composed so as not to cause any worry to my wife and sister. The Maghreb prayer call caught us at the first traffic light on Sitteen Street, which leads to the Grand Mosque,” said Abdullah.
