J-K: Mirwaiz of Kashmir allowed to offer Friday prayers at Jama Masjid in Srinagar

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 8 : Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid in a statement on Friday said that its president and Mirwaiz e Kashmir Mohammad Umar Farooq was allowed by the authorities to offer Friday prayers at Jama Masjid in Srinagar.
According to the statement, this was the fourth time after his release from house detention in September 2023 and for the first time since October 6, 2023.
The statement said authorities informed them about their decision in the forenoon today, which was conveyed to Mirwaiz. As soon as people came to know about it there was enthusiasm around and they gathered in huge numbers in the mosque, the statement said.
After offering Friday prayers Mirwaiz said that repeated restrictions on him to prevent him from coming to Jama Masjid is very sad and painful to him and he knows that it also causes great grief to people as the pulpit falls silent.
Mirwaiz said that even on occasions of Shab e Bharat and Shab e Miraj he was not allowed to come to the masjid despite repeated appeals from all including the Anjuman. Mirwaiz said that the case for his full release from house arrest is in court and he is fighting it to ensure that the honourable court delivers justice, and all restrictions on his movement are removed, especially being able to perform his religious obligations as the Mirwaiz.
But, Mirwaiz said that one has to be ready to face all eventualities as the times and circumstances we live in are very tough. As far as the pulpit of Jama Masjid is concerned it has always advocated peace and resolution of the conflict, he said.
Emphasizing that the Holy month Ramzan is arriving, Mirwaiz said, "This is a time for us to take stock of our lives, of the kind of society we are living in and are building for our present and future. Are we following the values and principles of Islam in our daily lives and its transactions and interactions? Many times our hardships and sufferings are a consequence of our personal and collective actions and deeds as a people, so this Ramzan let's introspect and honestly assess our intentions, actions and deeds and ask ourselves if are they in sync with Islamic principles of how a Muslim should lead life and conduct interactions."
"If we aim to earn Allah's Raza ( consent) in this life and heaven in the afterlife, then our approach to life and our circumstances will change. Patience, gratefulness, lack of greed and contentment will be the ends we strive for. It does not mean that there will not be struggles and hardships, in fact precisely because they are and will be there, practising our faith in letter and spirit will give us ease, peace and contentment besides the Himmat (courage) to face them. If we submit to Allah completely, his mercy will pull us through even in the most hopeless and dark of times. For this is our faith in his promise. So pull yourself up and take stock of yourself in the light of Quranic teachings and sunnah and correct your focus. And Allah will make light our hardships and suppression," he said.
"Also remember that from history we learn that no time is permanent as the wheel of time always moves, and things change," he added.
Mirwaiz added that he would like to share, that in keeping with the tradition of the Mirwaizeen for decades of following the message and practice of universal brotherhood and harmony in Islam among the majority and minority communities, we would like to convey our warm wishes to the Kashmiri Pandith community on their festival of Herath today.
In the end, Mirwaiz hoped that authorities will now allow him to conduct religious functions especially in view of Ramzan, as been the tradition for centuries.