Hassan Cheruppa Saudi Gazette Saudi Gazette saw Faraj Al-Johani, a retired engineer of Saudi Electricity Company, spreading Iftar sofra [spread on which food is laid] at the Prophet's Mosque immediately after Asr prayers on the first day of Ramadan. He was apparently seen too impatient to wait for the arrival of his team members, who joined him after some time, in spreading sofra in their ‘area' at the mosque. Al-Johani leads a seven-member team of Saudi friends in Madinah who have been feeding thousands of worshippers all through Ramadan since 23 years. “We have been offering Iftar meals at this area of the mosque since eight years after moving to this spot from another area where we offered Iftar meals for 15 years,” Al-Johani told Saudi Gazette. Their Iftar menu consisted mainly dates, Zamzam, Arabian coffee, Shuraik bread, yoghurt, dugga, and olive. No other food is allowed to be brought into the mosque. Heavy food like kabsa, mandi, meat, rice, as well as fruits and juices are served in the shaded courtyards around the mosque where there are separate sections for women. Iftar meals are being offered under the close monitoring of the mayoralty inspectors. According to a Haram Presidency official, there are around 30,000 sofras spread out in the mosque and 63,000 sofras at its shaded courtyards. “The cost for feeding people at each sofra amounts to about SR5,000 for a month, and this means that the total cost for iftar meals at the Haram during Ramadan is more than SR465 million.”
Al-Johani is one among the tens of thousands of Madinah residents who revive the centuries-old tradition of Madinah people who are well known for their benevolence and charity. “There are thousands of Madinah residents who offer Iftar meals throughout the holy month and some of them have been preserving this tradition for more than 100 years after inheriting this noble custom from their ancestors. My uncle Saleh Abu Jabal has been spreading out sofra below the raised platform, where the mosque's muezzin calls for prayer, for about 67 years without any break,” he said. Hashim Magliah, a member of the Al-Johani's team, said that most Saudi residents of Madinah, including their women and children, take part enthusiastically to serve Iftar meals at the Haram. The families compete with each other to offer delicious meals to the worshippers. Some residents do it singlehandedly while others offer it after forming groups of friends or relatives. Al-Johani's team also include Abdul Tawwab Abdul Malik, a teacher of Holy Qur'an at the Haram, Yasir Al-Jayar, an official at the Presidency for the Affairs of the Prophet's Mosque, Khaled Mushrif, a government employee, Muhammad Al-Azab and Naif Shaata. Magliah, a pharmacist at Madinah's psychiatric hospital, said that their team offer Iftar meals to about 3,000 worshippers at their four sofra in the holy month. “Main item in our sofra is of course dates, and this year we plan to serve Madinah's own fresh rotana dates throughout the month. This year there was a big harvest of rotana and this enables most Madinah people to include this delicious fruit in their menu,” he said. According to Magliah, Shuraik bread and dugga are other favorite items in their sofra. The best Shuraik bread is available only in Madinah, and similar is the case with dugga, which is mixed with yoghurt before eating. Charity of Madinah all around Magliah, who is also director of Haj Guides Establishment, said that charity occupies Madinah Haram in Ramadan every year. “What you see all around here is “Al-khair (charity) of Madinah”. Most people of Madinah who live in different parts of the Kingdom and outside in connection with their jobs and business purposes come to Madinah in order to spend the holy month in their native place as well as to offer Iftar meals at the holy mosque and engage in other charity work. A true Muslim from Madinah cannot remain outside the city during Ramadan,” he said, adding that they start making preparations for Iftar meal at least two weeks before Ramadan. Century old sofra More than 10,000 Madinah residents are organizing Iftar meals at the holy mosque in addition to its courtyards. All the space inside the Haram is occupied by Madinah residents to hold Iftar meals, says Mushrif. “Some of them inherited the space from their ancestors who started this noble deed several decades or more than a century ago. If any one of them dies, his children or friends inherit the tradition of serving Iftar meals at his sofra. In case of those who have no children, their relatives or friends take charge,” he said, adding that in the old mosque area, almost all sofra date back to more than half a century. According to Mushrif, all citizens of Madinah know the space where each citizen spreads out his sofra. “So no one else encroaches or occupies that area after recognizing this as a well-known custom of Madinah residents. Accordingly, the entire space at the mosque and its courtyards has been occupied and it is very difficult for any newcomer to find a place at Haram to serve Iftar meals,” he said. Unique moments of hospitality Saudi Gazette saw unique gestures of hospitality when hundreds of boys standing at the gates and aisles inside the holy mosque as well as at passages and streets outside the mosque, inviting worshippers to have Iftar meal at their sofra. Some of them were seen holding fast the hands of old pilgrims and taking them to their own sofra. When any worshipper refused to accept their invitation, disappointment replaced their cheerful mood briefly, only for them to swing back cheerfully into action. “We are teaching our younger generation these great practical lessons of hospitality that we have inherited from our ancestors. Our children are enthusiastically supporting us in holding Iftar meals and thus acquiring experience in inheriting this rich tradition from us,” said Magliah whose son Yasir was seen busily engaged with him in serving the worshippers. Magliah said that the average cost for their sofra is estimated at around SR20,000 in a Ramadan. The leftovers after Iftar are removed and the mosque and courtyards cleaned as quickly as possible so that worshippers can start the Maghreb prayer within 15 minutes after adhan. Charity flows out of holy month Magliah said that the Iftar sofra in Ramadan stretches out to other 11 months of the year. Several Madinah residents, who offer Iftar meals in Ramadan, also arrange Iftar meals on every Monday and Thursday as well as in ayyamulbidh (the days of 13, 14 and 15 of every lunar month) at the mosque when worshippers observe voluntary fasting. “After Ramadan until next Ramadan, we leave this spot and move near Al-Hijrah Gate in the old mosque area to spread out our Iftar sofra,” he said. Magliah noted that Iftar meals are being served in all other mosques in the holy city. Many companies and firms, including Saudi Binladin Group, and Al-Ansar Group are organizing Iftar meals at the courtyards of the Prophet's Mosque and other mosques in Madinah. Many affluent families set up Iftar tents on public places in front of their houses. A leading workshop owner is supplying Iftar meals for more than 200 of his workers regularly, he said. In the past, the Muslim residents of Madinah, known as the Ansar (the Helpers) helped the Prophet (pecae be upon him) and his companions when they migrated from Makkah to Madinah. The Ansar gave everything that they had to their new guests. At present day, their descendants are holding fast this tradition by showing their extraordinary hospitality. Following the tradition of Saudi citizens of Madinah, expatriates are also holding Iftar meals at the Haram. They also join hands with their employers to arrange Iftar sofra. Speaking to Saudi Gazette, a number of Umrah pilgrims and visitors shared their spiritual experience. This is an amazing picture of the unique hospitality of Madinah people that they have inherited from their ancestors –– the Ansar. While commending the hospitality of the Madinah people, Haji Al-Manfi, an Iraqi pilgrim from Anbar province, forgot for a while the tragic developments in his home country. He prayed to Almighty Allah to show kindness to Iraqi people through helping them to end bloodshed, achieve reconciliation and return to normal life.
