The sprawling Prophet's Mosque is known the world over for its ambience, serenity and hospitality. The latter attribute is especially witnessed during the Iftar time when about 800,000 to a million visitors break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Several charities and philanthropists vie with each other in providing delicious and healthy breakfast to the visitors to the Prophet's City. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Abdullah Al-Faleh, Deputy President of the Presidency of the Prophet's Mosques' Affairs, told Saudi Gazette. The minimum expenditure on each person is SR 2.5, thus the daily expenditure on breakfast works out to SR2 million which is borne by the private sector, he said. The presidency, he said, has allowed citizens to bring in yoghurt, dates, Saudi coffee, bread known as shreyk, a Madinite dish known as ‘duggah' and tea for the Iftar. Just after Asr prayer thousands of hand driven small carts on two wheels carrying baskets, cartons, thermoses of Saudi coffee and nylon rolls about a meter wide with plastic utensils enter the mosque from all sides. The nylon rolls used as ‘sufra' are spread over the prayer carpets to keep food stuff as allowed over it. The items of food – about 250 grams of yoghurt, a small plastic plate having sufficient dates, bread shreyk, duggah in a small plate and Saudi coffee in cups is served to each person. In only a matter of minutes the entire mosque is furnished with ‘sufra' having all these eatables neatly placed on them. The Presidency supplies Zamzam water in more than 20,000 water coolers. The coolers are placed closed to each sufra. The hosts fill the glasses with Zamzam and place it before each person. Iftar organizers and other philanthropists make their children and others stand in front of all gates and inside the mosque to invite the arriving worshippers to break the fast on their ‘sufra'. Women are second to none in this work. The mosque has two wings for ladies which accommodate more than 5,000 worshippers. They also arrange breakfast the same way it is arranged in the men's section side. The presidency has kept 2,000 workers on active duty to keep the mosque clean within 15 minutes of breaking the fast. They also move water coolers to their original places before the call for Maghrib prayer is made. It is not all over. After the congregation prayer, the worshippers sit in groups and the hosts serve Saudi coffee to all those who want to relish the hot beverage.
