Crawley Mosque prays for King and country in Coronation celebrations
Noor Mosque on Langley Drive is to mark the Coronation by inviting friends and neighbours for celebrations over the Coronation weekend (May 6 – 8).
The celebratory campaign is being led by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, one of the oldest established Muslim communities in the UK that built the first purpose-built mosque in London in Southfields, as well as Britain’s biggest mosque – the landmark Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden, south London. The community is also sponsoring posters on London’s iconic buses to drive home a message of goodwill for the Coronation. Buses are running across the capital from May 4 with the message: ‘Congratulations Your Majesty!’ and carry the Coronation logo and the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK logo. Noor Mosques as well as Ahmadiyya Mosques across Britain will be filled with prayers for His Majesty The King. Mosques will also be sharing food, running fun activities for children and making special donations to local food banks as part of The Big Help Out campaign on May 8.
In a special message His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the Head of the Worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim community, expressed his heartfelt and sincere congratulations to the King. His Holiness also noted that in 1902 the founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community offered special thanks and prayers on the Coronation of HM King Edward VII. His Holiness noted that freedom of religion was a hallmark of the British nation as reflected in the reign of HM Queen Victoria. His Holiness noted that this commitment has continued since, including during the reign of HM Queen Elizabeth II. His Holiness welcomed the fact that HM King Charles has also expressed the need for respect for religions. His Holiness said: “I pray that the occasion of His Majesty’s Coronation proves not only a means of bringing people of different nations together but also a means of fostering a spirit of trust and mutual understanding in society and between nations.
“It is my prayer that may God Almighty through His Grace and Beneficence, keep our honoured King safe and in good health. May his reign be one of peace and prosperity for the world, and may the attributes of justice, tolerance and freedom of belief forever remain the guiding principles of the British Monarchy. Ameen” Rafiq Hayat, National President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK, said: “The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community throughout the UK will mark this historic occasion with public celebrations in mosques and prayers for the wellbeing of the King and country. “We are delighted to sponsor messages on London buses to celebrate this occasion as a further expression of our loyalty to the country.
“It is an Islamic injunction to be loyal to your nation and the Coronation provides a magnificent occasion to declare our commitment to supporting our King.” Adeel Shazad, President of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Crawley based at Noor Mosque said: “We are sharing the joy of the nation on this historic day and are delighted to express our happiness and gratitude to God. We are inviting our friends and neighbours to join in the celebrations with us and pray that God grants His Majesty King Charles III a long life and that we can continue to live in peace under his reign.” Ahsan Ahmedi, the External Affairs Secretary of the Ahamdiyya Muslim Community Crawley and the local events organiser, added: “A key principle taught by Islam and exemplified by the Holy Prophet of Islampbuh is always to be loyal to your nation. We do this by engaging our men, women and especially our children to be involved in community engagement programs, raising money for charity and also to be well educated so they in turn contribute to the nation’s economy.