The **Great Husseini Mosque** in the heart of Amman hosts Iftar tables as the sun sets during the holy month of Ramadan. These tables are provided by the “Tharid Endowment” near the mosque, along with the support of charitable individuals, serving both mosque-goers and passersby throughout the entire month. Additionally, the mosque houses a Quranic teaching center that opens its doors from the time of the Zuhr prayer until the evening, offering lessons in Quran recitation and Tajweed for people of all ages.
اضافة اعلان
Religious lessons are also offered daily for the worshippers during Ramadan. The **Ministry of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs, and Holy Sites** invites esteemed scholars and professors from Sharia faculties in Jordanian universities, as well as from the Fatwa Department. Occasionally, guests from abroad are invited to deliver religious lectures. During the 1970s and 1980s, the ministry ensured the presence of prominent Arab scholars during Ramadan, such as Sheikh Abdel Baset Abdel Samad, Mohammed Sadeq Al-Minshawi, and Mohammed Metwally Al-Shaarawy, alongside religious chanting groups from neighboring countries, to hold spiritual evenings in the Great Husseini Mosque.
In connection, the late historian Dr. Abdullah Rashid mentioned in his book about life in Amman in the 1940s: “The Husseini Mosque was the world of traders and city residents during the day. They would regularly attend the Zuhr and Asr prayers and listen to sermons delivered by the mosque’s scholars, such as Sheikh Hassan Al-Maghribi, Sheikh Aziz Shuaib, Sheikh Khidr Al-Shanqiti, Sheikh Hamza Al-Arabi, and Sheikh Mohammed Al-Ramini. Afterward, they would return home to break their fast and then head back to the Husseini Mosque to perform Taraweeh prayers and listen to the Quran recitation by Sheikh Saleem Al-Kayyali.”
Sheikh Mohammed Al-Rashid Al-Badawi Al-Awartani mentions a unique spiritual phenomenon during Ramadan. The sheikhs and their followers would gather every Thursday after Asr prayers in the mosque courtyard to perform Dhikr, followed by a procession through the streets of Amman, chanting and beating drums. They would also hold Dhikr sessions in their homes every night of Ramadan. Among them was Sheikh Mahmoud Al-Tahrawi "Abu Salem," who lived in the Wadi Surour neighborhood, close to the mosque.
Interestingly, by the late 1930s, women began to perform Taraweeh prayers on the second floor of the Great Husseini Mosque. The first to establish this practice was Sheikh Mohammed Mahmoud Al-Ramini. This was significant in reflecting the evolving social practices in Amman, as although Islamic scholars in Amman allowed women to pray in the mosque, Islam generally prefers women to pray at home. This development highlighted the social steps taken in the changing life of Amman during that period.
**When Al-Lala is Gone**
One of the most prominent figures associated with the Great Husseini Mosque, **Sheikh Kamel Al-Lala**, passed away on November 10, 2020. Since the late 1950s, Jordanians had grown accustomed to hearing his Quranic recitations and invocations at the Great Husseini Mosque, King Abdullah I Mosque, and on Jordanian Radio and Quran Radio. Born in 1944, Sheikh Al-Lala dedicated his life to memorizing and reciting the Quran, learning from scholars like Sheikh Hussein Battah and Sheikh Mustafa Mar’i. He was appointed as a Quran reader at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs and became famous for his Quran recitations and religious chants before Fajr and Maghrib prayers during Ramadan. His famous chants included: “Blessed is the one who says there is no god but Allah,” a chant that became deeply embedded in the hearts of Jordanians and a hallmark of the holy month.
**In conclusion**, the Great Husseini Mosque continues to serve as a vibrant center of worship, teaching, and community engagement during Ramadan. The mosque's spiritual legacy, with its rich history and social significance, remains an integral part of the lives of Jordanians.
