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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Shiite Great Husayniyya Mosque and the Sunni Great Khanaqin Mosque are located next to one another in the central Iraqi city, but perform the Adhan nearly 14 minutes apart during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The Shiite mosque hosts daily Quran recitations from 04:30 pm until around the time for sunset prayer, also known as Maghrib prayer. Ten minutes before the Maghrib adhan, which calls Muslims to break their fast, the Husayniyya loudspeakers are switched off, and Quran recitations are broadcast from the Sunni mosque’s loudspeakers.
Maghrib prayer is scheduled for around 06:13 pm at the Great Khanaqin Mosque, and 06:27 pm at the Great Husayniyya Mosque.
The imams and muezzins of both mosques stressed to Rudaw’s Hunar Hamid that there is mutual respect between the two places of worship.
“We are not even brothers, we are one. We do not even call each brothers because that would be an understatement of how close we are. We consider them as a part of ourselves,” said Raed Adham, the muezzin of the Shiite mosque.
Mahdi Saleh, a Sunni muezzin, said that he has performed the Adhan in almost all of the mosques in Khanaqin but has yet to call for prayer in the Husayniyya, stressing that he would if the Shiite mosque were to invite him.
Difference in Shiite and Sunni prayer times is a common occurrence across Iraq, and the two sects often observe the month on different days.
The Shiite mosque hosts daily Quran recitations from 04:30 pm until around the time for sunset prayer, also known as Maghrib prayer. Ten minutes before the Maghrib adhan, which calls Muslims to break their fast, the Husayniyya loudspeakers are switched off, and Quran recitations are broadcast from the Sunni mosque’s loudspeakers.
Maghrib prayer is scheduled for around 06:13 pm at the Great Khanaqin Mosque, and 06:27 pm at the Great Husayniyya Mosque.
The imams and muezzins of both mosques stressed to Rudaw’s Hunar Hamid that there is mutual respect between the two places of worship.
“We are not even brothers, we are one. We do not even call each brothers because that would be an understatement of how close we are. We consider them as a part of ourselves,” said Raed Adham, the muezzin of the Shiite mosque.
Mahdi Saleh, a Sunni muezzin, said that he has performed the Adhan in almost all of the mosques in Khanaqin but has yet to call for prayer in the Husayniyya, stressing that he would if the Shiite mosque were to invite him.
Difference in Shiite and Sunni prayer times is a common occurrence across Iraq, and the two sects often observe the month on different days.
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