Dubai’s young muezzins were all smiles as they received a special envelope from none other than Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Ahead of Eid Al Fitr, the emirate’s Crown Prince has given each of them an Eidiya — describing them as “beautiful echoes of our society”.
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The boys were among the 311 youths from 51 neighbourhoods who had taken part in Dubai’s unique ‘Muezzin Al Farij’ initiative. Under this programme, they are trained to properly recite the call to prayer so they can become muezzins at a mosque in their communities.
It was an initiative that won residents’ hearts. There’s nothing like hearing boys as young as six announce the call to prayer, worshippers have said. Mums, whose sons have become muezzins in their communities, are also beaming with pride.
In a video shared by the Dubai Media Office, the young muezzins gathered in one mosque and each of them were handed the Eidiya — which traditionally comes in the form of money.
Happily holding their royal gifts, the boys took turns in thanking Sheikh Hamdan:
Muezzin Al Farij was initiated in 2023 by Dubai’s Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, in collaboration with Furjan Dubai. Tailored to children aged 6 to 16, the programme gives the youth the rare opportunity to undergo training for the proper recitation of the call to prayer.
Following the campaign’s success, Sheikh Hamdan on Monday launched a bigger initiative: One that will soon see young boys leading a congregation in prayer as imams.