Honorable Muslims!
The recitations of takbir, tahlil, and salawat have echoed once again within Hagia Sophia’s domes. The adhan and salat has risen from its minarets. Hagia Sophia has met its congregation again.
Dear Believers!
Hagia Sophia’s reopening to worship means the reinstatement of this holy place, which embraced Muslims for five centuries as a mosque, to its original function.
The reopening of Hagia Sophia to worship means all crestfallen and oppressed masjids on earth, first and foremost Masjid al-Aqsa, have their hopes up again.
Dear Muslims!
The Almighty Allah (swt) states regarding those who build and maintain mosques and masjids, “The mosques of Allah are only to be maintained by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and establish prayer and give zakat and do not fear except Allah, for it is expected that those will be of the [rightly] guided.” [1]
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) gives glad tidings that people who make any effort for construction of a mosque and its maintainance will be rewarded with Paradise, “Whoever builds a masjid for (the sake of) Allah, be it small or large, then Allah will build a house for him in Paradise.” [2]
Dear Muslims!
Now, what falls upon us is to make our mosques vivid with our sense of unity and brotherhood. Our duty is to center our lives around the mosques. We must all fill mosques and spring to life with mosques, regardless of gender or age. We need to work more with greater belief, ambition, determination, excitement, and devotion in order to uphold the divine meaning of the Hagia Sophia Mosque.
[1] Tawbah, 9/18.
[2] Muslim, Zuhd, 44.
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