This Sunday, the Turkish Religious Foundation of the United Kingdom (ITDV) will be hosting a mevlit – a special event of Islamic prayer and hymns – to commemorate the holy birth of the Prophet Muhammed.
Turkey’s Head of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) Professor Mehmet Görmez will lead this celebratory spiritual event, which is taking place at Walthamstow Assembly Hall in East London.
The afternoon session will open with a talk in Turkish by Prof. Görmez about the importance of this annual act of worship and the spirit of love that it symbolises. There will be readings from the Kuran by one of the world’s leading hafız (person who has memorised the entire Kuran) Ali Tel, followed by mystical songs and Islamic hymns by the globally renowned İlahi Korosu [Divine Choir] of Dr Fatih Koca.
The two-hour event is free and open to all British Muslims and others curious to learn more about the faith and the Prophet.
The importance of the Prophet Muhammed
Muhammed was born in Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia) in the year 570 of the Gregorian calendar. The founder of Islam is revered by Muslims as he is believed to be a messenger of God and the final prophet who captured the Word of God in the Islamic holy book the Kuran.Muhammed helped unite the followers of Islam in Arabia into a single entity, their way of life centred on the teachings, practices and values laid down in the Kuran. The religion has spread globally. Of the world’s 7.3 bn population, today an estimated 24% – or 1.75 billion people –identify as Muslims. Christianity is the world’s largest faith, with 31% of people claiming to be Christians.The precise date of Muhammed’s birth is unclear. In Turkey in 1989, the week around the 20th of April was denoted by Diyanet as the date to commemorate the prophet’s birth. From 2018, the date will move to the 12th day of the third month of the Islamic calendar, in keeping with other Muslim majority states.
About the Turkish Religious Foundation of the United Kingdom (ITDV)
The ITDV is a British charitable organisation whose remit includes education and support for the spiritual lives of Turkish Sunni Muslims in Britain. Its community outreach work is via five mosques in the UK: Aziziye and Hornsey in London, as well as mosques in Bristol, Luton and Newcastle.
The foundation’s activities, such as organising the annual haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca, are supported by Turkey’s Diyanet (Department of Religious Affairs).
Professor Mehmet Görmez and the role Diyanet in Turkish public life recently appeared on a BBC documentary, Turkey with Simon Reeve.
Event details
Title: Rahmet Peygamberinin Sevgisiyle Kutlu Doğum Proğramında Buluşuyoruz
Date: Sunday 30th April 2017
Language: Turkish
Event times: 1.30pm to 3.30pm
Venue address: Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Town Hall, Forest Road, Walthamstow, London E17 4JF
Admission: Free
More info: diyanet.org.uk/kutlu-dogum-2017
