See photos from Day of Arafah celebration at Miami Gardens mosque, honoring pilgrimage
Children laughed and played games as young women passed around platters of fresh cut mangoes, dates and water bottles to break the day’s fast.
Imam Adbul Hamid Samra led sunset prayers before the subsequent feast.
These were the scenes Tuesday evening as congregants from the Islamic Center of Greater Miami in Miami Gardens celebrated the Day of Arafah, the peak of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca.
“Today is a very special day,” said Imam Abdul Hamid Samra about the Day of Arafah, which falls on the second day of Hajj. “One of the pillars of Islam is to do this [pilgrimage] once in their lifetime.”
At the Miami Gardens mosque, the largest mosque in South Florida, the community celebrated the holiday by praying at sundown, eating a meal together after a day of fasting and giving gifts of clothing and jewelry. Take a look:
Heading to the mosque
A prayerful day
A feast after the fast
This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
This story was originally published June 28, 2023 at 6:05 PM.
