If you want to sit in Aitkaf at Faisal Mosque, Islamabad, you will have to apply within the first 10 days of Ramadan and also pay a fee by bank.
According to details issued by the mosque’s administration this year, 300 worshippers can sit in Aitkaf at Faisal Masjid, and applicants will be allocated slots on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.
The mosque’s administration has set a deadline of the 10th day of Ramadan for the submission of applications. The maximum age limit for Aitkaf has been set at 60 years. People observing Aitkaf will have to arrange their own sehri and iftar.
To apply, you must fill out a form available at the Islamic Centre attached to the mosque. The application carries a non-refundable fee of Rs 5,000, to be paid via bank draft. Last year, the fee was Rs 3,000.
Along with the form, a copy of the applicant’s national identity card and two passport-sized photos must also be submitted.
Although food is not provided, the administration offers books as well as a copy of the Quran to the worshippers. Lectures are also organized for those in Aitkaf.
During Aitkaf, Muslim men stay in mosques for the last 10 or 9 days of Ramadan and worship there, while Muslim women can observe Aitkaf at home by secluding themselves in a room or at a corner of the home.
