National-level Maal Hijrah celebration to take place at MITEC this Friday
JAKIM director-general Datuk Dr Sirajuddin Suhaimee said His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim and Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, the King and Queen of Malaysia are expected to grace the event, which carries the theme Membangun Ummah MADANI (Developing a MADANI Ummah).
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail are also scheduled to attend the ceremony, which will begin at 9.30 am and is expected to draw around 8,000 guests. These include Cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, heads of government departments and agencies, foreign dignitaries and members of the public.
'This year's celebration aims to highlight the importance of drawing lessons from the Hijrah in building a progressive Muslim community,' Sirajuddin said in a statement today.
He added that a MADANI ummah embodies the principle of inclusivity in developing a civilised society, not only in terms of physical development, but also in nurturing spiritually excellent human capital.
The highlight of the event will be a Royal Address by His Majesty, as well as the presentation of the National and International Tokoh Maal Hijrah Awards to individuals who have made significant contributions to Islamic development and the advancement of the ummah.
In conjunction with the celebration, a special prayer ceremony to mark the end and beginning of the Islamic year will take place at 6.30 pm this Thursday at Masjid Negara (National Mosque).
The ceremony will be attended by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, with prayers led by the Grand Imam Ehsan Mohd Hosni. A special tausiyyah (religious lecture) will also be delivered by Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Izhar Ariff Mohd Kashim from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
'May this year's Maal Hijrah celebration bring renewed hope and unity to Muslims in Malaysia and around the world, in the spirit of togetherness exemplified by Prophet Muhammad SAW in Madinah,' said Sirajuddin.
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