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https://www.arabnews.com/node/1855521/world British-Muslim entrepreneur brings Ramadan to a close performing adhan over London’s Tower Bridge Previous 1 / 3 Kazi Shafiqur Rahman delivered the adhan over London’s Tower Bridge on Friday May 7, 2021. (Supplied) 2 / 3 Kazi Shafiqur Rahman delivered the adhan over London’s Tower Bridge on Friday May 7, 2021. (Supplied) 3 / 3 Kazi Shafiqur Rahman delivered the adhan over London’s Tower Bridge on Friday May 7, 2021. (Supplied) Next Short Url https://arab.news/wuwv4 Updated 08 May 2021 ZAYNAB KHOJJI May 07, 202118:08 57471 “I am just an ordinary individual and for me to be blessed with such an opportunity is humbling,” Rahman said Last year, he performed the adhan in Canary Wharf, the heart of London’s financial district LONDON: A British-Muslim entrepreneur serenaded London’s Tower Bridge with the adhan as the sun set over the British landmark on the last Friday of Ramadan 2021. Kazi Shafiqur Rahman, 35, delivered the adhan in the style of the Grand Mosque’s head muezzin, Sheikh Ali Ahmad Mulla, wearing a white thobe and Saudi ghutra on Friday as part of an interfaith virtual iftar. It is a style that he has perfected since childhood and has fueled the British-Bangladeshi’s passion for performing the adhan in public. Mulla has been a muezzin at the Grand Mosque since 1975 and his voice is recognized by Muslims worldwide regardless of whether they have visited Makkah. The adhan at Tower Bridge marked the end of an iftar hosted by Tower Hamlets Homes, the East London Mosque & London Muslim Center and Tower Hamlets Interfaith Forum. Rahman spoke of the huge satisfaction he gets from delivering the adhan in public and how grateful he felt for being given the opportunity to deliver one from Tower Bridge. Volume 90% “I am just an ordinary individual and for me to be blessed with such an opportunity is humbling,” he said. Although Rahman has been performing the adhan in mosques and at events for more than two decades, this is the second time he had delivered it at an iconic London location. Last year, he performed the adhan in the heart of London’s financial district, Canary Wharf, and the video of his performance was watched millions of times. Rahman added he hopes to deliver the adhan at “other global iconic locations such as the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. “After delivering the adhan in Canary Wharf last year, I realized that the call to prayer is such a strong message and that I was sending it out across the world via social media,” Rahman said. “It had such a huge reach even on LinkedIn, and many non-Muslims said how mesmerizing they found the adhan, and were asking about what it actually was,” he added. Rahman said he was initially shocked at the amount of traction the video of last year’s adhan received. “But then I realized that this is the word of God and the call to prayer and therefore it’s bound to reach that many people,” he said. “The impact of last year’s adhan was just unbelievable. The video reached millions of viewers.” Ahead of performing the adhan at Tower Bridge, Rahman told Arab News he was nervous as he wanted to live up to last year’s performance. “I don’t want it to go wrong and I want to live up to expectations. However, I am also reminding myself to do this for the sake of God only. With social media, it’s easy to get sidetracked and think about the traction that this delivery of the adhan will get. But that shouldn’t be my intention. I keep reminding myself that I am doing it for the sake of God and for Him alone.” London-based Rahman said he thanks God for giving him this opportunity and a melodious voice. “I am just an ordinary person but I feel like God has favored me with such a voice and such an opportunity, both of which I am grateful for. It gives me a sense of satisfaction that the adhan I am delivering is being appreciated all around the world. It makes me praise God even more.”
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All these questions seem to be fine and normal to an extent for anyone who does not have an idea of what sikhee is or about. Sikhee is a path where a sikh/disciple is initiated into the reality of spirituality by Guru Jee, where the soul becomes fully aware of its limitations and the full powers of Guru Jee to be ferried across the Bhavsagar. Through Gurbani we come to know the supreme importance of Guru Jee for a soul´s salvation so to say. As mentioned and seen above in the words of Guru Jee where He tells us: Bin Satgur kinaay na paayo Bin Satgur kinnay na paaya. Here it is obvious for us, that without the sole grace and help from Guru Jee for the individual sikh/disciple/soul, it is impossible to realize and reach Him, it is just an impossible task, howsoever one may try thousands of other tricks and methods. By these other methods, one may at most reach Swarg, Brahm Lok, Baikunth the abode of Vishnu Jee, or Shivpuri the abode of Mahadev Shiv Shankar, but not Sach Khand the ultimate and Highest realm where Waheguru Akal Purukh permanent abode is. For Sach Khand we need Guru Jee. Now as per Bani, again to be under the shelter of Guru Jee, is a matter of being blessed. In this respect the pure paviter Bani tells us: bhoolay marag jinaay bataaya, aisa Satgur wadbhagee paiyaa. Everbody is a lost soul wandering in ignorance, and it is only by great good fortune/blessings, that one comes into contact with Guru Jee and is ferried across. In this respect, the Bani can not be more clear nor more expressive. To be under the shelter of Guru Jee, is not a matter of induction or telling somebody do this or that, and so on, but, it is a matter of apaar kirpa from Waheguru Himself, who puts us or anybody He so wants, under Guru Jee´s protection. So we must bear in mind, it matters not what one may do, but unless one follows the teachings of Guru Jee and devotedly gives oneself to Him, we will never be able to cross the Mahabhavsagar. Let us not worry for others, for that alone will happen, what is written in his/her destiny as per His hukum. For example Prithi Chand was the elder son of Guru Sahiban, yet he did not recognize Him as Waheguru´s swaroop, though he had Their darshan right from childhood. So you see inspite of being so near Guru Jee, if one is not destined so, one will never acept Guru Jee, no matter if a hundred or hundred million people tell you to do so, nothing wil happen. So just as by saying I want to go to Canada and will do this or that, one will not ever reach there. To reach Canada, we need a mode of transport be it by air or sea from India for example. So if our intention is to go to Canada, we have to first look for that mode of transport, otherwise just not possible. In a similar way, if we know through Gurbani that without Guru Jee I will never ever achieve or reach Him, let us ask ourselves, am I doing any such thing to be guided back by Guru Jee by implicitly follow His teachings, or is that I am doing what I see others do and take that for real to reach Waheguru... That is really important, for as long as we are not under His shelter, as per Gurbani we will never ever meet our beloved Waheguru Akal Purukh. Dhan Guru Sree Ram Das Maharaj tells us in Raag Vadhans: Dhan dhan Satgur Purukh Niranjan, jit mil Har Nam dhiyai. Which means: Great and good is Satguru, who is verily God Himself, and by meeting Him I have practised the "Name" of the Almighty. Such is the apaar mahima of Guru Jee. -
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