Ministry of Islamic Affairs has opened the King Salman Mosque to the public for prayers.
The mosque was opened to the public with the congregation of the Friday prayer on April 1. Religious scholar Sheikh Ilyas Hussain led the first prayer congregation of the King Salman Mosque. Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Ahmed Zahir Ali also took part in the prayer congregation.
The Islamic ministry revealed that Sheikh Nasrullah Ali has been appointed as the Imam of King Salman Mosque. Sheikh Nasrullah holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Islamic Shariah from the Al-Azhar University of Egypt. He had been serving as an Imam at the Islamic Centre in Male’ City.
King Salman Mosque has not yet been officially opened although the mosque has been opened to the public for prayers. Islamic Minister Zahir previously revealed that the mosque would be officially opened by a delegation of the Government of Saudi Arabia. However, he said the mosque will continue to hold congregations during all prayer times, including the Tarawih and Tahajjud prayers during Ramadan.
The King Salman Mosque is a donation to the Maldives by King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud. The mosque was designed and constructed by Turkish contractor Alke-Turmaks. The mosque is designed to accommodate 4,000 worshippers at once and showcases Islamic culture and heritage.