RAF launches pull-out public prayer carpets in different parts of Qatar

So one day, you are unexpectedly out of home and are at a place that does not have a mosque nearby. It’s prayer time and you don’t have access to prayer facilities. What would you do?

If you are at one of several locations around the country, then all you got to do is pull out a prayer carpet, from a specially installed facility, and pray.

This is a unique project launched by the Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Foundation for Humanitarian Services (RAF) to provide prayer places to worshipers at public places, remote areas and those away from mosques, reported The Peninsula.

So far, around 10 makeshift prayer areas that can accommodate 25 to 30 worshipers each has been set up in different parts of the city.

The carpets, placed inside a metal box, can be pulled out easily when needed and rolled back into the box after use. The carpets even have separate slots for the Imam (one who leads the prayer) and are positioned in a way that the person faces towards the Qiblah while praying.

“In the project’s first phase, we’ve placed around 10 makeshift prayer areas in Doha Corniche and some public parks. It can accommodate up to 30 worshippers at a time,” a senior RAF official told The Peninsula.

“The carpet, kept inside the metal box, is always clean and protected from harsh weather. A team of supervisors from New Life Centre at RAF follow up the facilities and periodically change the carpets,” he added.

This is the second project implemented by New Life Centre at RAF to provide prayer places to worshipers where there are no such facilities around.

Earlier, the centre had launched a mobile facility, equipped with a microphone, for announcing prayer times and a carpet large enough for 100 worshipers.

The mobile mosques are available across Doha, and at suburbs like Sea Line, beaches, picnic places, Doha Corniche and Aspire Park, among other places.

Picture courtesy: The Peninsula Qatar