Hundreds of thousands of Muslims gathered at the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque on the 27th night of Ramadan, also known as the Night of Power or Laylat al-Qadr.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque was filled with worshippers, including its prayer halls, courtyards, and corridors, in a scene that had been absent for nearly five months due to a strict siege and isolation imposed on Al-Aqsa since the war on the Gaza Strip.
The employees of the Islamic Waqf Department and security teams organized separate prayer areas for men and women, designated pathways for movement within Al-Aqsa, and managed the entry and exit process due to the overcrowding witnessed at its gates.
Israeli occupation forces were deployed on the roads leading to Al-Aqsa, as well as at its gates and the gates of the Old City.
They set up barriers and iron barricades and deployed drones in the sky to monitor and document the movement of visitors to Al-Aqsa.
The Islamic Waqf Department estimated the number of worshippers who performed the evening and Taraweeh prayers at Al-Aqsa to be around 200,000 worshippers.
The imams of Al-Aqsa Mosque took turns leading the evening prayer, Taraweeh prayer, and Witr prayer, with Sheikh Yusuf Abu Sneina, the imam and preacher of the mosque, concluding the Witr prayer by supplicating for the people of Gaza, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the prisoners.
After the Witr prayer, groups gathered for collective remembrance, recitation of the Quran, and religious lessons in all areas of Al-Aqsa and the tents of those performing i’tikaf (spiritual retreat).
Moreover, the night prayer (Qiyam al-Layl) was held in the mosque.
The large numbers of worshippers on this night included residents of the Palestinian interior (i.e., Palestinian citizens of Israel).
Hundreds of buses and private vehicles were used to transport worshippers from Jerusalem, while the number of worshippers from the West Bank was very limited this year due to restrictions and the “coordination permit” procedures required to enter Jerusalem. However,
a large number of Muslims from various backgrounds were present at Al-Aqsa Mosque to observe the Night of Power.
