On Sept. 24th, 2011, Imam Khalid Latif got married and we decided to turn it into a Bridges event! The nikkah (religious ceremony) was scheduled to take place Saturday with the reception to follow that Sunday afternoon. This was the first time I had been to a wedding in which the religious ceremony was separate from the more cultural reception and celebrations. But I guess when Khalid's 5000 facebook friends have been invited, along with anyone who read his Huffington Post Ramadan Reflections, something has to be done to manage the crowds. The nikkah was to take place at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, colloquially referred to as the 96th St. Masjid (Mosque). The 96th St. Masjid is beautiful and unique in that it is the only mosque in Manhattan with a dome and minarets. It was also the only mosque large enough to accommodate the 1000 guests Khalid was expecting.
Khalid is good friends with Rabbi Sarna and so it was a given that the Rabbi would be present at the nikkah. It was to be a community affair, one that had become dubbed, "The Muslim Royal Wedding." Both Ariel and Chelsea said they were going to come, and at the end of our Bridges Roundtable Event, they had recruited another 5 or so Jewish students to accompany them. Fatima and I thought that sounded great, but we didn't realize the implications a Saturday wedding had on the Jewish students. Saturday at 1pm, around 1000 Muslims made their way via the subway to the 96th St. Mosque. Around 10 Jewish students and the Rabbi walked. From Greeenwich Village. To 96th St.
The crowd at the mosque was a sight to see. There were people of different backgrounds and different faiths (a testament to Khalid's ability to befriend everyone). Imam Suhaib Webb conducted the nikkah and gave the Khutbah-e-Nikkah (the sermon given after the couple are married). Imam Suhaib did a phenomenal job, stopping to explain the steps and translating the Arabic phrases. His khutbah spoke about how we, as the community that had witnessed the nikkah, had a responsibility to be a source of strength and love for the couple. To say Imam Suhaib Webb is a captivating speaker is an understatement; he had everyone in the mosque laughing with his statement that the Prophet (May Peace and Blessing be Upon Him) had GAME, masAllah (by the Grace of Allah).
Khalid and Priya had everyone in tears with their vows; both looked so genuinely happy, mashAllah.
After the nikkah, we loitered for an hour or so (typical) as the Jewish students began their trek back to campus. We hope they enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed sharing the experience with them!
-Zara Ali
Khalid is good friends with Rabbi Sarna and so it was a given that the Rabbi would be present at the nikkah. It was to be a community affair, one that had become dubbed, "The Muslim Royal Wedding." Both Ariel and Chelsea said they were going to come, and at the end of our Bridges Roundtable Event, they had recruited another 5 or so Jewish students to accompany them. Fatima and I thought that sounded great, but we didn't realize the implications a Saturday wedding had on the Jewish students. Saturday at 1pm, around 1000 Muslims made their way via the subway to the 96th St. Mosque. Around 10 Jewish students and the Rabbi walked. From Greeenwich Village. To 96th St.
The crowd at the mosque was a sight to see. There were people of different backgrounds and different faiths (a testament to Khalid's ability to befriend everyone). Imam Suhaib Webb conducted the nikkah and gave the Khutbah-e-Nikkah (the sermon given after the couple are married). Imam Suhaib did a phenomenal job, stopping to explain the steps and translating the Arabic phrases. His khutbah spoke about how we, as the community that had witnessed the nikkah, had a responsibility to be a source of strength and love for the couple. To say Imam Suhaib Webb is a captivating speaker is an understatement; he had everyone in the mosque laughing with his statement that the Prophet (May Peace and Blessing be Upon Him) had GAME, masAllah (by the Grace of Allah).
Khalid and Priya had everyone in tears with their vows; both looked so genuinely happy, mashAllah.
After the nikkah, we loitered for an hour or so (typical) as the Jewish students began their trek back to campus. We hope they enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed sharing the experience with them!
-Zara Ali