SRINAGAR: Shab-e-Meraj was observed across the Kashmir Valley on Friday night, with night-long prayers held in mosques and shrines despite the ongoing Chillai–Kalan, the 40-day period of the harshest winter in the region.
Devotees gathered at various places of worship to offer special prayers seeking peace, prosperity, and forgiveness. The main congregation took place at the Hazratbal Shrine on the banks of Dal Lake, which houses a revered relic of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Thousands attended the prayers, while religious scholars highlighted the significance of Shab-e-Meraj, which marks the Prophet’s ascension to heaven.
Similar prayers and sermons were conducted at major shrines and local mosques across the Valley. Other important shrines, including Jenab Sahab Soura, Khanqah-e-Moula, and Aali Masjid Eidgah, also hosted special prayers and night-long gatherings.
The Jammu Kashmir Waqf Board deployed volunteers for crowd management, arranged mobile toilets, restored streetlights, and installed water tanks for devotees. The Health Department set up a medical camp near the shrine, with doctors, paramedics, and ambulances on standby for round-the-clock service.
Shab-e-Meraj, also known as Al-Isra Wal Meraj, commemorates the night when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was taken to the seven heavens and met Allah (SWT).
