Najaf iftar service doubles daily meals for shrine visitors

NAJAF — For 22 years, the Mawkib Abu Al-Fadl Al-Abbas has served iftar meals in Najaf’s old city for visitors heading to the shrine of Imam Ali. This year, however, the daily meal count has doubled to 2,000.

Iftar, the meal Muslims eat to break their fast at sunset during Ramadan, has taken on even greater significance as the number of visitors to the shrine has grown. Traditionally, the iftar table was arranged in a single line along Zain Al-Abidin Street, but rising demand has led to the expansion of the setup into two lines.

Karim Al-Kaabi, head of the mawkib, told 964media that the increase in the number of meals reflects the growing crowd. “We used to cook for 1,000 people, but at the start of Ramadan this year, we are preparing at least 2,000 meals daily. On Thursdays and Fridays, the number reaches 4,000,” he said.

Mawkibs are processional groups that provide food, drinks, and other assistance during religious events, particularly among Shia Muslims in Iraq during Arbaeen, Ashura, and Ramadan.

The meals, funded entirely by donations, include rice, a variety of stews, meat, eggplant dishes, chicken, dates, soup, and desserts. The iftar service runs every day for all 30 days of Ramadan, with rice and qimeh—minced meat—emerging as the crowd favorites.

Visitors from across the region have expressed their appreciation for the service. Starr Jabbar, a visitor from Karbala, told 964media, “I come to Najaf every year to visit Imam Ali’s shrine and break my fast at this mawkib.” Another visitor, Jasim Kazem from Diwaniya, described his experience as unique. “This is my first time witnessing this extraordinary iftar gathering for visitors and the poor,” he said.

The Imam Ali Shrine, a revered site for Shia Muslims in Najaf, enshrines the tomb of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, who is honored as the first Shia Imam.

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