Sadr postpones nationwide Friday prayer due to cold weather, rain

NAJAF — Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr announced Tuesday the postponement of a previously planned unified Friday prayer, citing cold weather and rainfall across parts of Iraq.

In a written statement, Al-Sadr said: “I worry for you because of the cold weather and the rain, for your safety matters to me.” He added, “Let us postpone the unified Friday prayer to another occasion, God willing.”

Muqtada al-Sadr is a prominent Shiite cleric and political leader in Iraq. He heads the Sadrist movement, also known as the National Shiite Current, and commands a large base of supporters across the country.  He is known for organizing mass protests and religious gatherings.

Al-Sadr concluded his message by saying, “Since deeds are judged by intentions, may God accept your act in the best way.”

Two days earlier, Al-Sadr had called for holding a nationwide Friday prayer in Iraq, with the main gathering planned in Babil Governorate. He said the event aimed to “raise the word of religion and the sect,” and called for a mass turnout that would be “intimidating to the enemies,” in his words.

Friday prayers, known in Arabic as Ṣalāt al-Jumuʿah, are a weekly congregational prayer held by Muslims just after noon on Fridays, replacing the regular midday prayer. The gathering includes a sermon (khutbah) delivered by an imam. In Shiite and Sunni traditions alike, these prayers are an important weekly religious obligation and a communal event.